Chest
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The goal of this study was to assess the prognostic strength of factors in predicting respiratory death in a large cohort of patients with sarcoidosis with at least 8 years' follow-up. ⋯ Although most patients with sarcoidosis do well, increased mortality was seen in those patients who were older, had extensive fibrosis on HRCT scanning, or who had PH.
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The aim of this study was to compare completion of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign 3-hour treatment recommendations and patient-centered outcomes between patients with severe sepsis who received a sepsis-specific diagnosis code with those who did not. ⋯ Severe sepsis continues to be an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. Patients who were diagnosed had higher treatment rates yet experienced worse outcomes. Continued investigation is needed to identify factors contributing to diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes in patients with severe sepsis.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-2 (TREM-2) expression tracks with M2-like macrophage activity and disease severity in COPD.
Cell and animal models show a key role for Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells (TREM)-2 in chronic airway disease after viral infection, but comparable evidence in humans still needs to be established. ⋯ TREM-2 expression is increased in lung macrophages in COPD, particularly in comparison with TREM-1. Therefore, TREM-2 levels and the ratio of TREM-2/TREM-1 signifies M2 activation in COPD lung tissues and may help to guide therapeutics directed against the type 2 immune response in patients with this disease.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with systemic lupus: results from the French Pulmonary Hypertension Registry.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). ⋯ Patients with SLE-PAH have an overall 5-year survival rate of 83.9% after the PAH diagnosis. Anti-SSA/SSB antibodies may be a risk factor for PAH, and the presence of anti-U1-RNP antibodies appears to be a protective factor regarding survival.
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Multicenter Study
Scarce Resource Allocation during Disasters: A Mixed-Method Community Engagement Study.
During a catastrophe, health-care providers may face difficult questions regarding who will receive limited life-saving resources. The ethical principles that should guide decision-making have been considered by expert panels but have not been well explored with the public or front-line clinicians. The objective of this study was to characterize the public's values regarding how scarce mechanical ventilators should be allocated during an influenza pandemic, with the ultimate goal of informing a statewide scare resource allocation framework. ⋯ The values expressed by the public and front-line clinicians sometimes diverge from expert guidance in important ways. Awareness of these differences should inform policy making.