Thirty-one consecutive patients with respiratory failure in whom treatment with intubation and mechanical ventilation was being strongly considered received alternative ventilatory support by means of a BiPAP ventilatory support system and nasal mask. Laboratory measurements and physical findings were documented before and 1 h after initiation of support. This support improved patient comfort, ...

BACKGROUND Respiratory failure, infections and aspiration pneumonia, are the main causes of morbidity and mortality in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). In a population-based cohort, we assessed (a) hospital utilization and (b) impact of hospitalization for respiratory failure on survival. METHODS All patients with incident ALS in Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Italy, from 2002 to 2009, wer...

Endobronchial ultrasounded-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for sampling enlarged hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes, and mediastinal tumours is a safe procedure and can be performed under sedation and local anaesthesia. Rare complications of this procedure include haemorrhage, pneumothorax, pneumonia, mediastinitis and pericarditis (Asano F et al., Complications associated wi...

A case of a fatal foreign material aspiration is presented in the following paper. During the autopsy, an orange colored mucus plug was noted in the trachea, which was completely occluding the lumen from mid-level downwards causing a lethal respiratory insufficiency. The bio-chemical and chemical analysis was positive for fructose; there was history of intake of a mango fruit drink just before ...

Foreign body aspiration into the airways is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients, especially in children below 3 years of age. In the absence of clear history, the correct diagnosis is often missed. The clinical features may mimic asthma or pneumonia, resulting in delayed diagnosis. Cough or wheezing of sudden onset, reduced air entry on auscultation, and chronic...

Foreign body aspiration is a relatively commonly encountered emergency in the pediatric age group. Foreign body can get lodge at any site from supraglottis to the terminal bronchioles. The removal of nasal foreign body in the pediatric age group particularly those lodged posteriorly should always be attempted under general anesthesia as it can dislodge down into the lower airway leading to fata...

Foreign body aspiration is unusual in adults, except those who are debilitated or have neuropsychiatric disorders. It can be a life-threatening situation and it often requires a high index of suspicion, because the diagnosis can be obscure. Prompt diagnosis and intervention through foreign body retrieval are critical to prevent significant morbidity and mortality. We present a case of denture a...

Acid aspiration may result in the development of the acute respiratory distress syndrome, an event associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although once attributed to direct distal airway injury, the pulmonary failure after acid aspiration is more complex and involves an inflammatory injury mediated by complement (C) and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. This study examines the injurio...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Children with neurologic impairment (NI) are commonly hospitalized for different types of pneumonia, including aspiration pneumonia. We sought to compare hospital management and outcomes of children with NI diagnosed with aspiration versus nonaspiration pneumonia. METHODS A retrospective study of 27 455 hospitalized children aged 1 to 18 years with NI diagnosed with p...

OBJECTIVE To explore both the early prediction and diagnosis of dysphagia in preterm infants as an important developmental aspect as well as the prevention of respiratory complications, we developed the simple and-easy-to-apply Dysphagia Screening Test for Preterm Infants (DST-PI) to predict supraglottic penetration and subglottic aspiration. METHODS Fifty-two infants were enrolled in a video...