Chest
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The COVID-19 pandemic placed considerable strain on critical care resources. How US hospitals responded to this crisis is unknown. ⋯ Responses of hospitals to the mass need for critical care services due to the COVID-19 pandemic were highly variable. Most hospitals canceled procedures to preserve ICU capacity and scaled up ICU capacity using existing clinical space and staffing. Future research linking hospital response to patient outcomes can inform planning for additional surges of this pandemic or other events in the future.
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The treatment of OSA in highland residents is not established. ⋯ In highland residents with OSA, NOS significantly improved sleep-related breathing disturbances and nocturnal oxygenation. NOS also reduced heart rate during sleep and morning pulse rate. If these beneficial effects are confirmed in longer term studies, NOS may be a treatment option for highland patients with OSA who cannot be treated by CPAP.
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A successful lung cancer screening program requires a patient cohort at sufficient risk of developing cancer who are willing to participate. Among other factors, a patient's lung cancer risk perception may inform their attitudes toward screening and smoking cessation programs. ⋯ Individuals' lung cancer risk perception correlated positively with calculated risk in a screening population. Promotion of screening programs may benefit from focusing on factors associated with higher risk perception; conversely, harnessing worry seemingly holds less value.
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Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary disease (M abscessus-PD) is challenging to treat because of its resistance to antibiotics. ⋯ Inhaled amikacin with or without clofazimine in the regimen provides favorable treatment outcomes in M massiliense-PD. However, more effective treatments are needed for M abscessus-PD.
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Lung cancer screening (LCS) is effective at reducing mortality for high-risk smokers. Mortality benefits go beyond early cancer detection, because shared decision-making (SDM) may present a "teachable moment" to reinforce cessation and provide resources. ⋯ Overall provision of smoking cessation resources was moderate during SDM encounters for LCS, and lower in patients with more comorbidities and when not performed by the patient's PCP or specialist. Interventions are needed to improve smoking cessation counseling and resource utilization at the time of LCS encounters.