Chest
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Among the interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and fibrotic connective tissue disease-related ILD are associated with a worse prognosis, with death occurring as a result of both respiratory failure and serious associated comorbidities. The recent development and approval of the antifibrotic agents nintedanib and pirfenidone, both of which reduced the rate of decline in lung function in patients with IPF in clinical trials, offer hope that it may be possible to alter the increased mortality associated with IPF. ⋯ Patients with fibrotic ILD may benefit from identification and management of associated comorbid conditions such as pulmonary hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux, and OSA, which may improve the quality of life and, in some cases, survival in affected individuals. Because early assessment may optimize posttransplantation outcomes, lung transplant evaluation should occur early in patients with IPF and those with other forms of fibrotic ILD.
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Mortality after smoke inhalation-associated acute lung injury (SI-ALI) remains substantial. Age and burn surface area are risk factors of mortality, whereas the impact of patient- and center-level variables and treatments on survival are unknown. ⋯ In addition to older age and major surface burns, mortality in SI-ALI is predicted by initial vasopressor use, higher diagnostic-related group-based risk-of-mortality assignment, and care at centers with < 500 beds, but not by initial antibiotic therapy.
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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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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.
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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.