Chest
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Investigators believe most patients with asthma have reversible airflow obstruction with treatment, despite airway remodeling and hyperresponsiveness. There are smokers with chronic expiratory airflow obstruction despite treatment who have features of both asthma and COPD. Some investigators refer to this conundrum as the asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). ⋯ Recently we reported a new pathophysiologic observation in 10 treated never smokers with asthma with persistent expiratory airflow obstruction, despite partial reversibility: All 10 patients with asthma had a significant decrease in lung elastic recoil, and unsuspected, microscopic mild centrilobular emphysema was noted in all three autopsies obtained although it was not easily identified on lung CT scan. These sentinel pathophysiologic observations need to be confirmed to further unravel the epiphenomenon of ACOS. The proinflammatory and proteolytic mechanism(s) leading to lung tissue breakdown need to be further investigated.
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A previously healthy, immunocompetent 37-year-old man was hospitalized with a 3-month history of intermittent fevers and cough with mucopurulent sputum preceded by flu-like symptoms. Five episodes of similar symptoms had prompted two hospitalizations and three courses of outpatient antibiotics. ⋯ He was a nonsmoker with no alcohol or recreational drug use. He was an accountant in the military with no history of significant organic or inorganic dust exposures.
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There are significant variations in how therapeutic bronchoscopy for malignant airway obstruction is performed. Relatively few studies have compared how these approaches affect the incidence of complications. ⋯ Use of moderate sedation and stents varies significantly among centers. These factors are associated with increased complications and 30-day mortality, respectively.
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Observational Study
Acid and weakly acidic gastroesophageal reflux and pepsin isoforms (A and C) in tracheal secretion of critically ill children.
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and pulmonary aspiration are frequent in patients in the ICU. The presence of pepsin in airways seems to be the link between them. However, pepsin isoforms A (gastric specific) and C (pneumocyte potentially derived) need to be distinguished. This study aimed to evaluate GER patterns and to determine the presence of pepsin A and C in tracheal secretions of critically ill children receiving mechanical ventilation. ⋯ The majority of GER episodes of children in the ICU were proximal and weakly acidic. All patients had aspiration of gastric contents as detected by pepsin A in tracheal fluid. A specific pepsin assay should be performed to establish gastropulmonary aspiration because pepsin C was found in > 70% of samples.
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The high frequency of readmissions in patients with COPD remains a significant problem. The impact of a pulmonologist follow-up visit during the month after discharge from hospital because of COPD exacerbation on reducing readmissions was examined. A profile of patients who did not attend the follow-up visits was built. ⋯ Early follow-up visits with pulmonologists seem to reduce the exacerbation-related rehospitalization rates of patients with COPD. We recommend that patients have early postdischarge follow-up visits with pulmonologists.