The American journal of medicine
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a leading cause of disability and death in the United States. The identification and amelioration of systemic manifestations of COPD may improve long-term outcomes, including survival. ⋯ The evidence in support of the impact of various COPD treatment modalities on systemic manifestations of COPD is also reviewed. Finally, the usefulness of measuring body mass index, degree of airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity in combination (the BODE index), as a measure of disease severity and mortality risk in COPD, is examined and found to be a simple-to-use tool for predicting COPD-related hospitalization and mortality.
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We evaluated the impact of guideline-concordant empiric antibiotic therapy on time to clinical stability, time to switch therapy, length of hospital stay, and mortality among patients with community-acquired pneumonia. ⋯ Among hospitalized community-acquired patients, guideline-concordant antibiotic therapy is associated with improved in-hospital survival and shorter time to clinical stability, time to switch therapy, and length of hospital stay.
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We aimed to elucidate the prevalence of and risk factors for work disability in severe adult asthma and to evaluate the impact of work disability on downstream health outcomes. ⋯ Work disability is common among adults with severe asthma. There are three sets of risk factors for work disability that are potentially modifiable: smoking, workplace exposures, and asthma severity.