Annals of the American Thoracic Society
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Multicenter Study
Hospital Noninvasive Ventilation Case Volume and Outcomes of Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Higher hospital case volume may produce local expertise ("practice makes perfect"), resulting in better patient outcomes. Associations between hospital noninvasive ventilation (NIV) case volume and outcomes for patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are unclear. ⋯ Despite strong evidence for use of NIV in the management of acute exacerbations of COPD, we observed no significant mortality benefit and higher rates of NIV failure in high-NIV case-volume hospitals. Further investigation of patient selection and hospital factors associated with NIV failure is needed to maximize favorable patient outcomes associated with use of NIV for acute exacerbations of COPD.
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Radiologist reports of pulmonary nodules discovered incidentally on computed tomographic (CT) images of the chest may influence subsequent evaluation and management. ⋯ Within one multifacility urban health system in the United States, the terms used by radiologists to describe incidental pulmonary nodules were associated with documentation of the nodule by the ordering physician and subsequent follow-up. Standard terminology should be used to describe pulmonary nodules to improve patient outcomes.
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The American Thoracic Society (ATS), in collaboration with George Mason University, surveyed international members of the society to assess perceptions, clinical experiences, and preferred policy responses related to global climate change. A recruitment email was sent by the ATS President in October 2015 to 5,013 international members. Subsequently, four reminder emails were sent to nonrespondents. ⋯ Respondents further indicated that physicians and physician organizations should play an active role in educating patients, the public, and policy makers on the human health effects of climate change. International ATS respondents, like their counterparts in the U. S., observed that human health is already adversely affected by climate change, and support responses to address this situation.
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Editorial Comment
Physician Culture and Vasopressin Use in Septic Shock.
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Review Meta Analysis
Diagnostic Yield and Complications of Transbronchial Lung Cryobiopsy for Interstitial Lung Disease. A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis.
The diagnostic usefulness and safety of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy for the evaluation of interstitial lung disease remain unclear. ⋯ The diagnostic accuracy of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy cannot be determined given the absence of studies directly comparing cryobiopsy diagnoses with diagnoses derived from surgical lung biopsies interpreted within multidisciplinary discussions. The histopathological and multidisciplinary discussion-based diagnostic yield of transbronchial cryobiopsy appears high, but with variable frequencies of complications dominated by pneumothorax and moderate-to-severe hemorrhage.