Chest
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Constrained by a limited supply of specialized personnel, health systems face a challenge in caring for the large number of patients with OSA. The complexity of this challenge is heightened by the varied clinical presentations of OSA and the diversity of treatment approaches. ⋯ This review discusses the diversity of needs in OSA care, the evidence base behind recent care innovations, and the potential limitations of each innovation in meeting the diversity of care needs. We propose how these innovations can fit within the stepped care and hub and spoke models in a way that addresses the full spectrum of OSA, and we discuss future research directions to assess the deployment of these innovations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Validation of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) as an outcome measure in bronchiectasis.
Objective assessment of symptoms in bronchiectasis is important for research and in clinical practice. The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is a short, simple assessment tool widely used in COPD. The items included in the CAT are not specific to COPD and also reflect the dominant symptoms of bronchiectasis. We therefore performed a study to validate the CAT as an outcome measure in bronchiectasis. ⋯ CAT is a valid, responsive symptom assessment tool in bronchiectasis. The MCID is estimated as 4 points.
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Many patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) report dyspnea on exertion following long-term treatment. Increased physiological dead space proportion (VD/VT) and decreased cardiac stroke volume reserve may distinguish persistent effects of PE itself from symptoms reflecting comorbid conditions or deconditioning. ⋯ Increased VD/VT at anaerobic threshold and decreased stroke volume reserve during exercise are common among patients with dyspnea on exertion after long-term treatment of PE. The defects can be disclosed noninvasively by using cardiopulmonary exercise testing.
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Expertise in airway management is a vital skill for any provider caring for critically ill patients. A growing body of literature has identified the stark difference in periprocedural outcomes of elective intubation in the operating room when compared with emergency intubation in the ICU. A number of strategies to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with airway management in the critically ill have been described. In this review, we provide an updated framework for airway assessment before direct laryngoscopy and video laryngoscopy, and use of newer pharmacologic agents; comment on current concepts in tracheal intubation in the ICU; and address human factors around critical decision-making during ICU airway management.