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Biomedical subjects

J P Laaban

Publications and source records attributed to J P Laaban.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Nutritional depletion in patients on long-term oxygen therapy and/or home mechanical ventilation.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition in outpatients on long-term oxygen therapy or home mechanical ventilation, to determine the relationships between malnutrition and impairment/disability and smoking and also to identify relevant tools for routine nutritional assessment. In 744 patients (M:F 1.68, aged 65+/-15 yrs) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, 40%), restrictive disorders (27%), mixed respiratory failure (15%), neuromuscular diseases (13%) and bronchiectasis (5%), body mass index (BMI), fat-free mass (FFM), serum albumin, transthyretin, 6-min walking test, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and blood gases were recorded. FFM was the most sensitive parameter for detecting malnutrition, being abnormal in 53.6% of patients, while BMI was <20 in 23.2%, serum albumin <35 g x L(-1) in 20.7%, and serum transthyretin <200 mg x L(-1) in 20%. FFM depletion predominated in neuromuscular, bronchiectasis and restrictive disorders. BMI and FFM were correlated with FEV1, FVC and 6-min walking test. In multivariate analysis a BMI<20 was related to FEV1 and smoking habits, and a low FFM to smoking, FEV1 and female sex. Malnutrition is highly prevalent in home-assisted respiratory patients and is related to causal disease, forced expiratory volume in one second, smoking and disability. Fat-free mass appeared to be the most sensitive and relevant nutritional parameter according to impairment and disability.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

[Sleep apnea syndrome and obesity].

Obesity is a main risk factor for sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). The prevalence of SAS is especially high in massive obesity and in visceral obesity. The mechanisms of obstructive apneas in obesity are poorly known, but an increase in upper airway collapsibility probably plays an important role. Several cardiorespiratory complications of SAS, especially systemic arterial hypertension, diurnal alveolar hypoventilation and pulmonary arterial hypertension, are more frequent and more severe in obese patients. An important weight loss resulting from surgical treatment of obesity is often associated with a dramatic decrease in apnea-hypopnea index in patients with massive obesity. In patients with moderate obesity, dietary weight loss is associated with varying degrees of improvement in SAS. Pharyngoplasty and anterior mandibular positioning devices have a low success rate in patients with massive obesity. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure is often the only effective treatment in obese SAS patients.

Heart Diseases↗
PubMed2001

[Acute asthma attack].

A severe form of exacerbation of asthma, AAA is defined by the presence of a least one sign of clinical severity during the attack. AAA is often preceded by prodromal symptoms that should indicate the need to increase maintenance treatment and eliminate possible triggering factors. Initial treatment of AAA should be made as early as possible and should associate high-dose oxygen, nebulisations of beta-2-agonists and corticosteroid infusion. The immediate prognosis of AAA is particularly related to the initial response to appropriate treatment. When objective improvement criteria are met, discharge can be considered, with short-term outpatient corticosteroid treatment. In more severe stages, beta-2 agonists and anti-cholinergic agent nebulisations are useful. The interest of using other bronchodilators (adrenalin, theophylline) is debated. In case of very severe asthma attack, inhalation of a mixture of helium and oxygen can avoid the need for intubation and mechanical ventilation. Subsequent to AAA, rehabilitation and pulmonary follow-up are indicated in order to prevent recurrence.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

[Value of Holter ECG in the diagnosis of sleep apnea syndrome in patients with massive obesity].

