Chest
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Estimating the clinical probability of malignancy in patients with a solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) can facilitate the selection and interpretation of subsequent diagnostic tests. ⋯ Our prediction rule can be used to estimate the pretest probability of malignancy in patients with SPNs, and thereby facilitate clinical decision making when selecting and interpreting the results of diagnostic tests such as PET imaging.
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Morbidly obese individuals (ie, body mass index [BMI], > or = 40 kg/m2) may have a pulmonary gas exchange impairment due to the large fat mass surrounding their abdomen. ⋯ Morbidly obese men showed a trend to have poorer pulmonary gas exchange compared to morbidly obese women, and a significant part of the blood gas status in these patients is associated with the W/H ratio.
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In patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), implementation of mechanical ventilation depends on sleep investigation and measurement of CO2 tension. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine which noninvasive lung function parameter best predicts nocturnal hypercapnia and diurnal hypercapnia in these patients. ⋯ Lung function is useful to predict nocturnal hypercapnia in patients with DMD. Moreover, VC < 680 mL is very sensitive to predict daytime hypercapnia.