Chest
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Inhaled antibiotics are recommended conditionally by international bronchiectasis guidelines for the treatment of patients with bronchiectasis, but results of individual studies are inconsistent. A previous meta-analysis demonstrated promising results regarding the efficacy and safety of inhaled antibiotics in bronchiectasis. Subsequent publications have supplemented the existing body of evidence further in this area. ⋯ In this systematic review and meta-analysis, inhaled antibiotics resulted in a slight reduction in exacerbations, a probable reduction in severe exacerbations, and a likely slight improvement in symptoms and quality of life in adults with bronchiectasis.
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Exertional breathlessness is a cardinal symptom of cardiorespiratory disease. ⋯ Abnormal breathlessness graded using CPET normative reference equations was associated with worse clinical, physiological, and functional outcomes in people with CAL, supporting construct validity of abnormal exertional breathlessness.
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Laryngeal dysfunction as a cause of chronic refractory cough and episodic dyspnea is often missed, which results in unnecessary testing and delays in diagnosis. Understanding laryngeal roles in breathing and airway protection can help to appreciate the propensity to laryngeal dysfunction with aging, chronic lung disease, and sleep apnea. ⋯ Pulmonologists should incorporate assessment of laryngeal dysfunction during evaluation of chronic refractory cough and dyspnea. Recognition of laryngeal hypersensitivity in the patient with chronic refractory cough can identify patients who may benefit from cough suppression therapies. Similarly, timely identification of inducible laryngeal obstruction may not only resolve episodic dyspnea but lessen the need for unnecessary testing and treatments.
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Death is common in the ICU and often occurs after a decision to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining therapies. Care of the dying is a core skill for ICU clinicians, requiring expert communication, primarily with family of critically ill patients. ⋯ After a decision had been made to discontinue life-sustaining therapies, family members need to be given a clear description of comfort measures only and provided with additional detail about what it entails, including therapies or interventions to be discontinued, monitoring during the dying process, and common features of the dying process. Order sets can be a valuable resource for ensuring that adequate analgesia and sedation are available and the care plan is enacted properly. To achieve a good death for patients, a collaborative effort among members of the care team is essential.
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Multicenter Study
Anaerobic antibiotic coverage in aspiration pneumonia and the associated benefits and harms: A retrospective cohort study.
Antibiotics with extended anaerobic coverage are used commonly to treat aspiration pneumonia, which is not recommended by current guidelines. ⋯ We found that extended anaerobic coverage likely is unnecessary in aspiration pneumonia because it was associated with no additional mortality benefit, only an increased risk of C difficile colitis.