Chest
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Relationships between airway inflammation and respiratory potentially pathogenic microorganisms (PPMs) quantified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in subjects with COPD are unclear. Our aim was to evaluate mediators of airway inflammation and their association with PPMs in subjects with COPD at stable state and during exacerbations. ⋯ At stable state, H influenzae is associated with increased airway inflammation in COPD. The relationship between bacterial load changes of specific pathogens and airway inflammation at exacerbation and recovery warrants further investigation.
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OSA is a common chronic disorder that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality including cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive disease and increased cancer-related deaths. OSA is characterized by recurrent episodes of apneas and hypopneas associated with repetitive episodes of intermittent hypoxemia, intrathoracic pressure changes, and arousals. Intermittent hypoxemia (IH) is now being recognized as a potential major factor contributing to the pathogenesis of OSA-related comorbidities. ⋯ Treatment with CPAP to reverse OSA-related symptoms and comorbidities has been shown to provide variable benefit in some but not all patient groups. Early treatment with CPAP makes intuitive sense to promote maximal functional recovery and minimize residual injury. More studies are needed to determine the interacting effects of IH and obesity, differential effects of both short-term and long-term hypoxemia, and the effect of CPAP treatment.
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Combined simvastatin and sirolimus therapy reduces tuberous sclerosis complex 2-null lesions and alveolar destruction in a mouse model of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), suggesting that therapy with both drugs may benefit patients with LAM. ⋯ Therapy with sirolimus and simvastatin does not increase the prevalence of drug adverse events or alter the therapeutic effects of sirolimus.
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Despite its frequency and impact, delirium is poorly recognized in postoperative and critically ill patients. EEG is highly sensitive to delirium but, as currently used, it is not diagnostic. To develop an EEG-based tool for delirium detection with a limited number of electrodes, we determined the optimal electrode derivation and EEG characteristic to discriminate delirium from nondelirium. ⋯ In a homogenous population of nonsedated patients who had undergone cardiothoracic surgery, we observed that relative δ power from an eyes-closed EEG recording with only two electrodes in a frontal-parietal derivation can distinguish among patients who have delirium and those who do not.
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A 65-year-old Asian man with a history of chronic hepatitis B infection presented to our pulmonary clinic for second opinion of his chronic, persistent, nonproductive cough. He was evaluated 10 months earlier with chest CT scan, which revealed a large lingular nodular opacity that was diagnosed as nodular cryptogenic organizing pneumonia by CT scan-guided percutaneous lung biopsy. ⋯ He denied fevers, night sweats, hemoptysis, weight loss, or dyspnea. He was a lifelong nonsmoker and moved to the United States from China during childhood.