Chest
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Understanding how health outcomes differ for patients with advanced cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease living in the United States compared with Canada has health policy implications. ⋯ There are lower rates of LTx and an increased risk of death without LTx for US patients with CF with FEV1 < 40% predicted compared with Canadian patients. Findings are more striking among US patients with CF with Medicaid/Medicare health insurance, and nonwhite patients in both countries, raising concerns about underuse of LTx among vulnerable populations.
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Evidence-based guidelines recommend management strategies for malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) based on life expectancy. Existent risk-prediction rules do not provide precise individualized survival estimates. ⋯ EMM is present between cancer type and other predictors; thus, DSMs outperformed the models that failed to account for this. Discrete risk-prediction models lacked enough precision to be useful for individual-level predictions.
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Observational Study
Association of Triglyceride-Glucose Index and Lung Health: A Population-based Study.
Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance are associated with worsened outcomes of chronic lung disease. The triglyceride-glucose index (TyG), a measure of metabolic dysfunction, is associated with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, but its relationship to lung health is unknown. ⋯ TyG was associated with respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis, and a restrictive spirometry pattern. Associations were not fully explained by insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome. TyG is a satisfactory measure of metabolic dysfunction with relevance to pulmonary outcomes. Prospective study to define TyG as a biomarker for impaired lung health is warranted.
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Pulmonary extra-intestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease are rare, comprising 0.21% to 0.4% of the inflammatory bowel disease population. Common symptoms include cough, chest pain, and dyspnea. Abnormal pulmonary function tests are common in these patients, with restrictive, obstructive, and diffusion capacity defects. ⋯ We present a case of a patient with ulcerative proctitis who experienced the development of inflammatory tracheitis and mediastinitis. Her disease responded to systemic steroids and biologic therapy. In addition to our case, we reviewed the literature and provide an approach to pulmonary complications as extra-intestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease.
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A 24-year-old previously healthy woman was brought to the hospital for acute altered mental status. One week prior to presentation, she had developed a sore throat, nausea, and vomiting. At that time, SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction and rapid streptococcal pharyngitis test results were both negative. ⋯ She was a student and worked part time in retail. She had no recent travel or outdoor exposure. The patient's family was unaware of any tobacco or drug use but did report that she drank socially.