Chest
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Critically ill patients sometimes remember periods of neuromuscular blockade. ⋯ Among patients intubated emergently using a neuromuscular blocking agent, 7.4% of patients recalled awareness without being able to move, which was more likely when patients had a normal level of consciousness prior to intubation.
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Studies have shown that COPD and smoking are associated with increased suicide risk. To date, there are no prospective studies examining suicide risk among individuals with smoking exposure along a spectrum of pulmonary diseases ranging from normal spirometry to severe COPD. ⋯ In this well-characterized cohort of individuals with smoking exposure with and without COPD, risk factors for suicide/overdose were identified that emphasize the subjective experience of illness over objective assessments of lung function.
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A 66-year-old woman with a medical history of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis on long-standing methotrexate and adalimumab therapy was referred to the pulmonary clinic for abnormal chest imaging. The patient was also under evaluation by rheumatology physicians for increased fatigue, nonproductive cough, and recurrent sinus infections. At the time of the initial pulmonary visit, the patient complained of acute onset of bilateral blurry vision and subsequently was diagnosed with anterior uveitis and received ophthalmic steroids with significant improvement. ⋯ Over the course of 4 months, the patient experienced worsening dyspnea with exertion. She was a lifelong nonsmoker and had no history of recent travel. However, on review of possible environmental exposures, patient stated using feather pillows and bedding for several decades.
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A 44-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of chest pain located around his lower thoracic spine with deep inspiration for 6 months. He denied having any cough, dyspnea, fever, or weight loss. ⋯ He was a nonsmoker, without any other personal or familial medical history. He had been examined at some hospitals, but the cause had not been determined.
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An 84-year-old woman presented to the interventional pulmonary clinic for evaluation of a right middle lobe lung mass. Her medical history was notable for atrial fibrillation on rivaroxaban and recurrent bilateral breast cancer that had required multiple lumpectomies, radiation, and chemotherapy. She is a former smoker of five-pack years. ⋯ She was seen by a pulmonologist as an outpatient and underwent bronchoscopy with BAL and bronchial brushing for concerns of malignancy. The results were not diagnostic. She was then referred to the interventional pulmonary service for further evaluation.