Chest
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Review Meta Analysis
Single-Dose Etomidate Does Not Increase Mortality in Patients with Sepsis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Observational Studies.
The effect of single-dose etomidate on mortality in patients with sepsis remains controversial. We systematically reviewed the literature to investigate whether a single dose of etomidate for rapid sequence intubation increased mortality in patients with sepsis. ⋯ Current evidence indicates that single-dose etomidate does not increase mortality in patients with sepsis. However, this finding largely relies on data from observational studies and is potentially subject to selection bias; hence, high-quality and adequately powered RCTs are warranted.
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Review
A Scoping Review of Patient Discharge from Intensive Care: Opportunities and Tools to Improve Care.
We conducted a scoping review to systematically review the literature reporting patient discharge from ICUs, identify facilitators and barriers to high-quality care, and describe tools developed to improve care. ⋯ Common themes, facilitators and barriers related to patient and family needs/experiences, communication, and the use of guidelines/policies to standardize patient discharge from ICU transcend the literature. Candidate tools to improve care are available; comparative evaluation is needed prior to broad implementation and could be tested through local quality-improvement programs.
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In the past, thoracic and cardiac imaging were two distinct specialties of radiology. The technical evolution, however, has changed their boundaries with an important impact on CT imaging practices and has opened the new era of "cardiothoracic" imaging, due to the strong anatomic, mechanical, physiologic, physiopathologic, and therapeutic cardiopulmonary correlations. ⋯ The advent of ECG gating and state-of-art CT scanner faster rotation speed, high spatial and temporal resolution, high-pitch mode, shorter acquisition time, and dedicated cardiac reconstruction algorithms has opened new possibilities for chest imaging, integrating cardiac morphologic and even functional information within a diagnostic chest CT scan. The aim of this review is to briefly show and summarize the concept of integrated cardiothoracic imaging, which redefines the boundaries of chest CT imaging, opening the door to a new radiologic specialty.
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The current usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP)/idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis CT scan classification system excludes probable UIP as a diagnostic category. We sought to determine the predictive effect of probable UIP on CT scan on histology and the effect of the promoter polymorphism in MUC5B (rs35705950) on histologic and CT scan UIP diagnosis. ⋯ Probable UIP on CT scan is associated with a higher rate of histologic UIP than indeterminate UIP on CT scan suggesting that they are distinct groups and should not be combined into a single CT scan category as currently recommended by guidelines. CT scan and microscopic honeycombing may be dissimilar entities. The T allele at rs35705950 predicts a UIP diagnosis by both chest CT scan and histology.