OBJECTIVES We aimed to identify the bronchial response to inhaled methacholine in patients with mitral stenosis (MS) and to clarify whether or not the bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) is reversible after percutaneous mitral balloon valvulotomy (PBMV). PATIENTS AND SETTING Thirty patients with MS and 28 age-matched healthy control subjects were prospectively evaluated with pulmonary function te...

We have recently seen a 21-year-old primigravida who had eclampsia at term. 6 h post-partum she became acutely dyspnoeic with P02 36 mm Hg in room air. The hypoxaemia did not respond well to oxygen. Serial X-rays revealed diffuse alveolar infiltrates. The differential diagnosis between cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema was made difficult by the marked cardiomegaly on chest X-ray,...

Hypocapnia contributes to the genesis of Cheyne-Stokes respiration and central sleep apnoea in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and is associated with increased mortality. However, the cause of hypocapnia in patients with chronic stable CHF is unknown. Since pulmonary congestion can induce hyperventilation via stimulation of pulmonary vagal afferents, the present study tested the hy...

The dose requirements and duration of effect of transdermal nitroglycerin in patients with heart failure are not clearly established. In a first series of eight patients with chronic heart failure we gave transdermal nitroglycerin in incremental doses until pulmonary capillary wedge pressure fell at least 30% within 4 hr in three consecutive patients. Thus we found that a single dose of 60 mg/2...

Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is a common occurrence in racehorses. The objective of this study was to compare pulmonary vascular pressures of healthy Thoroughbred horses with and without postexertion endoscopically detectable fresh blood in the trachea. The nasopharynx, larynx, and trachea (down to the carina) of horses were examined weekly with an endoscope 55-60 min postexerti...

Although it is well known that the pulmonary circulation is altered in patients with pulmonary arterial or venous hypertension, the resultant hemodynamic behavior has not been systematically studied. We undertook to do so in a group of patients with pulmonary hypertension of diverse etiology. We measured pulmonary arterial (PAP) and occlusive wedge pressures and cardiac output at rest (i.e., st...

BACKGROUND Cryoballoon-based pulmonary vein isolation (CB-PVI) has been widely used for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Although generally safe and effective, the procedure may be associated with pulmonary vein (PV) stenosis and bronchial or esophageal injury. The mechanisms leading to these complications have not been studied in detail. Our aim was to examine acute effects of cryoballoon...