conclusions the fev1/fev6 ratio can be used as a valid surrogate for fev1/fvc in the diagnosis of airway obstruction, especially for screening purposes in high-risk populations for copd. moreover, fev6 is an acceptable alternative for fvc in detection of restrictive pattern. results this study shows that the current cut-off points used to detect obstruction and restriction can be replaced by fe...

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) is associated with a chronic inflammatory response in airways and lung parenchyma that results in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. cigarette smoking considered as an important risk factor plays a role in pathogenesis of disease. pneumocystis jirovecii is an atypical opportunistic fungus that causes pneumonia in immunosuppressed host, al...

garbage collectors are occupationally exposed to a variety of airborne contaminants. the main objective of this study was to evaluate the respiratory health of garbage collectors. this study was carried out in fars province, south of iran. a group of 105 garbage collectors and 93 referent subjects were investigated. a standard questionnaire was administered to both groups. furthermore, subjects...

pulmonary hypertension (ph) is an important cause of heart failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd). the pro brain natriuretic peptide n-terminal (nt-probnp) has been suggested as a noninvasive marker to evaluate ventricular function. however, there is no evidence to support the use of nt-probnp in monitoring the benefits of vasodilators in copd induced ph. thus, we used nt-probn...

background: several studies have showed an increased prevalence of airflow obstruction in first degree relatives of individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd). considering no specific research had evaluated airway resistance in offspring of patients with severe copd, we utilized a spirometry and a impulse oscillometry (io) to evaluate this population. materials and methods: i...

background: depression and smoking decrease health status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd), but the combined effect of the two factors is unknown. this study aimed to assess the interactive effects of depression and smoking on the severity of patients with copd. methods: a prospective cohort study including 2,268 patients with copd was conducted in seven rural communities from ma...

abstract   background: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and is an important health economic problem. since 1960, there has been an increase in mortality associated with copd, especially in men. acute exacerbations form a major component of the socioeconomic burden of copd which mainly results in long-term hospitalization. despite the high...

introduction: pulmonary hyperinflation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) can increase the breathing rate and reduce diaphragmatic movements by pushing the diaphragms downward and limiting their movements; this, in fact, can affect the breathing process. the purpose of this study was to compare diaphragmatic movements in copd patients and healthy ones and to evaluate ...

background and purpose: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) has been recognized as a risk factor for invasive aspergillosis. airway colonization by aspergillus species is a common feature of chronic pulmonary diseases. nowadays, the incidence of copd has increased in critically ill patients. the aim of the present study was to isolate and identify aspergillus colonies in the respirator...

conclusions we found statistical differences in pct levels that would differentiate cap from acute exacerbation of copd in the ed setting. further studies are required to verify this finding. methods this cross-sectional prospective descriptive study was performed in the emergency department (ed) on patients with cap and acute exacerbation of copd. a total of 53 patients were included in this s...