Chest
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Recent guidelines recommend riociguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, and the type 5 phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDE5i) tadalafil or sildenafil as treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension. We compared the safety profiles of sildenafil, tadalafil, and riociguat in pulmonary hypertension. ⋯ The safety profiles of PDE5is and sGC stimulators significantly differ in pulmonary hypertension. Accordingly, there is a safety rationale in switching between PDE5is and sGC stimulators because of their different side effects.
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The optimal modality for restaging the mediastinum following neoadjuvant therapy for lung cancer remains unclear. Surgical methods are currently considered the reference standard. The present study evaluates the role of endosonographic techniques for mediastinal restaging in lung cancer. ⋯ Endosonographic procedures are safe and highly specific in mediastinal restaging of lung cancer.
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Paracentesis is a commonly performed procedure and generally considered to be low risk. Despite its overall favorable safety profile, use of ultrasound has been demonstrated to reduce the incidence of complications, especially in higher risk patients. Many individual ultrasound techniques have been described in the literature, each with the goal of making paracentesis safer. This article presents a systematic approach for incorporating many of these tools into bedside practice and includes a series of illustrative figures and narrated video presentations to demonstrate the techniques described.
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Lung-protective ventilation (LPV) has become the cornerstone of management in patients with ARDS. A subset of patients is unable to tolerate LPV without significant CO2 elevation. In these patients, permissive hypercapnia is used. ⋯ In this narrative review, we highlight clinically relevant end-organ effects in both animal models and clinical studies. We also explore the association between elevated CO2, acute cor pulmonale, and ICU mortality. We conclude with a brief review of alternative therapies for CO2 management currently under investigation in patients with moderate to severe ARDS.
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Meta Analysis
The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on the Risk of ARDS: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of ARDS in adults. ⋯ Chronic high alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of ARDS. This finding suggests that patients admitted to hospital should be screened for chronic alcohol use.