Prevalence and characteristics of positional sleep apnea in the HypnoLaus population-based cohort.

Objective/background: To determine the prevalence of positional obstructive sleep apnea (POSA) and exclusive POSA (ePOSA) in the general population and to assess the factors independently associated with POSA and ePOSA according to gender and menopausal status.

Patients/methods: Participants of the population-based HypnoLaus Sleep Cohort underwent full polysomnography at home. POSA was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥5/h, and supine/non-supine AHI ratio (sAHI/nsAHI) ≥2 (ePOSA when non-supine AHI was normalized).

A 12-week combination of clarithromycin and prednisone compared to a 24-week prednisone alone treatment in cryptogenic and radiation-induced organizing pneumonia.

Some data suggest that anti-inflammatory macrolides may be effective to treat organizing pneumonia (OP) and prevent relapses, but no formal comparison with prednisone alone is available. To explore this issue, we retrospectively compared the efficacy of a 12-week combined regimen of clarithromycin and prednisone with a 24-week prednisone alone regimen in OP. A standard 12-week regimen of combined clarithromycin and prednisone was designed for the treatment of cryptogenic or radiation-induced OP, aiming at reducing the cumulated prednisone dose and the relapse rate.

Oscillating Positive Airway Pressure Versus CPAP for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Although continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most effective therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it is not always well tolerated by the patients. Previous physiological studies showed that pressure oscillations applied to the pharynx could activate upper airway muscles, but it is not clear whether these pressure oscillations could be tolerated during sleep in OSA patients. The aim of this study was to assess the tolerance of oscillating positive airway pressure (O-PAP) (a CPAP device delivering high-frequency pressure oscillations to the upper airway) compared to CPAP.

Felty's syndrome and hypofibrinogenemia: an unusual target for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies?

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a risk factor for the development of Felty's syndrome and large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies are considered highly specific for RA and are directed against various citrullinated antigens, including citrullinated fibrinogen. Anti-CCP antibodies may interfere with the detection of citrullinated proteins and their function.

The FIM instrument to identify patients at risk of falling in geriatric wards: a 10-year retrospective study.

Objectives: the main objective was to evaluate if the admission functional independence measure (FIM) score could be used to predict the risk of falls in geriatric inpatients.

Design: a 10-year retrospective study was performed.

Setting: the study was conducted in a 298-bed geriatric teaching hospital in Geneva, Switzerland.