OBJECTIVE: Assess the diagnostic contribution of cyclic nocturnal variations in heart rate in sleep apnea syndrome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Holter recordings performed in a population of 30 patients with massive obesity defined as a body mass index greater than 40 kg/m2 and sleep apnea syndrome defined by an apnea index greater than 5 apneas per hour were analyzed retrospectively. The control group was composed of 15 patients with massive obesity but without sleep apnea syndrome. High variability in nocturnal heart rate was assessed using a visual criterion defined as repeated episodes of progressive reduction in heart rate followed by a sudden acceleration reaching a difference of 30 bpm between the highest and lowest heart rate and occurring at least 5 times during one consecutive hour of recording. RESULTS: Increased nocturnal variability in heart rate was evidenced in all the patients with sleep apnea syndrome (30/30) but was not observed in any of the control subjects (0/15). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that Holter recordings can be a useful tool for the diagnosis of sleep apnea syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Bioelectrical impedance analysis in estimating nutritional status and outcome of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute respiratory failure.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in estimating the nutritional status and outcome of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory failure (ARF) in comparison with measurements of anthropometric parameters and plasma levels of visceral proteins. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: A ten-bed intensive care unit (ICU) in a university teaching hospital. PATIENTS: 51 COPD patients with ARF in whom BIA data, anthropometric parameters, and measurements of visceral proteins were available. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: BIA results in patients requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) vs. those who did not showed lower active cell mass (ACM; 37.5 +/- 6.5% vs. 42.4 +/- 7.2% body weight, P = 0.01) and a higher extra-/intracellular water volume ratio (ECW/ICW; 1.25 +/- 0.2 vs. 1.04 +/- 0.2, P = 0.0001), suggesting a more severe alteration in the nutritional status among those on MV. Anthropometric data showed the opposite results, since body weight, body mass index (BMI), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), and fat mass were significantly higher in the invasively ventilated patients, whereas middle-arm muscle circumference (MAMC) did not differ between the two groups. The marked inflation of the extracellular compartment (ECW, ECW/ICW) that was well shown by BIA in the invasively ventilated patients presumably lead to inaccurate anthropometric results (overestimation of TSF and fat mass, and erroneous measure of MAMC). A higher death rate (38% vs. 0%, P = 0.01) was observed in the patients with ACM depletion (ACM < or = 40.6% body weight, n = 26) than in those without ACM depletion (n = 25). Low albumin level (< 30 g/l) was associated with increased mortality (33% vs. 7%, P = 0.04), but the differences in the other biological and anthropometric parameters (prealbumin and transferrin levels, body weight, BMI, TSF, MAMC, fat mass, and fat-free mass) were not associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the decrease in BIA-derived ACM is a good indication of malnutrition and of poor outcome in COPD patients with ARF.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with sleep apnoea syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) is classically ascribed to associated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the possible occurrence of PAH as a complication of SAS in patients without COPD. METHODS: Right heart catheterisation was performed in 44 patients with SAS and without COPD confirmed by polysomnography (apnoea index >5/h) admitted for the administration of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). RESULTS: Precapillary PAH, defined as mean pulmonary arterial pressure of >20 mm Hg with pulmonary capillary wedge pressure <15 mm Hg, was observed in 12/44 (27%) patients with SAS. There were no significant differences in apnoea index between patients with (PAH+) and those without PAH (PAH-) (42.6 (26.3) versus 35.8 (21.7) apnoeas/h). The PAH+ group differed significantly from the PAH- group in the following respects: lower daytime arterial oxygen tension (PaO(2)) (9.6 (1.1) versus 11.3 (1.5) kPa, p=0.0006); higher daytime arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO(2)) (5.8 (0.5) versus 5.3 (0.5) kPa, p=0.002); more severe nocturnal hypoxaemia with a higher percentage of total sleep time spent at SaO(2) <80% (32.2 (28.5)% versus 10.7 (18.8)%, p=0.005); and higher body mass index (BMI) (37.4 (6) versus 30.3 (6.7) kg/m(2), p=0.002). The PAH+ patients had significantly lower values of vital capacity (VC) (87 (14)% predicted versus 105 (20)% predicted, p=0.005), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) (82 (14)% predicted versus 101 (17)% predicted, p=0.001), expiratory reserve volume (40 (16)% predicted versus 77 (41)% predicted, p=0.003), and total lung capacity (87 (13)% predicted versus 98 (18)% predicted, p=0.04). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAPm) was positively correlated with BMI and negatively with PaO(2). CONCLUSION: Pulmonary arterial hypertension is frequently observed in patients with SAS, even when COPD is absent, and appears to be related to the severity of obesity and its respiratory mechanical consequences.

Blood Gas Analysis↗
PubMed2000

A noninvasive diagnostic strategy including spiral computed tomography in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

We conducted a study to evaluate a noninvasive strategy including spiral computed tomography (CT) in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). We systematically performed spiral CT, ventilation/perfusion lung scanning, and D-dimer (DD) measurement (VIDAS test), and in some cases (with a normal CT with nondiagnostic lung scan and increased DD) performed venous ultrasonography (US) on 247 consecutive patients with clinically suspected PE in our hospital. Patients in whom PE was deemed absent were not given anticoagulants. All patients were followed for 3 mo. The prevalence of PE in the 228 patients who could be evaluated was 42% (96 of 228). PE was confirmed by spiral CT in 73% of the patients, by a high-probability lung scan in 4%, and by findings on US in 23%. PE was ruled out by a normal lung scan in 14% of the patients, by a normal DD concentration (< 500 ng/ml) in 31%, by an obvious differential diagnosis on spiral CT in 18%, by a similar prior lung scan in 11%, and by the combination of normal spiral CT findings, a nondiagnostic lung scan, a DD concentration > 500 ng/ml, and normal US in 26%. Pulmonary angiography was performed in only two patients, both of whom had a normal spiral CT scan and a high-probability lung scan, and was normal. The 3-mo risk of thromboembolism in patients not given anticoagulants, based on the results of the diagnostic protocol, was 1.7% (95% confidence interval: 1.5 to 2.3%). There were no deaths. The noninvasive strategy of combining spiral CT, lung scanning, DD measurement, and in some cases US, in patients with suspected PE yielded a definite diagnosis in 99% of patients, and appeared to be safe.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Body composition in chronic obstructive lung patients. Comparison of bioelectric impedance and anthropometry].

