Chest
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Comparative Study
Upper Airway Stimulation versus Positive Airway Pressure Impact on Blood Pressure and Sleepiness Symptoms in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Positive airway pressure (PAP) and upper airway stimulation (UAS) are approved OSA treatment options. Although the effect of PAP on improvement in BP and daytime sleepiness (defined according to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]) has been established, the impact of UAS on BP remains unclear. This study hypothesized that PAP and UAS will confer improvements in BP and daytime sleepiness. ⋯ PAP showed greater improvement in BP, potentially reflecting an enhanced ability of PAP to exert beneficial mechanical intrathoracic cardiac and vascular influences. BP measurement error in the UAS group may also have accounted for findings. Greater improvement in sleepiness symptoms was noted with UAS compared with PAP.
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Although counties are the smallest geographic level for comprehensive health-care delivery analysis, little is known about county-level variations in receipt of curative-intent surgery for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and factors contributing to such variations in the United States. ⋯ Receipt of curative-intent surgery for early-stage NSCLC varied substantially across counties in the United States, with pockets of low receipt counties in each state. Low surgery receipt counties were characterized by unfavorable area-level socioeconomic and health-care delivery factors.
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Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) prognosis has improved with targeted therapies; however, the long-term outlook remains poor. Objective multiparametric risk assessment is recommended to identify patients at risk of early morbidity and mortality, and for optimization of treatment. The US Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term PAH Disease Management (REVEAL) 2.0 risk score is a new model proposed for the follow-up of patients with PAH but has not been externally validated. ⋯ The REVEAL 2.0 risk score was validated in a large external cohort from the PHSANZ Registry. The REVEAL 2.0 model can be applied for risk assessment of patients with PAH at follow-up. The simplified three-category model may be preferred for clinical use and for future comparison with other prognostic models.
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Case Reports
A 59-Year-Old Man With Chronic Kidney Disease After Kidney Transplantation Presents With Chronic Dyspnea.
A 59-year-old man presented to the ED with a chief complaint of shortness of breath. His past medical history was significant for end-stage renal disease secondary to lithium toxicity, immunosuppression subsequent to cadaveric renal transplantation, bipolar disorder, and hypertension. ⋯ He had no fever, hemoptysis, or chest pain. The patient was admitted to hospital for further evaluation.
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A 64-year-old man presented for consideration for lung transplant. He had a history of previous tobacco use, OSA on CPAP therapy, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. He worked as a design engineer. ⋯ Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were consistent with a restrictive pattern, decreased diffusing capacity (Dlco), and a preserved residual volume over total lung capacity ratio. The patient was prescribed systemic corticosteroids with no improvement of his symptoms. Repeat PFTs showed further decline of Dlco, and he was referred for lung transplant evaluation.