Active clinical trials for "Lung Diseases, Obstructive"

Aim: To investigate whether patients with pulmonary hypertension have reduced absorption capacity compared to COPD patients without cor pulmonale potentially due to venous obstruction in the portal vein system. The presence of cor pulmonale was determined by echocardiography. The concentration of D-xylose and zinc were measured in peripheral blood one, two and three hours after ingestion and used as markers of absorption. Furthermore, urine was collected for five hours to determine the amount of excreted D-xylose.

For AECOPD patients, only 8% patients ventilated by noninvasive and invasive positive pressure ventilation. Nasal cannula is the most common pattern of oxygen therapy in mild AECOPD. As a low flow oxygen therapy, nasal cannula has many disadvantages.Therefore, we design a randomized controlled trial(RCT)to explore whether HFNC would be better than nasal cannula to prevent the aggravation of respiratory failure and endotracheal intubation in mild AECOPD.

In patients with both COPD and CHF, moderate chronic hypoxemia is caused by a combination of intrapulmonary and extrapulmonary factors. The hypothesis of this study is that adequate medical therapy for both conditions can correct the moderate hypoxemia by improving the underlying mechanisms without the need of LTOT. If this hypothesis is correct, the study will provide a valuable information to the Italian Agency of drugs (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco, AIFA) to reduce the inappropriate use of LTOT for COPD patients with moderate hypoxemia and CHF, and will help the Italian National Health Service to reduce both the direct and indirect costs of unnecessary LTOT.

Purpose: Patients with mental health disorders have a reduced life expectancy, compared to the general population. The shorter life expectancy is caused by natural and unnatural death. In general, patients with a mental disorder tend to have a more unhealthy lifestyle, than the general population, characterized by e.g. lack of exercise and smoking. Hypothesis Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is underdiagnosed in psychiatric inpatients There is a higher prevalence of COPD in psychiatric inpatients compared to the general population Screening of patients with one respiratory symptom and a smoking history, has the same sensitivity regarding to diagnosis of COPD, as screening all patients with a smoking history Method: 80 psychiatric inpatients will undergo spirometry with reversibility test and COPD Assessment Test (CATest). Furthermore, patient history regarding respiratory symptoms and smoking will be taken into account.

Whole body vibration training seems to be a useful adjunct in exercise training in patients with severe COPD. The basic principle relies on reflectory muscle contractions caused by a vibration stimulus. Until now the impact of whole body vibration training on cardiopulmonary parameters remained unknown. Therefore aim of this study is to investigate cardiopulmonary parameters during whole body vibration training in patients with chronic lung disease.

The study will begin in 2013 whereby patients having an early warning system (EWS) alert will be randomized to be seen by the rapid response team (RRT) for triage versus usual care. A RRT is usually made up of a nurse and/or a physician who respond to a requested activation of the RRT (called an "ACT"). The intervention will occur as follows:

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is projected to be the fifth leading burden of disease worldwide by the year 2020. An acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) is defined as an acute event characterized by a worsening of the patient's respiratory symptoms that requires a modification in the medication. AECOPD are frequent (mean of 1-4 exacerbations each year). It increases in frequency with the severity of the disease. The objective of this study is to examine whether a physical therapy intervention can reduce impairment in patients with COPD during hospitalization due to an acute exacerbation.

The aim of the study is to observe the ventilatory and cardiac function (included the pulmonary arterial pressure) during an intermittent work exercise test with high density work load.

A new artificial lung device has been developed that potentially provides added support to mechanical ventilation for severely damaged lungs. The Hattler Respiratory Assist Catheter is designed to provide gas exchange (deliver oxygen and remove carbon dioxide) for a period of up to 7 days, providing more time for the lungs to improve. Extrapolating from large animal data, the hypothesis is that the Hattler Catheter will be capable of providing 30% to 40% of the basal requirements of carbon dioxide exchange in a manner that is dependable and reproducible.

Background: Optimizing the basic palliative care has been shown beneficial to patients in end-of-life care, the general practitioner (GP) having a pivotal role in the health care system, providing comprehensive and continued medical care. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of a complex intervention in general practice on GPs' awareness of and confidence in providing end-of-life care. Method: A follow-up study among 404 general practices in Central Denmark Region. The participating general practices will get the opportunity to receive education in palliative care and access to an electronic support, which provides advice on palliative care and an overview of the palliative population in each medical practice. The education and the support will focus on patients suffering from either metastatic cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (GOLD stage 4). The end-of-life care delivered by the GPs to their deceased patients will be analysed, based on questionnaires to GPs and register data related to the deceased patients before and after the intervention, . Primary outcomes: Place of death of deceased patients, time spent at home, and number of hospital admissions in the last three months of the patients' lives. Secondary outcomes: Number and kinds of contacts between GPs and patients, use of relevant medicine and of the 'Safety Box'. Finally GPs' confidence concerning palliative care will be assessed in questionnaires.