Heart & lung : the journal of critical care
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Design and rationale of the B-lines lung ultrasound guided emergency department management of acute heart failure (BLUSHED-AHF) pilot trial.
Medical treatment for acute heart failure (AHF) has not changed substantially over the last four decades. Emergency department (ED)-based evidence for treatment is limited. Outcomes remain poor, with a 25% mortality or re-admission rate within 30days post discharge. Targeting pulmonary congestion, which can be objectively assessed using lung ultrasound (LUS), may be associated with improved outcomes. ⋯ If successful, this pilot study will inform future, larger trial design on LUS driven therapy aimed at guiding treatment and improving outcomes in patients with AHF.
-
Growing evidence indicates that both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be closely associated with the prevalence of pulmonary embolism (PE). However, the relationship of overlap syndrome (OS) (coexistence of OSA and COPD) with PE is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether OS were associated with increased PE prevalence. ⋯ OS is independently associated with PE prevalence. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the relationship with incident PE.