Chest
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There is an ongoing debate about whether clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection occurs and at what magnitude. Recent studies quantifying 'uncertainty zones' of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) provide a more stringent estimate of reversion, potentially indicating clearance. ⋯ These results suggest high annual rates of IGRA reversion, even with the use of 'uncertainty zones'; reversion rates decreased with time from exposure and at older ages.
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Patient-reported outcomes should be considered alongside clinical assessments to guide therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ Dupilumab demonstrated improvements in SGRQ and E-RS:COPD total and domain scores in patients with COPD and type 2 inflammation.
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Millions of people around the world survive critical illness each year only to realize that they and their loved ones are grappling with a new "normal" after hospital discharge for which their medical team may not have adequately prepared them. Up to half of all intensive care unit (ICU) survivors suffer from new or worsening impairments in physical, cognitive, and psychological domains of health that are often not realized until they attempt to re-enter their previous lives. These devastating long-term sequelae of critical illness, collectively described as the Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), can carry enormous consequences for an ICU survivor's ability to care for their family, return to work, and regain their previous quality of life for months to years after their inciting illness. ⋯ We then discuss communication strategies, emphasizing the role of empathy. Finally, we provide a suggested framework to handle these crucial conversations. We aim to equip clinicians with the knowledge and framework to care for a patient who has survived critical illness but now faces the possibility of struggles inadequately addressed by our health care system.
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In 2019, Korea initiated the world's first national low-dose computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening (LCS) program, adapting the Lung CT Screening Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS) to counteract the high false-positive rates driven by prevalent tuberculosis. ⋯ N/A.