Chest
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Hyperimmune IV Immunoglobulin Treatment: A Multicenter Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial for Patients With Severe 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) Infection.
Experience from influenza pandemics suggested that convalescent plasma treatment given within 4 to 5 days of symptom onset might be beneficial. However, robust treatment data are lacking. ⋯ Treatment of severe A(H1N1) infection with H-IVIG within 5 days of symptom onset was associated with a lower viral load and reduced mortality.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
A Proof-of-Concept, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Omalizumab in Patients With Severe, Difficult-to-Control, Nonatopic Asthma.
While up to 50% of patients with severe asthma have no evidence of allergy, IgE has been linked to asthma, irrespective of atopic status. Omalizumab, an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, is reported to significantly benefit a subset of patients with severe, persistent, allergic asthma. Therefore, we investigated whether omalizumab has biologic and clinical effects in patients with refractory nonatopic asthma. ⋯ Omalizumab negatively regulates FcεRI expression in patients with severe nonatopic asthma, as it does in severe atopic asthma. Omalizumab may have a therapeutic role in severe nonatopic asthma. Nonetheless, our preliminary findings support further investigation to better assess the clinical efficacy of omalizumab.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Relative Effects of Two Different Enoxaparin Regimens as Comparators Against Newer Oral Anticoagulants: Meta-analysis and Adjusted Indirect Comparison.
Two different regimens of enoxaparin (40 mg once daily or 30 mg bid) have been used as control arms in trials of new oral anticoagulants. The choice of enoxaparin comparator may influence the perceived relative efficacy and safety of the newer agents, and we aimed to identify any significant differences between the two enoxaparin regimens. ⋯ The use of once-daily enoxaparin regimen as control in clinical trials will lead to more favorable estimates of relative efficacy for the new oral anticoagulants than if enoxaparin 30 mg bid had been chosen as a comparator.
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Review
WHO's in Second?: A Practical Review of World Health Organization Group 2 Pulmonary Hypertension.
World Health Organization (WHO) group 2 pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to left-side heart disease (ie, heart failure or left-sided valvular heart disease) is the most common form of PH in western countries. Distinguishing patients with WHO group 2 PH, particularly the subset of patients with PH due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), from those with WHO group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is challenging. Separating the two conditions is of vital importance because treatment strategies differ completely. ⋯ We review contemporary studies that focus on clinical and echocardiographic findings that help to distinguish HFpEF from PAH in the patient with PH. We discuss the typical, and sometimes atypical, hemodynamic profiles that characterize these two groups, review challenges in the interpretation of data obtained by right-sided heart catheterization, and highlight special maneuvers that may be required for accurate diagnosis. Finally, we review the largely disappointing studies on the use of PAH-specific therapies in patients with WHO group 2 PH, including the use of prostacyclins, endothelin receptor antagonists, and the more promising phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors.
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Aspiration of a medication in the airways in any form produces a variety of adverse effects, both local and systemic. Furthermore, specific reaction of the airways to each type of pill strongly affects the outcome. It is crucial for pulmonologists and emergency medicine specialists to acknowledge this clinical entity. ⋯ These aerosolized medications can also cause local as well as systemic side effects. We review the local and systemic reactions of these "pills" accessing the airways either by incidental aspiration or iatrogenic administration. We address clinical presentation, mechanism of injury, diagnosis, and management of complications of these pills in the air passages.