Journal of thoracic disease
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The rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI) is used clinically to help predict a patient's likelihood of successful liberation from mechanical ventilation (MV). However, the traditional threshold (<105 breaths/min/L) may underperform in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We sought to determine the optimal RSBI threshold for COPD patients to improve the diagnostic accuracy for predicting successful ventilator liberation. ⋯ In COPD patients intubated with hypercapnia, RSBI ≤85 breaths/min/L outperformed the widely used threshold <105 breaths/min/L, yielding a 95.5% probability of extubation success, independent of ventilation duration or hospital LOS.
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In 2017, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) proposed new classification criteria for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which categorizes them into groups A-D based on risk of exacerbations and symptoms. The impact of the 2017 revisions on categorization and subsequent drug selection has been insufficiently studied in China. ⋯ GOLD 2017 reclassified COPD patients to low-risk groups. The risk of exacerbation increased with decreased BMI or education levels. Overtreatment was observed in many patients, and physicians should reexamine treatment patterns for patients reclassified into low-risk groups.
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Severe bleeding and massive transfusion of blood products may be associated with increased morbidity and mortality of cardiac surgery. A transfusion algorithm incorporating thromboelastography (TEG) or rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) can help to determine the appropriate time and target for the use of hemostatic blood products, which may thus reduce the quantity of blood loss as well as blood products transfused. ⋯ TEG or ROTEM-guided transfusion strategies may reduce blood loss volume and the transfusion rates in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
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Multimodality therapy may prolong survival among resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). However, the role of adjuvant radiation remains controversial. We explored a large nationwide database to determine whether adjuvant radiation is associated with improved survival. ⋯ Adjuvant radiation was associated with improved survival among those with pathologic stage I-II MPM. No survival advantage was observed for those with pathologic stage III or stage IV MPM, however. Our results justify the need for further prospective trials to investigate the utility of adjuvant radiotherapy among those with MPM.
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Vitamin C has shown several beneficial effects on sepsis in preclinical studies. However, clinical data supporting these reports are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate whether adjunctive intravenous vitamin C therapy could reduce hospital mortality in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock requiring mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Adjunctive intravenous vitamin C therapy alone did not reduce hospital mortality in mechanically ventilated patients with severe sepsis or septic shock.