Chest
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This clinical practice guideline addresses six questions related to liberation from mechanical ventilation in critically ill adults. It is the result of a collaborative effort between the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST). ⋯ The panel provides recommendations regarding liberation from mechanical ventilation. The details regarding the evidence and rationale for each recommendation are presented in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and CHEST.
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We report the case of a patient with a history of chronic bronchiectasis that presented with new onset fatigue, shortness of breath, peripheral blood eosinophilia and infiltrates on chest radiograph. Eight days previously, she was prescribed inhaled colistimethate sodium 75 mg bid to prevent exacerbations of her respiratory condition. ⋯ Eosinophilic lung reaction to inhaled colistin is rarely reported in the literature. Clinicians should be aware of this possible side effect.
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A 54-year-old French man was admitted for evaluation of a chronic nodular lesion of the tongue and mandibular lymphadenopathy. He reported active tobacco and cannabis smoking as well as excessive alcohol use. ⋯ He had traveled abroad as a journalist and lived for several months in Columbia and Venezuela 12 years ago. His medical history included chronic hepatitis C infection successfully treated with interferon and ribavirin 6 years ago and high BP.
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There is a growing use of procalcitonin (PCT) to facilitate the diagnosis and management of severe sepsis. We investigated the impact of one to two PCT determinations on ICU day 1 on health-care utilization and cost in a large research database. ⋯ Use of PCT testing on the first day of ICU admission was associated with significantly lower hospital and ICU lengths of stay, as well as decreased total, ICU, and pharmacy cost of care. Further elucidation of clinical outcomes requires additional data.
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Asthma and COPD are common airway diseases. Individuals with overlapping asthma and COPD experience increased health impairment and severe disease exacerbations. Efficacious treatment options are required for this population. Omalizumab (anti-IgE) therapy is effective in patients with severe persistent asthma, but limited data are available on efficacy in populations with overlapping asthma and COPD. ⋯ Our study suggests that omalizumab improves asthma control and health-related quality of life in individuals with severe allergic asthma and overlapping COPD. These findings provide real-world efficacy data for this patient population and suggest that omalizumab is useful in the management of severe asthma with COPD overlap.