Pneumological research in Clinics

Anciaes et al. (2) induced experimental emphysema in BALB/c mice and found that morphometric parameters were more reliable for detecting its presence than the functional parameters measured with respiratory mechanics. Bosch et al. (3) report that a quick diagnosis unit currently being used in a Spanish public university hospital represents a useful and cost-saving model for diagnosing patients with potentially severe diseases. Boskabady et al. (4) report that carpentry work in the city of Mashhad (northeast Iran) was associated with a high frequency of respiratory symptoms, particularly after occupational exposure to irritating chemicals. Costa et al. (5) report that the pediatric risk of mortality score showed adequate discriminatory capacity and thus constitutes a useful tool for assessing the prognosis of pediatric patients who have been admitted to tertiary pediatric intensive care units. Faria et al. (6) report on using a forced oscillation technique to investigate the mechanical properties of the respiratory system to detect early smokinginduced respiratory involvement when pathological changes are still potentially reversible; their findings support the use of this technique as a versatile clinical diagnostic tool for preventing, diagnosing and treating chronic obstructive lung. Guimaraes et al. (7) report that a CT-guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy of lung lesions had a lower complication rate in their study, but the lesions that lacked pleural contact had more complications. Pimenta et al. (8) propose the desaturation distance ratio, a new composite index that uses continuous peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) instead of a walked distance (a six minute walk test), as a more reliable tool for performing a functional evaluation of interstitial lung disease. Rocha et al. (9) report that the differences between renal function and the tubular handling of potassium and phosphorus are present during the first week of life in preterm neonates who will develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Higher rates of patent ductus arteriosus and indomethacin enhance these differences. Schachner et al. (10) find that at reoperative levels .502 ng/ml, the N-terminal fragment of pro-brain type natriuretic peptide predicts mid-term mortality after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting and is associated with significantly higher hospital mortality and perioperative complications. By measuring adequate discriminative power and calibration, Vieira et al. (11) developed and validated a predictive score for clinical complications during the intrahospital transport of infants treated in neonatal units. The authors claim that this predictive score can help identify infants at risk of clinical complications during intra-hospital transports.