Chest
-
Studies of the impact of respiratory muscle training (RMT) on central neurodegenerative pathologies have been aimed at improving pulmonary function. However, there is no certainty about the effectiveness of RMT in patients affected by these groups of disorders. The purpose of this review was to assess the evidence regarding the efficacy of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and expiratory muscle training (EMT) on respiratory function in patients with neurodegenerative disorders of the CNS. ⋯ There is some evidence that RMT improves a number of respiratory function parameters in patients with Parkinson disease and multiple sclerosis; however, the number of studies and their quality are not sufficient to conclude whether IMT or EMT is effective in improving respiratory function in patients with neurodegenerative disorders of the CNS.
-
The treatment of stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with good or low surgical risk is primarily surgical resection. However, this area is undergoing many changes. With a greater prevalence of CT imaging, many lung cancers are being found that are small or constitute primarily ground-glass opacities. Treatment such as sublobar resection and nonsurgical approaches such as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) are being explored. With the advent of minimally invasive resections, the criteria to classify a patient as too ill to undergo an anatomic lung resection are being redefined. ⋯ Surgical resection remains the primary and preferred approach to the treatment of stage I and II NSCLC. Lobectomy or greater resection remains the preferred approach to T1b and larger tumors. The use of sublobar resection for T1a tumors and the application of adjuvant radiation therapy in this group are being actively studied in large clinical trials. Every patient should have systematic mediastinal lymph node sampling at the time of curative intent surgical resection, and mediastinal lymphadenectomy can be performed without increased morbidity. Perioperative morbidity and mortality are reduced and long-term survival is improved when surgical resection is performed by a board-certified thoracic surgeon. The use of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II NSCLC is recommended and has shown benefit. The use of adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy for stage I NSCLC is of unproven benefit. Primary radiation therapy remains the primary curative intent approach for patients who refuse surgical resection or are determined by a multidisciplinary team to be inoperable. There is growing evidence that SBRT provides greater local control than standard radiation therapy for high-risk and medically inoperable patients with NSCLC. The role of ablative therapies in the treatment of high-risk patients with stage I NSCLC is evolving. Radiofrequency ablation, the most studied of the ablative modalities, has been used effectively in medically inoperable patients with small (< 3 cm) peripheral NSCLC that are clinical stage I.
-
The STOP-Bang questionnaire is a validated screening tool for the identification of surgical patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A STOP-Bang score ≥ 3 is highly sensitive but only moderately specific. Apnea/hypopnea during sleep can lead to intermittent hypercapnia and may result in serum bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) retention. The addition of serum HCO₃⁻ level to the STOP-Bang questionnaire may improve its specificity. ⋯ Serum HCO₃⁻ level increases the specificity of STOP-Bang screening in predicting moderate/severe OSA. We propose a two-step screening process. The first step uses a STOP-Bang score to screen patients, and the second step uses serum HCO₃⁻ level in those with a STOP-Bang score ≥ 3 for increased specificity.
-
This guideline updates the second edition and addresses patients with particular forms of non-small cell lung cancer that require special considerations, including Pancoast tumors, T4 N0,1 M0 tumors, additional nodules in the same lobe (T3), ipsilateral different lobe (T4) or contralateral lung (M1a), synchronous and metachronous second primary lung cancers, solitary brain and adrenal metastases, and chest wall involvement. ⋯ Carefully selected patients with more uncommon presentations of lung cancer may benefit from an aggressive surgical approach.
-
Comparative Study
Estimating right ventricular stroke work and the pulsatile work fraction in pulmonary hypertension.
The mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) replaces mean systolic ejection pressure (msePAP) in the classic formula of right ventricular stroke work (RVSW) = (mPAP - RAP) × stroke volume, where RAP is mean right atrial pressure. Only the steady work is thus taken into account, not the pulsatile work, whereas pulmonary circulation is highly pulsatile. Our retrospective, high-fidelity pressure study tested the hypothesis that msePAP was proportional to mPAP, and looked at the implications for RVSW. ⋯ Our study favored the use of an improved formula that takes into account the variable pulsatile work fraction: RVSW = (1.25 mPAP - RAP) × stroke volume. Increased RAP and increased mPAP have opposite effects on the pulsatile work fraction.