Chest
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"My Mom Is a Fighter": A Qualitative Analysis of the Use of Combat Metaphors in ICU Clinician Notes.
A metaphor conceptualizes one, typically abstract, experience in terms of another, more concrete, experience with the goal of making it easier to understand. Although combat metaphors have been well described in some health contexts, they have not been well characterized in the setting of critical illness. ⋯ We provide a novel conceptual framework around the use of combat metaphors in the ICU. Further studies are needed to understand intentionality behind their use and how they impact clinician behaviors and patient and caregiver emotional responses.
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Exercise hemodynamics are recommended for early detection of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and have been suggested to be predictive of future development of PAH in high-risk populations such as BMPR2 mutation carriers. However, the optimal exercise hemodynamic screening parameter remains to be determined. Recent data suggest that pulmonary vascular distensibility (α) may serve as a useful parameter for early detection of PAH. ⋯ The results of this study indicate that before development of PAH in BMPR2 mutation carriers, α is reduced markedly and may serve as a useful parameter in the setting of early disease detection. Given the low event rate, caution is warranted in interpreting these results, highlighting the need for validation studies.
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Sarcoidosis staging primarily has relied on the Scadding chest radiographic system, although chest CT imaging is finding increased clinical use. ⋯ In this study, CT scan features explained additional variability in lung function beyond Scadding stage, with some CT scan features obviating the associations between lung function and Scadding stage. Whether CT scan features, phenotypes, or endotypes could be useful for treating patients with sarcoidosis needs more study.
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A 53-year-old man was admitted with complaints of recurrent cough, mucopurulent phlegm, and fever for 10 days. These symptoms started in his youth, and he had experienced three or more acute attacks per year in the past 3 years. Persistent nasal obstruction was noticed. ⋯ The patient was married for 30 years and had a son. He had never used tobacco products or alcohol. A family history indicated that his parents were consanguineously married, and one of his sisters died of bronchiectasis coinfection.
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A 52-year-old woman with a history of leiomyoma uteri and tobacco-use disorder in remission presented with 2 months of progressive back pain. Her pain was located between her shoulder blades and was described as constant with intermittent sharp, stabbing sensation. It was nonradiating and aggravated by inspiration. ⋯ She underwent a total hysterectomy 13 years ago for benign uterine fibroid tumors. She had a 15-pack-year history but quit smoking 3 years ago. Family history was notable for colon and pancreatic cancer in her father and breast cancer in her maternal aunt.