BACKGROUND Ventilator-induced lung injury is a form of mechanical damage leading to a pulmonary inflammatory response related to the use of mechanical ventilation enhanced by the presence of atelectasis. One proposed mechanism of this injury is the repetitive opening and closing of collapsed alveoli and small airways within these atelectatic areas-a phenomenon called tidal recruitment. The pres...

Atelectasis following coronary artery bypass surgery (CAB) occurs in the majority of patients. To determine the importance of operative variables in the development of postoperative atelectasis and the incidence of phrenic nerve injury caused by topical cold cardioplegic solution, we studied 57 patients (53 male, four female) undergoing CAB. Their mean age, +/- SD, was 58 +/- 13 years. Transcut...

The aim of this study was to investigate by computed tomography (CT) whether asbestosis, diffuse pleural thickening and/or pleural plaques are statistically associated. We also tried to find criteria to differentiate between diffuse and circumscribed pleural thickening. From 231 exposed workers, only those subjects whose radiograph showed neither bilateral calcified pleural plaques nor small pu...

Obesity is a risk factor intrinsic to the development of areas of atelectasis, especially when the patient undergoes to general anesthesia and, therefore, some groups of studies has been dedicated to studying such subject. The recently published letter to the editor comments on and points out some aspects regarding the article on the prevalence of atelectasis in the obese Grade III submitted to...

Obesity is a risk factor intrinsic to the development of areas of atelectasis, especially when the patient undergoes to general anesthesia and, therefore, some groups of studies has been dedicated to studying such subject. The recently published letter to the editor comments on and points out some aspects regarding the article on the prevalence of atelectasis in the obese Grade III submitted to...

1. MD, PhD, Attending Physician at the Centro de Ciências das Imagens e Física Médica (CCIFM) of the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected]. 2. MD, Physician at the Centro de Ciências das Imagens e Física Médica (CCIFM) of the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medic...

BACKGROUND One-lung ventilation (OLV) exposes the dependent lung to increased mechanical stress which may affect the postoperative course. This study evaluates regional pulmonary gas/tissue distribution in a porcine model of OLV. METHODS Nine anaesthetized and mechanically ventilated (V(T)=10 ml kg(-1), FI(O(2))=0.40, PEEP=5 cm H(2)O) pigs were studied. After lung separation by an endobronchi...

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of using recombinant human DNase (rhDNase) in diminishing persistent atelectasis unresponsive to conventional treatment and mucus plugging in newborns with insufficient ability to clear thick and purulent airway secretions. METHODS Twelve newborns (10 preterms), who did not respond to conventional methods, received rhDNase nebulized therapy at a dose of...

OBJECTIVES Lung-preserving surgery was proved to be effective and safe to treat patients with benign bronchial strictures. However, this surgical treatment has been rarely reported in patients with complete occlusion in the left main bronchus. The aim of this study was to assess the value of this procedure and report our experience in the treatment of these patients with left atelectasis caused...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To investigate the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on patients with middle ear atelectasis. STUDY DESIGN Prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. METHODS Fifty-four patients with middle ear atelectasis were randomized to receive CPAP treatment with a pressure level of either 14 cm H2 O (CPAP group) or 0 cm H2 O (p...