Chest
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Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a manifestation of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) that causes destruction of the lung and chronic respiratory failure. Population-based estimates of demographics, clinical outcomes, and health-care utilization are lacking for TSC and LAM. ⋯ The prevalence of TSC in Quebec, Canada, is similar to estimates from previously published surveys. LAM is likely underreported, perhaps due to suboptimal case identification or referral. Health-care utilization and mortality for LAM are high, suggesting that timely diagnosis and therapy could be beneficial. Mental health disorders may be an unrecognized clinical feature of LAM. These results provide a population-based background for policymakers and researchers to better address the needs of patients with TSC and LAM.
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Blame has been thought to affect quality by decreasing error reporting. Very little is known about the incidence, characteristics, or consequences of the distress caused by being blamed. Blame-related distress (B-RD) may be related to moral distress, but may also be a factor in burnout, compassion fatigue, lateral violence, and second-victim syndrome. The purpose of this article is to explore these related concepts through a literature review applied to three index critical care clinician cases.
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The overwhelming majority of surgical procedures performed in the United States are done on an outpatient basis. Patients with complicated medical problems are routinely scheduled for ambulatory procedures that have become progressively more complex. ⋯ It is generally agreed that early identification of those at risk for OSA allows for planning and implementation of strategies to help to reduce the risk of adverse perioperative events. Although various national societies have published consensus statements aimed at guiding the perioperative management of the patient at risk for OSA, more studies are needed to define the optimal approach to the perioperative care of this population.
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New markers of COPD and emphysema disease activity are urgently required since current measures of disease severity do not reflect the total disease burden nor predict disease progression. A recently described in vivo marker of neutrophil elastase activity (Aα-Val360) may be an effective marker of COPD and emphysema disease activity, and the current study explores its use in patients with α1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) across the disease severity spectrum with particular interest in whether it can be used as an early predictor of the need for intervention. ⋯ In cross-sectional studies, Aα-Val360 reflects disease severity in AATD and may be a useful marker of disease activity in patients with early disease in whom therapeutic intervention may be indicated.