Chest
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To evaluate the ability of preoperative variables to identify patients at increased risk for complications after lung resection and the usefulness of predicted postoperative FEV1 as a marker of risk for adverse outcomes. ⋯ A low predicted postoperative FEV1 appears to be the best indicator of patients at high risk for complications, and it was the only significant correlate of complications when the effect of other potential risk factors was controlled for in a multivariate analysis. Pulmonary resection should not be denied on the basis of traditionally cited preoperative pulmonary variables, and a prediction of postoperative pulmonary function by a technique of simple calculation may be useful to identify patients at increased risk for medical complications.
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Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is an infiltrative disease of eosinophils affecting multiple organs, including the lung. Hypereosinophilic syndrome differs from acute and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia clinically and usually necessitates treatment with alkylating agents and/or corticosteroids. ⋯ One of our patients developed the adult respiratory distress syndrome thought to be a complication of the HES. Aggressive treatment of HES in both cases combined with intensive support in the patient with ARDS resulted in prolonged survival.
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We report a dramatic case of factitious hemoptysis in a 36-year-old black man who presented with hemoptysis and chest pain. ⋯ A factitious cause should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hemoptysis of unclear etiology, especially when the medical history or the patient's behavior is unusual.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Should all patients undergoing cardiac catheterization or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty receive oxygen?
Supplemental oxygen is routinely administered to patients with acute coronary syndromes. The risk of significant morbidity during cardiac catheterization or coronary angioplasty has been well described; however, to our knowledge, the need for routine oxygen supplementation in these patients has not been investigated. ⋯ Significant hypoxemia is a common finding among patients undergoing cardiac catheterization or angioplasty despite the absence of predictive risk factors. Severe and prolonged hypoxemic episodes occurred in 10 percent (14/142, phase 1) of patients breathing room air. Patients undergoing diagnostic catheterization with history of chronic lung disease or a baseline SpO2 < 95 percent are at high risk to develop moderate-severe hypoxemia. Oxygen therapy significantly reduced the incidence and severity of procedure-induced hypoxemia in both groups. Our data support the use of both pulse oximetry and oxygen supplementation in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization and PTCA.