Chest
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The Veterans Health Administration issued policy for lung cancer screening resources at eight Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) in a demonstration project (DP) from 2013 through 2015. ⋯ In this cohort, provision of resources for lung cancer screening implementation was associated with an increase in veterans screened and those with 1-year follow-up screening. Screening gains associated with the DP were not maintained.
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American Heart Association quality metrics of resuscitation include time to epinephrine ≤ 5 min, time to defibrillation ≤ 2 min, and confirmation of airway device placement in trachea. This study examined trends in adherence to these quality metrics in the ICU and identified predictors of failure to adhere to these metrics. ⋯ Overall, quality metric adherence was high in the ICU, with the exception of time to defibrillation ≤ 2 min.
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Clinical Trial
Asthma control, Airway mucus and 129Xe MRI ventilation after a single Benralizumab dose.
Patients with eosinophilic asthma often report poor symptomatic control and quality of life. Anti-IL-5 therapy, including anti-IL-5Rα (benralizumab), rapidly depletes eosinophils in the blood and airways and also reduces asthma exacerbations and improves quality of life scores. In patients with severe asthma, eosinophilic inflammation-driven airway mucus occlusions have been measured using thoracic x-ray CT imaging. Pulmonary 129Xe MRI ventilation defect percentage (VDP) also sensitively measures asthma airway dysfunction caused by airway hyperresponsiveness, remodeling, and luminal mucus occlusions. Using 129Xe MRI and CT imaging together, it is feasible to measure both airway luminal occlusions and airway ventilation in relationship to anti-IL-5 therapy to ascertain the direct impact of therapy-induced eosinophil depletion on airway function. ⋯ 129Xe ventilation significantly improved in participants with uncontrolled asthma and in those with significant mucus plugging after a single dose of benralizumab.
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Influenza is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and results of influenza tests can direct therapy. However, among adults hospitalized with CAP, little is known about the frequency and timing of influenza testing, treatment, and their associations with outcomes. ⋯ Even during flu season, most patients with CAP in this study went untested for influenza. A positive influenza test result was associated with antiviral treatment, and early treatment was associated with lower mortality, suggesting that more widespread testing might improve patient outcomes.