title: Photodynamic therapy: a case series demonstrating its role in patients receiving mechanical ventilation.
abstract: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has long been used to treat cancers within the tracheobronchial tree. There have been many reports about the use of PDT for the treatment of carcinoma in situ and for obstructive endobronchial lesions. PDT has not been previously reported in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. PDT offers the advantages of a relatively short duration of treatment, a low side effect profile, and relatively low risk when compared to Nd-YAG laser in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. We report the first successful use of PDT to wean patients from mechanical ventilation.
authors.affiliation: New York University School of Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ost
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D003646:Debridement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D015300:Ventilator Weaning