title: [Medical history of severe respiratory insufficiency].
abstract: To evaluate retrospectively health care in severe chronic respiratory failure, we interviewed 38 patients, admitted for the first time to a pulmonary intensive care unit for an acute episode. A standardised questionnaire was devoted to establishing if the patients were aware of chronic respiratory disease prior to admission, if they had visited a general practitioner or a chest clinic, and had undergone a lung function evaluation. Six patients were unaware of any respiratory disease prior to the acute episode. Six others realised they had suffered from a respiratory disease, but had failed to visit a physician. Among the remaining 26 patients, two-thirds had visited a chest physician. Fourteen of them had undergone spirometry and arterial blood gas measurements. One third had visited a general practitioner but spirometry was performed in only 3 and arterial blood gas analysis in only 1. Thus, chronic respiratory failure is sometimes ignored, and most of the time diagnosed with delay and inadequately evaluated.
authors: Laboratoire de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médicine, Marseille.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Charpin
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Badier
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Orehek
authors: L S
authors: LS
authors: Peyronnet
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Ohresser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008511:Medicine; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013038:Specialization; D014342:Truth Disclosure
vernacular_title: Histoire médicale des insuffisants respiratoires graves.