Chest
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Pleural infection is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Development of a validated clinical risk score at presentation to identify those at high risk of dying would enable patient triage and may help formulate early management strategies. ⋯ The RAPID score may permit risk stratification of patients with pleural infection at presentation.
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Comparative Study
Differences in disease expression between primary ciliary dyskinesia and cystic fibrosis with and without pancreatic insufficiency.
Impaired mucociliary clearance causes pulmonary disease in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and contributes to cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. Although the sinopulmonary disease is similar, morbidity and mortality are different. Both patients with PCD and patients with CF with pancreatic sufficiency (CF-PS) show no nutrient malabsorption and are diagnosed at a later age compared with patients with CF with pancreatic insufficiency (CF-PI). ⋯ Although in our study PCD was similar to CF-PS, the lack of correlation between FEV1 and age, CT-TBS, and P aeruginosa infection in PCD suggests that impaired mucociliary clearance is not the only cause for inducing pulmonary damage in these diseases. Furthermore, a comparison of disease characteristics for PCD and CF should distinguish between CF-PI and CF-PS as different entities.
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Comparative Study
Laboratory and Clinical Acute Effects of Active and Passive Indoor group Water-Pipe (Narghile) Smoking.
Indoor group water-pipe tobacco smoking, commonly referred to as water-pipe smoking (WPS), especially in coffee shops, has gained worldwide popularity. We performed a comprehensive laboratory and clinical evaluation of the acute effects of active and passive indoor group WPS. ⋯ One session of active indoor group WPS resulted in significant increases in COHb and serum nicotine levels (eightfold and 18-fold, respectively) and was associated with adverse cardiorespiratory health effects. The minor effects found in passive smokers suggest that they too may be affected adversely by exposure to WPS. The results call for action to limit the continuing global spread of WPS in coffee shops.
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Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for COPD in the United States. Host factors that influence the rapid rate of FEV1 decline in smokers and how decline rate influences risk for developing COPD are unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the rate of FEV1 decline in ever smokers, compare the risk of incident COPD between those with rapid decline and others, and determine the effect of selected drugs on rapid decline. ⋯ Ever smokers with a rapid decline in FEV1 are at higher risk for COPD. Use of ACE inhibitors by smokers may protect against this rapid decline and the progression to COPD.
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Self-reported respiratory symptoms are poor predictors of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in athletes. The objective of this study was to determine whether athletes have an inadequate perception of bronchoconstriction. ⋯ Minimal differences in perception of bronchoconstriction-related symptoms between athletes and nonathletes were observed. Among athletes, the presence of EIB/AHR, older age, and female sex were associated with slightly higher perception scores.