American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2015
An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement: A Research Framework for Pulmonary Nodule Evaluation and Management.
Pulmonary nodules are frequently detected during diagnostic chest imaging and as a result of lung cancer screening. Current guidelines for their evaluation are largely based on low-quality evidence, and patients and clinicians could benefit from more research in this area. ⋯ This statement may help researchers to develop impactful and innovative research projects and enable funders to better judge research proposals. We hope that it will accelerate the pace and increase the efficiency of discovery to improve the quality of care for patients with pulmonary nodules.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2015
Trends in Tracheostomy for Mechanically Ventilated Patients in the United States, 1993-2012.
National trends in tracheostomy for mechanical ventilation (MV) patients are not well characterized. ⋯ Over the past two decades, tracheostomy use rose substantially in the United States until 2008, when use began to decline. The observed dramatic increase in discharge of tracheostomy patients to long-term care facilities may have significant implications for clinical care, healthcare costs, policy, and research. Future studies should include long-term facilities when analyzing outcomes of tracheostomy.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2015
Mycobacteria-specific Cytokine Responses Detect TB Infection and Distinguish Latent from Active TB.
Current immunodiagnostic tests for tuberculosis (TB), including the tuberculin skin test and IFN-γ release assay (IGRA), have significant limitations, which include their inability to distinguish between latent TB infection (LTBI) and active TB, a distinction critical for clinical management. ⋯ We identified several mycobacteria-specific cytokine biomarkers with the potential to be exploited for immunodiagnosis. Incorporation of these biomarkers into future immunodiagnostic assays for TB could result in substantial gains in sensitivity and allow the distinction between LTBI and active TB based on a blood test alone.