Chest
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Multicenter Study
Association between insomnia and asthma burden in the Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP) III.
Sleep difficulties are commonly reported by patients with asthma; however, the prevalence of insomnia and its association with disease burden and well-being is unknown. We aimed to determine the prevalence of insomnia, defined as combined sleep-specific complaints with associated daytime symptoms, among a large sample of adults with asthma, and to compare well-being, asthma control, and asthma-related health care utilization in individuals with asthma and insomnia and those without insomnia. ⋯ Insomnia is highly prevalent in asthma and is associated with adverse outcomes. Further studies are needed to gain a better understanding of the interaction between insomnia and asthma control.
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The critically ill, asplenic patient presents a variety of management challenges. Historically, the focus of the care of the asplenic population has been the prevention and management of infection, including the often-fatal overwhelming postsplenectomy infection with encapsulated organisms such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. ⋯ Because of the relatively small size of this population and the relative infrequency with which critical illness occurs in it, there are few controlled trials that can serve as a basis for therapeutic maneuvers; thus, optimal management requires an astute clinician with an understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the reported consequences of splenectomy. The purpose of this review is to explore the pathophysiology of the asplenic state-impairment in adaptive immunity, loss of blood filtration, endothelial dysfunction, and dysregulated coagulation-and how it leads to infection, thrombosis, and pulmonary hypertension as well as to discuss the implications of these conditions on the management of the critically ill, splenectomized patient.
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The incidence of pleural infection has been rising in recent years. Intrapleural therapy with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and deoxyribonuclease (DNase) has significantly reduced the need for surgery, and its impact on clinical care is rising worldwide. Efforts are underway to optimize the delivery regimen and establish the short and longer term effects of this therapy. ⋯ Intrapleural instillation of tPA potently induces pleural fluid formation, principally via a monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 dependent mechanism. Activation of transcriptional programs in pleural resident cells and infiltrating cells during pleural infection and malignancy results in the local secretion of a cocktail of proinflammatory signaling molecules (including MCP-1) within the pleural confines that contributes to effusion formation. Understanding the biology of these molecules and their interaction may provide novel targets for pleural fluid control.
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Practice Guideline
Chronic Cough due to Gastroesophageal Reflux in Adults: CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report.
We updated the 2006 ACCP clinical practice guidelines for management of reflux-cough syndrome. ⋯ The panelists (1) endorsed the use of a diagnostic/therapeutic algorithm addressing causes of common cough, including symptomatic reflux; (2) advised that although lifestyle modifications and weight reduction may be beneficial in suspected reflux-cough syndrome, PPIs demonstrated no benefit when used in isolation; and (3) suggested that physiological testing be reserved for refractory patients being considered for antireflux surgery or for those in whom there is strong clinical suspicion warranting diagnostic testing.