Malnutrition is associated with poor prognosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Body weight is not a reliable evaluation criterium. Body composition which is more useful can be determined routinely using 2 techniques: skinfold thickness anthropometry (Ant) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The validity of this last technique has not been demonstrated in patients with COPD. Fat-free mass (FFM) in 58 patients (51 men, 7 women) with stable COPD (FEV1 < 50% of predicted value) was assessed using the 4-skinfold-thickness method (Ant) and BIA (Imp). Statistical analysis included correlation analysis, intraclass correlation coefficient, and the Bland and Altman analysis. Imp-FFM and Ant-FFM correlated well (r = 0.920; p < 0.0001). Intraclass correlation coefficient was high (rI = 0.9065). However, the values were scattered and there was a systematic bias (significant linear regression between the difference in estimates obtained by the 2 methods and the means). As anthropometric measurements are not reliable in the elderly patients, our results suggest that BIA could be a useful tool to determine FFM in patients with COPD. Its validity still has to be tested against a reference method.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2000

[Influence of nutritional status on development of nosocomial pneumonia in case of acute decompensation of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the incidence of nutritional status on the development of nosocomial pneumonia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffering an acute episode of respiratory failure requiring ventilatory assistance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 48 patients with COPD who were hospitalized in an intensive care unit for acute respiratory failure requiring ventilatory assistance. Nutritional status was assessed within 24 hours of admission to the intensive care unit. Body weight, tricipital skin fold, brachial muscle circumference, creatinuria-waist index, plasma levels of albumin, transferrin, transthyretin and retinol-binding protein, the Multitest and lymphocyte counts were recorded. The diagnosis of nosocomial pneumonia was based on recognized criteria: occurrence more than 48 hours after admission, Andrews' criteria for bacterial pneumonia and bacteriological proof. RESULTS: Nineteen of the 48 patients developed nosocomial pneumonia. The nutritional parameters at admission to intensive care were not significantly different between patients who developed nosocomial pneumonia and those who remained free of lung infection. The duration of ventilatory assistance and total stay in the intensive care unit were significantly longer in patients who developed nosocomial pneumonia. CONCLUSION: This study showed that in patients with COPD who undergo ventilatory assistance for acute decompensation, the development of nosocomial pneumonia was not correlated with nutritional status admission.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

[Nutrition and chronic respiratory failure].

Protein calorie malnutrition is frequently observed in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The main mechanism is hypermetabolism essentially resulting from increased oxygen consumption of the respiratory muscles. Malnutrition is associated with poor prognosis, irrespective of age and respiratory function impairment. Malnutrition has several harmful consequences on the respiratory system: atrophy and decreased strength of the respiratory muscles, decreased exercise performance, decreased quality of life, and likely increased risk of community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia. A long-duration oral supplementation may improve the nutritional status and exercise tolerance in ambulatory COPD patients. The interest of anabolic drugs, especially recombinant growth hormone, has not been demonstrated in malnourished COPD patients.

Diaphragm↗
PubMed1999

Modern strategy for diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism.

Various techniques are available for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE), including pulmonary angiography, perfusion-ventilation lung scanning, D-dimer measurement, venous ultrasonography and, most recently, helical computerized tomography of the chest. The advantages and disadvantages of these techniques, used alone or in combination, are briefly discussed. Studies have indicated that treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), as well as being more convenient to administer, is as safe and effective as standard heparin therapy in acute PE. However, the efficacy and safety of LMWH in patients with acute PE and haemodynamic instability requires verification. Finally, the indications of inferior vena caval filters and thrombolytic therapy are outlined.

Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products↗
PubMed1999

[Methods of nutritional assessment in chronic obstructive lung diseases].

A poor nutritional state is often encountered in the course of chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) and worsens the prognosis. The methods used to assess nutritional status proposed in the literature vary greatly. We detail here the methods used in clinical practice and in research, describing results obtained in patients with COLD. Appropriate routine tests are discussed. Body weight should be followed in this population, but weight loss may be masked by sodium-water retention. Bioelectric impedancemetry or biphotonic absorptiometry are used to define body composition in patients with COLD. Lean mass can be measured with the creatinine/height index but is difficult in the ambulatory patient. Plasma levels of visceral proteins are often normal and do not appear to be useful markers in these patients. Immunology tests (delayed hypersensitivity, total lymphocyte counts) are not sensitive screening tests. An evaluation of skeletal muscle function using the walking test or an exercise test is recommended before starting a renutrition program and to evaluate its efficacy.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1999

[Spontaneous bilateral chylothorax revealing disseminated tuberculosis complicated by massive pulmonary embolism].

We report a case of bilateral chylothorax revealing diffuse tuberculosis. The clinical presentation was complicated by the apparition of a massive acute pulmonary embolism and an acute respiratory distress syndrome. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from the cultures of the bronchi aspiration of the bronchoscopic examination. With antituberculous chemotherapy, the course of the chylothorax was satisfactory.

Aged↗