Chest
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Sleep disturbances are common in pregnancy, and sleep disorders may worsen or present de novo in the course of gestation. Managing a pregnant patient is complicated by the risk of teratogenicity, pharmacokinetic changes, and the dynamic nature of pregnancy. ⋯ In partnership with the pregnant patient or couple, options for therapy should be reviewed in the context of the impact of the condition on pregnancy and offspring outcomes, while understanding that data (positive or negative) on the impact of therapy on perinatal outcomes are lacking. This article reviews the epidemiology of sleep disorders in pregnancy, general principles of prescribing in pregnancy and lactation, and safety surrounding therapeutic options in pregnancy.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonist Orvepitant is a Novel Antitussive Therapy for Chronic Refractory Cough: Results from a Phase 2 Pilot Study (VOLCANO-1).
Substance P and the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor are implicated in chronic refractory cough pathophysiology. We assessed the efficacy and safety of orvepitant, a brain-penetrant NK-1 antagonist, in an open-label study in CRC patients with chronic refractory cough. ⋯ Orvepitant resulted in a significant and sustained improvement in objective cough frequency, severity VAS, and quality of life; appeared safe; and merits further clinical investigation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomized trial of nebulized lignocaine, lignocaine spray or their combination for topical anesthesia during diagnostic flexible bronchoscopy.
The optimal mode of delivering topical anesthesia during flexible bronchoscopy remains unknown. This article compares the efficacy and safety of nebulized lignocaine, lignocaine oropharyngeal spray, or their combination. ⋯ Ten actuations of 10% lignocaine oropharyngeal spray were superior to nebulized lignocaine or their combination for topical anesthesia during diagnostic flexible bronchoscopy.
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Areas of diminished lung density are frequently identified both on routine chest radiographs and chest CT examinations. Colloquially referred to as hyperlucent foci of lung, a broad range of underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms and differential diagnoses account for these changes. Despite this, the spectrum of etiologies can be categorized into underlying parenchymal, airway, and vascular-related entities. The purpose of this review is to provide a practical diagnostic algorithmic approach to pulmonary hyperlucencies incorporating clinical history and characteristic imaging patterns to narrow the differential.
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Pleural biopsy using either video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or medical pleuroscopy is the current diagnostic criterion standard for pleural pathology with a high, yet imperfect, diagnostic yield. Cryobiopsy may provide greater tissue, increase depth of sampled tissue, and/or reduce crush artifact. However, its impact on diagnostic yield remains uncertain, and there are potential concerns regarding its safety too. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the same. ⋯ Based on analysis of relatively homogenous observational data, pleural cryobiopsy is safe but does not increase diagnostic yield over flexible forceps biopsy. Adequately powered multicenter randomized trials are needed for further investigation.