American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2019
Randomized Controlled TrialTelomere Length and Use of Immunosuppressive Medications in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Rationale: Immunosuppression was associated with adverse events for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the PANTHER-IPF (Evaluating the Effectiveness of Prednisone, Azathioprine and N-Acetylcysteine in Patients with IPF) clinical trial. The reason why some patients with IPF experience harm is unknown. Objectives: To determine whether age-adjusted leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was associated with the harmful effect of immunosuppression in patients with IPF. ⋯ A propensity-matched University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center IPF cohort showed a similar association between immunosuppression and composite endpoints (death, lung transplantation, or FVC decline) for those with an LTL less than the 10th percentile (hazard ratio, 3.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.73-8.30; P = 0.00085). An interaction was found between immunosuppression and LTL for the combined PANTHER-IPF and ACE-IPF clinical trials (Pinteraction = 0.048), and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center IPF cohort (Pinteraction = 0.00049). Conclusions: LTL is a biomarker that may identify patients with IPF at risk for poor outcomes when exposed to immunosuppression.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2019
Practice GuidelineEvaluation and Management of Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome. An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline.
Background: The purpose of this guideline is to optimize evaluation and management of patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS). Methods: A multidisciplinary panel identified and prioritized five clinical questions. The panel performed systematic reviews of available studies (up to July 2018) and followed the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation evidence-to-decision framework to develop recommendations. ⋯ Recommendations: After considering the overall very low quality of the evidence, the panel made five conditional recommendations. We suggest that: 1) clinicians use a serum bicarbonate level <27 mmol/L to exclude the diagnosis of OHS in obese patients with sleep-disordered breathing when suspicion for OHS is not very high (<20%) but to measure arterial blood gases in patients strongly suspected of having OHS, 2) stable ambulatory patients with OHS receive positive airway pressure (PAP), 3) continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) rather than noninvasive ventilation be offered as the first-line treatment to stable ambulatory patients with OHS and coexistent severe obstructive sleep apnea, 4) patients hospitalized with respiratory failure and suspected of having OHS be discharged with noninvasive ventilation until they undergo outpatient diagnostic procedures and PAP titration in the sleep laboratory (ideally within 2-3 mo), and 5) patients with OHS use weight-loss interventions that produce sustained weight loss of 25% to 30% of body weight to achieve resolution of OHS (which is more likely to be obtained with bariatric surgery). Conclusions: Clinicians may use these recommendations, on the basis of the best available evidence, to guide management and improve outcomes among patients with OHS.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2019
Observational StudyAetiology and Risk Factors for Mortality in an Adult Community-Acquired Pneumonia Cohort in Malawi.
Rationale: In the context of rapid antiretroviral therapy rollout and an increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases, there are few contemporary data describing the etiology and outcome of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in sub-Saharan Africa. Objectives: To describe the current etiology of CAP in Malawi and identify risk factors for mortality. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of adults hospitalized with CAP to a teaching hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. ⋯ Detection of M. tuberculosis was associated with mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 2.44 [1.19-5.01]). Conclusions: In the antiretroviral therapy era, CAP in Malawi remains predominantly HIV associated, with a large proportion attributable to potentially vaccine-preventable pathogens. Strategies to increase early detection and treatment of tuberculosis and improve supportive care, in particular the correction of hypoxemia, should be evaluated in clinical trials to address CAP-associated mortality.