Clinics in chest medicine
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Clinics in chest medicine · Sep 2015
ReviewIntegration of Palliative Care Services in the Intensive Care Unit: A Roadmap for Overcoming Barriers.
Clinicians working in the intensive care unit (ICU) confront death and dying daily. ICU care can be inconsistent with a patient's values, preferences, and previously expressed goals of care. ⋯ This article discusses the benefits and barriers to integration of ICU and palliative care services, and a stepwise approach to implementation of palliative care services. Integration of palliative care services into ICU workflow is increasingly seen as essential to providing high-quality, comprehensive critical care.
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Clinics in chest medicine · Sep 2015
ReviewRecent Advances in the Management of the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
Advances in management of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) include the use of volume and pressure-limited ventilation and a fluid conservative strategy. Despite the extensive study of positive end expiratory pressure, consensus regarding the best approach to its application is lacking. ⋯ Alternate modes of ventilation remain unproven. A focus on ARDS risk factor reduction and the development of tools predicting progression to ARDS have the potential to further reduce its incidence.
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Clinics in chest medicine · Sep 2015
ReviewNovel Uses of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Adults.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been available for decades, with its use steadily expanding in the setting of advances in technology. The most common indications for venovenous and venoarterial ECMO remain severe hypoxemic respiratory failure and cardiogenic shock, respectively. Refinements in extracorporeal circuitry and cannulation strategies have led to novel indications for ECMO in cardiopulmonary failure, including pulmonary hypertension, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and less severe forms of the acute respiratory distress syndrome. There is hope for the development of destination device therapy, which could have significant implications for acute and chronic management of severe respiratory and cardiac disease.
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The development of widespread lung cancer screening programs has the potential to dramatically increase the number of thoracic computed tomography (CT) examinations performed annually in the United States, resulting in a greater number of newly detected, indeterminate solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs). Additional imaging studies, such as fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET), have been shown to provide valuable information in the assessment of indeterminate SPNs. Newer technologies, such as contrast-enhanced dual-energy chest CT and FDG-PET/CT, also have the potential to facilitate diagnosis of potentially malignant SPNs.
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Diffuse cystic and nodular lung diseases have characteristic imaging findings. The most common causes of cystic lung disease are lymphangioleiomyomatosis and Langerhans cell histiocytosis. ⋯ Diffuse nodular lung disease are categorized as centrilobular, perilymphatic, and random types. In diffuse nodular lung disease, a specific diagnosis is achieved through a combination of history, physical examination, and imaging findings.