Clinical year in review IV: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, exercise and rehabilitation, and critical care medicine.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Carolyn L Rochester.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Stroke survivors often experience medical complications and long-term disability. Disturbances in respiratory system function and complications affecting the respiratory system are common after stroke. The nature of these disorders depends on the severity and site of neurological injury. Alterations in breathing control, respiratory mechanics, and breathing pattern are common and may lead to gas exchange abnormalities or the need for mechanical ventilation. Stroke can lead to sleep disordered breathing such as central or obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep disordered breathing may also play a role in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction. Venous thromboembolism, swallowing abnormalities, aspiration, and pneumonia are among the most common respiratory complications of stroke. Neurogenic pulmonary edema occurs less often. Close observation of the stroke patient for these potential disturbances, and implementation of prophylactic measures can prevent significant morbidity and mortality.
Exercise and activity limitation are characteristic features of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Exercise intolerance may result from ventilatory limitation, cardiovascular impairment, and/or skeletal muscle dysfunction. Exercise training, a core component of pulmonary rehabilitation, improves the exercise capacity (endurance and, to a lesser degree, maximal work capacity) of patients with COPD in spite of the irreversible abnormalities in lung function. Dyspnea and health-related quality of life also improve following pulmonary rehabilitation. The clinical benefits of exercise rehabilitation last up to 2 years following 8 to 12 weeks of training. Existing evidence-based guidelines recommend that exercise training/pulmonary rehabilitation be included routinely in the management of patients with moderate to severe COPD. Exercise training/ pulmonary rehabilitation may be undertaken in an inpatient, outpatient, or home-based setting, depending on the individual needs of the patient and available resources. The type and intensity of training and muscle groups trained determine the expected outcomes of exercise training. Both high- and low-intensity exercise lead to increased exercise endurance, but only high-intensity training also leads to physiologic gains in aerobic fitness. The rationale for and outcomes of lower- and upper-limb training, as well as ventilatory muscle training, are reviewed, and the potential for anabolic hormone supplementation to optimize the benefits of exercise training is discussed.