Pulmonary Infection

The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the usefulness of hyperpolarized (HP) 129Xe gas MRI for regional assessment of pulmonary function.

Bronchoscopy is currently widely used for the diagnosis and treatment of various respiratory diseases. However, the operation of bronchoscopy is irritating, causes a strong stress response, and shares the airway with the patient, making the patient highly susceptible to respiratory and cardiovascular risks. Among these risks, hypoxia is the most common adverse event.Different drug regimens can be selected for anesthesia under deep sedation. The combination of analgesic agents can help reduce coughing during bronchoscopy. Therefore, we employ a combination of sedative and analgesic drugs for painless bronchoscopy procedures. Among sedatives, propofol is the most commonly used. However, due to its disadvantages, such as respiratory and circulatory depression, we have introduced a novel approach combining remimazolam for sedation. The aim is to investigate whether this new regimen, compared to traditional propofol-based sedation, can reduce the incidence of hypoxia, minimize circulatory depression, and lead to faster postoperative awakening and recovery. Additionally, we hope to observe fewer adverse events, such as perioperative nausea and vomiting, excessive secretions, dizziness, and chills.

Bronchoscopy is now widely used for the diagnosis and treatment of various respiratory diseases. However, the procedure is highly stimulating and provokes a strong stress response; because the airway is shared, patients are prone to hypoxia. With the growing emphasis on comfortable care, demand for anesthesia during bronchoscopy has increased. Deep sedation is the most common approach, but when administered in the supine position it often causes the tongue base to fall back. Both nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal airways can relieve this obstruction, yet neither connects seamlessly to an oxygen supply line, resulting in insufficient oxygen delivery.We therefore replaced the nasopharyngeal airway with a wired endotracheal tube (size 4.0 or 4.5) inserted via the nose. This thinner tube couples easily to an oxygen line or ventilator circuit, partially relieves airway obstruction, and allows ample supraglottic oxygenation. The present study was designed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of this modified oxygen-delivery method in patients undergoing deep sedation for bronchoscopy.

The purpose of this clinical trial is to investigate the efficacy and safety of continuous intravenous administration of low dose iloprost versus placebo for 72-hours, in 450 mechanically ventilated patients with infectious respiratory failure. The study hypothesis is that iloprost may be beneficial as an endothelial rescue treatment as it is anticipated to deactivate the endothelium and restore vascular integrity in patients suffering from respiratory failure caused by endothelial breakdown, ultimately improving survival.

The incidence and prevalence of pulmonary disease due to Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is increasing worldwide, and this trend has been confirmed in Korea. Treatment of NTM pulmonary disease is difficult and usually requires more than two years of long-term treatment, and the antibiotic regimens used in treatment vary. Therefore, it is difficult to track the natural history of patients with NTM pulmonary disease, to evaluate the treatment outcome, and to understand the effect of specific medicines on the outcome. Establishing a prospective registry of patients with NTM pulmonary disease is expected to accurately evaluate the progress, treatment modality, and treatment outcome of NTM pulmonary disease.