Objective: Balance and cognitive problems may develop in COPD. Studies investigating cognitive functions are mostly in elderly patients, and the number of studies on balance impairment is less than studies about cognitive dysfunction in COPD. We aimed to evaluate both balance and cognitive functions in patients with COPD under 65 years.Methods: A total of 60 COPD patients and 60 healthy control group were enrolled. The patients with COPD were divided into two groups due to dyspnea severity. Demographic data and dyspnea scores of all patients were recorded. BECK depression scale, standardized Mini Mental Test (MMT), and BERG balance scale were applied to the individuals. Factors affecting BERG balance scale were evaluated.Results: BERG balance scale and MMT values were found to be significantly lower in patients with COPD compared with the control group (p = 0.009). It was observed that the mean values of BERG balance scale and MMT were significantly low in the severe dyspnea group. BERG scale had significant correlations with MMT (rho = 0.331, p = 0.001), BECK (rho = −0.222, p = 0.016), age (rho = −0.318, p = 0.018), MMRC (rho = −0.368, p < 0.001), CAT (rho = −0.338, p = 0.008), FEV1% (rho = 0.307, p = 0.017), SpO₂ (rho = 0.448, p < 0.001), and number of hospitalization per year (rho = −0.316, p = 0.014). According to the results of multiple linear regression analysis, the effect of oxygen saturation on BERG was found to be statistically significant (B = 0.512, p = 0.008).Conclusions: Balance tests in patients with COPD under the age of 65 are significantly low when compared with healthy controls at the same age. Balance and cognitive functions are significantly associated with each other. It may be beneficial to perform balance and cognitive function tests earlier even at the beginning of the treatment period of COPD, and strategies should be planned to prevent the progression of functional losses.

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) treatment is the gold standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). In this study, we aimed to show that the pulmonary functions, exercise limitation on the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), and the health-related quality of life can be improved after a short treatment period by nCPAP. Our case group with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) performed incremental CPET before and after 8 weeks of nCPAP treatment. All the subjects also underwent physical examination, body composition analysis, simple spirometric measurements, maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax)-maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax), and lung volume tests before and after nCPAP treatment. Thirty-one patients (4 female, 27 male) completed the study. The mean age of the patients was 53.41 ± 1.46 years. Sixteen had at least one comorbidity. In addition, 17 of the subjects were ex-smokers. After nCPAP treatment for 8 weeks, higher PImax-PEmax (p< 0.05), peak oxygen uptake (p= 0.001), workpeak (p= 0.000), maximal heart rates (p= 0.000), and short form-36 scores (p< 0.05) were observed. nCPAP treatment helped control the blood pressure (p= 0.005). There was no significant change in body composition analysis, spirometric parameters, and lung volumes. In a short time period, nCPAP can improve exercise capacity, respiratory muscle strength, and the health-related quality of life scores and help control blood pressure.

Purpose EBUS‐TBNA is a frequently used diagnostic method for mediastinal/hilar lymphadenopathies and masses. This procedure is performed with intravenous sedation (IVS). During IVS, patients often develop hypoxemia and nasal oxygen delivery is insufficient in some patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oxygen application with nCPAP on hypoxemia during EBUS‐TBNA. Methods Patients with EBUS‐TBNA indication who did not have any serious heart‐lung disease were randomly divided into two groups. One group received only oxygen and the other group received nCPAP+oxygen. Patient characteristics, arterial oxygen saturations, anesthetic agents, CPAP pressures, oxygen concentrations and processing times were recorded during the procedure. Practitioner satisfaction was evaluated at the end. Results 29 nCPAP+oxygen, 31 oxygen patients were included in the study. There were no significant differences in terms of age, sex, smoking history and presence of additional diseases in two groups. Neck circumference, BMI and STOP BANG questionnaire values were similar. Desaturation time was significantly longer in oxygen group than nCPAP+oxygen group (316±390 sec, 12±118 sec, respectively, p=0,019). Snoring was detected during the procedure in 22 patients in the oxygen group and in 11 patients in the nCPAP group (p=0,01). There were no serious complications in both groups. Practitioner satisfaction was higher in the nCPAP group but this was not statistically significant (p=0,052). Conclusion Oxygen application by nCPAP during EBUS‐TBNA under IVS, significantly reduces desaturation time. Oxygen delivery with nCPAP seems to be a better choice especially for the patients with high Mallampati index.

Aim: Sleep disorders is one of the most common problems after respiratory symptoms in patients with COPD. The probability of sleep disorders increases at the same rate with the severity of COPD symptoms. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of relaxation exercises on dyspnea and sleep quality in COPD patients receiving optimal bronchodilator therapy. Material and Method: This is a randomized controlled clinical study. The study was conducted with 67 voluntary patients with COPD who admitted to the Muğla Traininng and Research Hospital Chest Dieseases Outpatient Clinic. The study was planned as pretest and posttest clinical trial which included COPD patients with severe dyspnea and patients were randomly distributed to the intervention and control groups. Patients in the intervention group (n=34) were given relaxation exercises to be practiced at home for six weeks. Patients in the control group (n=33) were given breathing exercises. During this period, all patients continued to receive routine medical treatments. At baseline and after the intervention dypsnea and sleep quality was assessed.Results: There was a significant decrease in the posttest Modified Borg Scale-MBS, Modified Medical Research Council Scale-mMRC medians (p<0.001) in intervention group. Additionally a significant improvement in Global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (p<0.001) and also some sleep quality subscales including subjective sleep quality (p<0.001), sleep latency (p=0.029), sleep duration (p<0.001), sleep efficiency (p=0.047) and daytime dysfunction (p<0.001) were found in the intervention group.Conclusion: We think that relaxation exercise, which is simple and an easy-to-apply method would provide a decrease in the dyspnea severity and an improvement in sleep quality of the patients with COPD when added to the optimal medical treatment.

The new UK strain was first described in December 2020. It was seen for the first time in Turkey in February 2021. It is not yet known whether the new strain has different CT patterns compared to the classical type. We present a 68-years-old male patient with an atypical CT presentation in which GGOs are gathered around the areas of paraseptal emphysema accompanied by CT and clinical findings. This involvement is an unexpected pattern because of the atypical distribution of the GGO.