Chest
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An 88-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with the sudden onset of dyspnea after eating. The patient had undergone nephrectomy for a left renal tumor 24 years previously. ⋯ She complained of appetite loss a few days before admission but had no abdominal pain. CT scan showed no abnormalities in the lungs but a mass in the liver.
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Vasopressors traditionally are administered via central access, but newer data suggest that peripheral administration may be safe and may avoid delays and complications associated with central line placement. ⋯ Peripheral vasopressor initiation was common across Michigan hospitals and had practical benefits, including expedited vasopressor administration and avoidance of central line placement in one-third of patients. However, the findings of wide practice variation that was not explained by patient case mix and lower use of first-line norepinephrine with peripheral administration suggest that additional standardization may be needed.
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Impaired daytime vigilance is an important consequence of OSA, but several studies have reported no association between objective measurements of vigilance and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Notably, the AHI does not quantify the degree of flow limitation, that is, the extent to which ventilation fails to meet intended ventilation (ventilatory drive). ⋯ Increased flow limitation during sleep was associated with decreased daytime vigilance in individuals with suspected OSA, independent of the AHI. Flow limitation may complement standard clinical metrics in identifying individuals whose vigilance impairment most likely is explained by OSA.