Chest
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When comparing outcomes after sepsis, it is essential to account for patient case mix to make fair comparisons. We developed a model to assess risk-adjusted 30-day mortality in the Michigan Hospital Medicine Safety sepsis initiative (HMS-Sepsis). ⋯ The HMS-Sepsis mortality model showed strong discrimination and adequate calibration and reclassified one-third of hospitals to a different performance category from unadjusted mortality. Based on its strong performance, the HMS-Sepsis mortality model may aid in fair hospital benchmarking, assessment of temporal changes, and observational causal inference analysis.
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An autoimmune component in the cause of sarcoidosis has long been debated, but population-based data on the clustering of immune-mediated diseases (IMDs) and sarcoidosis in individuals and families suggestive of shared cause are limited. ⋯ This study showed that IMDs confer a higher risk of sarcoidosis and they aggregate in families with sarcoidosis, signaling a shared cause between IMDs and sarcoidosis. Our findings warrant further evaluation of shared genetic mechanisms.
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Observational Study
Associations Between Air Pollution and the Onset of Acute Exacerbations of COPD: A Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Study in China.
Associations between air pollution and the acute exacerbations (AEs) of COPD have been established primarily in time-series studies in which exposure and health data were at the aggregate level, limiting the identification of susceptible populations. ⋯ This study provides robust evidence that short-term exposure to fine particulate matter and inhalable particulate matter was associated with higher odds of AEs of COPD onset. Individuals who are young, have severe COPD, or whose first diagnosis of COPD was made when they were between 20 and 50 years of age and experience an exacerbation during the cooler seasons may be particularly susceptible.
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Historically, studies show that female patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) have worse pulmonary outcomes than male patients, including decreased life expectancy. It is unknown whether this disparity persists in the new era of highly effective modulator therapies. Ivacaftor has been available in the United States for > 10 years, allowing for the opportunity to understand the impact this therapy may have on sex disparities in CF. We hypothesized that female patients will continue to show worse outcomes because we suspect that the disparity is not driven solely by ion channel dysfunction. ⋯ Our findings demonstrate that sex disparities in CF persist in those treated with ivacaftor because of differences in pulmonary exacerbations. More research is needed to determine the specific pathophysiologic drivers of this disparity.
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Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a form of hemoptysis caused by disruption of the alveolar-capillary basement membrane causing alveolar bleeding. Inhalation of cocaine and other sympathomimetic agents are described as one of many pathologic causes. ⋯ This case adds a novel agent to the known pathologic causes of DAH and introduces a novel form of bupropion toxicity, which should be considered as a cause in cases of DAH in the appropriate clinical context. The case also highlights the potential for further research into the pathologic interactions of bupropion at the alveolar basement membrane.