Biomedical subjects

R Muzzolon

Publications and source records attributed to R Muzzolon.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1991

Effects of hospitalization on affective status of elderly patients.

The effects of hospitalization on affective status were assessed by an original protocol in 214 consecutive elderly patients (mean age = 78.3 +/-5.0 years, range = 70-92 years). Psychological decompensation was significantly related to length of stay (p less than 0.01) and drug use (p less than 0.05) and unaffected by sex, marital status, prior living place, diagnostic category. Affective status and functional status were directly correlated (p less than 0.0001), although in 51% of medical patients the affective status worsened or remained unchanged despite improved physical function. Improvement in affective status occurred more frequently in surgical patients (p less than 0.001) due to psychological improvement following surgery. Physicians providing medical and surgical care for geriatric patients must remain aware of the patients' emotional response to hospitalization and illness, given the accompanying risk for psychological decompensation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1991

Factors affecting variations in pulmonary diffusing capacity resulting from postural changes.

The relation of postural changes to the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was investigated in 12 normal nonsmokers in order to evaluate the influence of body position on several components of lung resistance to gas diffusion. The well-known increase in CO diffusing capacity in the supine position was obtained only for data corrected for alveolar volume (KCO: 6.18 +/- 0.75 vs. 5.45 +/- 0.67 ml/min/mm Hg/l; p less than 0.005). Moreover, only the membrane component (Dm) increased significantly in supine subjects (KDm = 2.81 +/- 1.32 vs. 1.82 +/- 0.54 ml/min/mm Hg/l; p less than 0.05), the increase in capillary blood volume (Vc) being not significant (KVc = 12.54 +/- 4.22 vs. 11.17 +/- 3.79 ml/l; NS). These data could be interpreted as a demonstration of a more homogeneously distributed ventilation with respect to diffusion surface in healthy young people in a supine position. The amount of surface available for diffusion seems therefore to be a limiting factor to gas flow across the lungs in these subjects. Thus a straightforward attribution of posturally influenced changes in CO diffusing capacity exclusively to factors affecting Vc is not recommended, particularly in pathological conditions, if information about variation in distribution of ventilation is unavailable.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Comparison of the performance of two mini peak flow meters.

Two mini peak flow meters commonly used to monitorize the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) are compared to assess their agreement, precision and, with respect to a standard pneumotachygraph, accuracy. Precision of the mini-Wright peak flow meter is greater, possibly as result of a systematic overestimation of PEFR values. The Assess peak-flow meter is more accurate, but its ability to reproduce the actual well-known PEFR variability is dependent from the absolute level of air flow. The agreement between two instruments is very poor, both in asthmatics and in normals, so that it is mandatory to use always the same mini peak flow meter in population studies and during the follow-up of asthmatic patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

Pulmonary involvement in progressive systemic sclerosis: a multidisciplinary approach.

In an attempt to define the early features and the natural evolution of lung involvement in progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), we planned a multidisciplinary study of these patients using radiological, scintigraphic and functional methods. As yet we have studied 21 subjects, all affected by PSS according to the American Rheumatism Association criteria. A well-defined restrictive functional pattern was present only in 10 patients out of 21; an increased elastic recoil may be present before a significant decrease of the transfer test for carbon monoxide; an increased alveolar-capillary permeability assessed by the 99mTc-diethylene-triamine-pentacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) clearance rate has been detected in almost all the patients (13 out of 14) in at least one lung field; no significant correlation has been found between the radiological lung involvement and the 99mTc-DTPA clearance rate. We think that these preliminary results are consistent with an alveolar and interstitial inflammation rather than with a vasculitic process.

Adult↗