Chest
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Editorial Comment
Occupational Exposures and Systemic Sclerosis-Related Lung Disease.
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Building an efficient facility for advanced bronchoscopic procedures involves many considerations. This review places particular emphasis on anesthesiology services, based on experience at a tertiary/quaternary care referral academic medical center. ⋯ Patient flow arrangements for both outpatients and inpatients, from preoperative care to discharge/disposition, are highlighted. The importance of effective business planning, personnel training, leadership, communication, team building, quality of care, and patient safety are also discussed.
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Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease associated with abnormally elevated pulmonary pressures and right heart failure resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Although the prognosis for patients with PAH has improved with the introduction of pulmonary vasodilators, disease progression remains a major problem. Given that available therapies are inadequate for preventing small-vessel loss and obstruction, there is active interest in identifying drugs capable of targeting angiogenesis and mechanisms involved in the regulation of cell growth and fibrosis. ⋯ These drugs target seven of the major mechanisms associated with PAH pathogenesis: bone morphogenetic protein signaling, tyrosine kinase receptors, estrogen metabolism, extracellular matrix, angiogenesis, epigenetics, and serotonin metabolism. In this review, we discuss the preclinical studies that led to prioritization of these mechanisms, and discuss completed and ongoing phase 2/3 trials using novel interventions such as sotatercept, anastrozole, rodatristat ethyl, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and endothelial progenitor cells, among others. We anticipate that the next generation of compounds will build on the success of the current standard of care and improve clinical outcomes and quality of life for patients with PAH.
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Despite substantial progress in long-term follow-up strategies for lung transplant recipients, morbidity and mortality remain high, mostly because of the elevated infectious risk and the development of chronic lung allograft dysfunction. The high immunosuppressive levels necessary to prevent acute rejection and the graft's constant exposure to the environment come at the high price of frequent infectious complications. ⋯ However, these are challenging endeavors because of the vast spectrum of possible pathogens and the discrete clinical features resulting form transplant recipients' impaired immune responses. This review proposes a stratified diagnostic strategy and discusses the most relevant pathogens and the corresponding therapeutic approaches, while also offering insight on infection prevention strategies: vaccination, prophylaxis, pre-emptive therapy, and antibiotic stewardship.
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Patients admitted to the ICU with critical COVID-19 often require prolonged periods of mechanical ventilation. Difficulty weaning, lack of progress, and clinical deterioration are commonly encountered. These conditions should prompt a thorough evaluation for persistent or untreated manifestations of COVID-19, as well as complications from COVID-19 and its various treatments. ⋯ Venous thromboembolic disease is common, as are certain neurologic manifestations of COVID-19 including delirium and stroke. High levels of ventilatory support may lead to ventilator-induced injury to the lungs and diaphragm. We present diagnostic and therapeutic considerations for the mechanically ventilated patient with COVID-19 who shows persistent or worsening signs of critical illness, and we offer an approach to treating this complex but common scenario.