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Bronchopulmonary dysplasia: then and now.
When bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was first described in 1967, the use of assisted ventilation in neonates was in its infancy. High concentrations of oxygen were implicated, and BPD was equated with 'pulmonary oxygen toxicity'.
The etiologic role of not only oxygen but also peak inspiratory pressures and the duration of exposure to both was emphasized in the 1970s, but BPD remained a dreaded complication of managing respiratory distress syndrome in the 1980s. It was only after exogenous surfactant became commercially available for endotracheal administration that 'classical' BPD began to disappear and was replaced by the 'new' BPD. 'Classical' BPD was seen in more mature preterm infants (>28 weeks' gestational age) and in its severe form was chara...
Vibration response imaging: a novel noninvasive tool for evaluating the initial therapeutic effect of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Conclusions VRI is a promising noninvasive tool for evaluating the initial therapeutic effects of NPPV in AECOPD patients and predicting the success of NPPV in the early stage.
Rapid Detection and Monitoring Therapeutic Efficacy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Using a Novel Real-Time Assay.
We combined real-time RT-PCR and real-time PCR (R/P) assays using a hydrolysis probe to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC)-specific 16S rRNA and its rRNA gene (rDNA).
The assay was applied to 28 nonrespiratory and 207 respiratory specimens from 218 patients. Total nucleic acids (including RNA and DNA) were extracted from samples, and results were considered positive if the repeat RT-PCR threshold cycle was < or =35 and the ratio of real-time RT-PCR and real-time PCR load was > or =1.51. The results were compared with those from existing methods, including smear, culture, and real-time PCR. Following resolution of the discrepant results between R/P assay and culture...