Chest
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A 34-year-old white woman who was 30 weeks' pregnant initially presented to her primary care physician with a cough for which she was given antibiotics, but she had persistent symptoms. These were followed by chest pain, as a result of which she was referred to our department. ⋯ Review of systems was otherwise negative. She had a three-pack-year smoking history, but denied smoking during her current pregnancy.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Risks of venous thromboembolism after cesarean sections: A meta-analysis.
Cesarean sections (CS) are believed to be associated with greater risks of postpartum VTE. Our objective was to systematically review the evidence on this association and on the absolute risk of VTE following CS. ⋯ The risk of VTE was fourfold greater following CS than following VD; seemed independent of other VTE risk factors; and was greater following emergency CS than following elective CS. On average, three in 1,000 women will develop a VTE following CS.
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Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is a therapeutic intervention that delivers targeted thermal energy to the airway walls with the goal of ablating the smooth muscle in patients with severe persistent asthma. Since the publication of the original preclinical studies, three large randomized clinical trials evaluating its impact on asthma control have been performed. These trials have shown improvements in asthma-related quality of life and a reduction in asthma exacerbations following treatment with BT. ⋯ In this article, we will discuss these controversies and present the latest evidence on the use of BT in asthma, specifically the 5-year longitudinal evaluation of patients. In addition, we will discuss new insights into the histopathologic changes that occur in the airways following BT, as well as the feasibility of performing the procedure in patients with very severe asthma. We also will discuss the ongoing translational and clinical investigations regarding the underlying mechanism of action and methods to improve patient selection for this procedure.