Chest
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Preliminary reports suggest that a small left atrium (LA) is associated with severe acute pulmonary embolism (PE). This study used data derived from volumetric analyses of computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) to investigate whether a reduced LA volume can predict adverse outcome in a large series of patients with acute PE. ⋯ Decreased LA volume is associated with higher mortality and is the first among the various cardiac compartments to predict mortality in patients with acute PE.
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Observational Study
Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are associated with increased expression of heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate in BAL.
Acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPDs) are associated with accelerated aggravation of clinical symptoms and deterioration of pulmonary function. The mechanisms by which exacerbations may contribute to airway remodeling and declined lung function are poorly understood. We investigated whether AECOPDs are associated with differential expression of glycosaminoglycans in BAL in a cohort of 97 patients with COPD. ⋯ During AECOPD, there is increased expression of heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate in BAL. These molecules are significantly correlated with MMPs in BAL, indicating that they may be associated with airway remodeling and may lead to lung function decline during exacerbations of COPD.
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OSA pathogenesis is complex and may vary according to ethnicity. The anatomic component predisposing to OSA is the result of the interaction between bony structure and upper airway soft tissues and can be assessed using passive critical closing pressure (Pcrit). We hypothesized that Japanese-Brazilians and whites present different predictors of upper airway collapsibility, suggesting different causal pathways to developing OSA in these two groups. ⋯ Japanese-Brazilians and whites present different predictors of upper airway collapsibility. Although craniofacial bony restriction influenced Pcrit only in the Japanese-Brazilians, an anatomic imbalance between tongue and mandible volume influenced Pcrit among the whites. These findings may have therapeutic implications regarding how to improve the anatomic predisposition to OSA across ethnicities.
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Limited data are available on the use of noninvasive ventilation in patients with asthma exacerbations. The objective of this study was to characterize hospital patterns of noninvasive ventilation use in patients with asthma and to evaluate the association with the use of invasive mechanical ventilation and case fatality rate. ⋯ Large variation exists in hospital use of NIV for patients with an acute exacerbation of asthma. Higher hospital rates of NIV use does not seem to be associated with lower IMV rates. These results indicate a need to understand contextual and organizational factors contributing to this variability.
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Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease in which host defense against respiratory viruses such as human rhinovirus (HRV) may be abnormal. This is a matter of some controversy, with some investigators reporting reduced type I interferon (IFN) synthesis and others suggesting that type I IFN synthesis is relatively normal in asthma. ⋯ Antiviral type I IFN production is impaired in those with neutrophilic airway inflammation and in those prescribed high doses of inhaled corticosteroids. Our study is an important step toward identifying those with poorly controlled asthma who might respond best to inhaled IFN therapy during exacerbations.