Chest
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Letter Case Reports
Trombone player's lung: a probable new cause of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
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This article describes the initial and ongoing efforts of our pulmonary medicine practice to deploy an electronic medical records (EMR) system. Key factors in the vendor selection and implementation process included (1) identification and commitment to long-term goals for EMR; (2) dedicated resources, including both physician and nonphysician champions to lead the design and implementation teams; and (3) ample patience and time allotted to achieve the desired results: a fully functional system that enhances quality, improves operational efficiency, and reduces costs. An EMR scorecard including multiple system attributes was designed to facilitate vendor comparisons. ⋯ We have accomplished improvements in workflow automation and reductions in staff hours, office supplies, file space, and transcription costs. Our system lacks pulmonary-specific templates and prompts for work flow and clinical decision making. We have directed internal resources and outsourced professional support to design these features as our practice strives to enhance our quality of care with pulmonary disease management that conforms to national guidelines.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Pleural ultrasound compared with chest radiographic detection of pneumothorax resolution after drainage.
Pleural ultrasonography (PU) is more sensitive than chest radiograph (CXR) for diagnosing pneumothorax and could be useful for detecting resolution of pneumothorax after drainage. The aim of this prospective double-blind observational study was to assess PU accuracy during pneumothorax follow-up after drainage. ⋯ The accuracy of PU is excellent for detecting residual pneumothorax during pneumothorax follow-up after drainage.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The association between BMI and plasma cytokine levels in patients with acute lung injury.
Obesity is associated with poor outcomes in many diseases, although recent data suggest that acute lung injury (ALI) is an exception. This is particularly interesting because obesity is marked by increased levels of proinflammatory mediators associated with increased morbidity and mortality in ALI. We hypothesized that cytokine response might be attenuated in patients who are obese and critically ill or that obesity might modify the relationship between plasma cytokines and clinical outcomes in ALI. ⋯ Patients who are obese and have ALI have lower levels of several proinflammatory cytokines, suggesting that the inflammatory response may be altered in patients with ALI and a high BMI. Lower SP-D but higher vWF suggests decreased epithelial and increased endothelial injury in the lung of patients who are obese. Mechanisms by which obesity may modulate innate immunity in critical illness are unclear, and future studies should elucidate such mechanisms.
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Neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) delivers airway pressure (Paw) in proportion to neural inspiratory drive as reflected by electrical activity of the diaphragm (EAdi). Changing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) impacts respiratory muscle load and function and, hence, EAdi. We aimed to evaluate how PEEP affects the breathing pattern and neuroventilatory efficiency during NAVA. ⋯ During NAVAal, increasing PEEP reduces respiratory drive. Patients adapt their neuroventilatory efficiency such that the individual ventilatory pattern is preserved over a wide range of PEEP levels. Monitoring Vt/EAdi during PEEP changes allows identification of a PEEP level at which tidal breathing occurs at minimal EAdi cost.