Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Nov 2020
ReviewImmune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Pulmonary Toxicity: Focus on Nivolumab.
The development of checkpoint inhibitors has changed the treatment paradigm for cancer. Checkpoint inhibitors nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and cemiplimab target programmed death-1 (PD-1), whereas durvalumab, avelumab, and atezolizumab target PD-ligand 1. Ipilimumab targets cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4. ⋯ This review article focuses on all of the pulmonary adverse effects of a single PD-1 inhibitor (nivolumab) that have been described in the literature. These complications include dyspnea, pneumonitis, pleural effusion, pulmonary sarcoidosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, acute fibrinous organizing pneumonia, organizing pneumonia, eosinophilic pneumonia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, and lung cavitation. Clinicians must be aware of these toxicities and mindful when prescribing these medications in patients with known lung dysfunction due to chronic lung diseases or lung cancer.
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Southern medical journal · Nov 2020
Outcomes of Clostridioides difficile in Patients with Vitamin D Deficiency: A Propensity-Matched National Inpatient Sample Analysis.
We aimed to determine in-hospital outcomes, length of hospital stay, and resource utilization in a contemporary cohort of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and vitamin D deficiency (VDD). ⋯ In this large cohort in a propensity-matched analysis, VDD does not increase the in-hospital mortality in CDI. VDD increases the odds of complications with a higher LOS and resource utilization. These findings may be clinically relevant to guide clinicians to routinely monitor vitamin D status and supplement in patients at risk of CDI.