Chest
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The role of portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters for supplemental aerosol mitigation during exercise testing is unknown and might be relevant during COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ The portable HEPA filter reduced the concentration of aerosols generated during exercise testing by 96% ± 2% for all particle sizes and reduced aerosol room clearance time in clinical exercise testing laboratories. Portable HEPA filters therefore might be useful in clinical exercise testing laboratories to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
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A 44-year-old man presented to the ED with acute massive hemoptysis and hypoxia. His history was notable for 1 year of progressively worsening shortness of breath at both rest and with exertion. He denied chest discomfort and endorsed near syncope while driving in recent months. He recently had been treated with antibiotics for two episodes of presumed pneumonia, based on right lower lobe opacification on chest radiography.
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A 27-year-old man was hospitalized in the burn unit after sustaining an acute inhalational injury and facial burns after an accidental occupational exposure to an industrial disinfectant consisting of a mixture of hydrogen peroxide (15%-30%), acetic acid (5%-15%), and peracetic acid (5%-15%). He demonstrated cough, shortness of breath, and hoarseness of voice at presentation that had developed 6 h after exposure. In addition to the inhalational injury of the vocal cords and lower airways on bronchoscopy (Fig 1), the patient also was diagnosed with acute inhalational pneumonitis based on the findings of hypoxemic respiratory failure and bilateral perihilar airspace opacities on chest radiography (Fig 2). ⋯ However, symptoms of productive cough and shortness of breath on exertion persisted, and he was rehospitalized 27 days after exposure. He was a nonsmoker with no prior history of atopy, asthma, or lung disease. His medical history was remarkable for hypertension and severe obesity with a BMI of 34.7 kg/m2.
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Editorial Comment Historical Article
The Historian as Consultant: History of Medicine in the New Humanities in Chest Medicine Section.