Pulmonology

The seasonality of exacerbations imposes a considerable burden on COPD patients in terms of mortality and morbidity, and on health care systems responsible for patient care.

Even as Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems become more commonplace in the medical community there is still a large knowledge gap between health care professionals and their patients regarding the availability and use of these systems, according to a recent survey.

While the dangers of smoking are well known to most people there still remains a segment of the population who continues to smoke despite efforts to encourage them to quit.

There are many factors that go into a successful lung transplant operation. One key factor after surgery is routine radiological checks of a patient's progress.

The survival rate for lung transplant may be lower than other organs but many patients see dramatic changes in their quality of life following the complicated procedure.

Looking at patients with asthma it can be easy to group them all together for treatment options. Recent studies have shown that that may not be the best way to approach helping people dealing with both obesity and asthma.

Patients who need a lung transplant at any age face a wide range of complications and potential issues. For the youngest of patients that can particularly scary and overwhelming if not handled properly.

Obesity is becoming a growing problem in the country as is asthma in many of those patients. Doctors are now looking at ways to treat both to help the overall health of the people they see.

Lung cancer screenings have been proven beneficial for many patients and the American College of Chest Physicians has been working to make the screenings available to more people who need them. The topic was discussed at the organization's recent national meeting.

A study of the affect prescribing drugs during infancy can have on childhood obesity

As the workload for doctors increases some practices and hospitals are turning to scribes to help with some of the duties. What they should be doing and how much involvement they should have remains a topic of discussion.

For patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), the right treatment can make a world of difference in the management of their condition. A recent study looked at how effective inhaled budesonide and systemic methylprednisolone can be for those patients.

This is a 23-year-old female admitted for the first time who provides the history of congenital right chest wall deformity, right hypoplastic breast and absent right pectoralis muscles (1). Preliminary upright PA, lateral and right posterior oblique radiographs were obtained to evaluate the osseous and soft tissues of the thorax prior to cosmetic surgery and repair. No past history was made available.

The new Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis medications that were recently approved will help with treatment for patients but are not a cure for the condition.

Hypersomnia may not receive the amount of attention as other sleep disorders like sleep apnea, but it affects up to 5% of the population and left untreated can significantly diminish a patient's quality of life.

The area of sleep study is only around 30 years old but there are still new advancements that can help improve the daily life of a patient.

As part of the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians new information was rolled out on the "Live Well" Campaign aimed at helping patients with COPD.

While the survival rate for lung transplantation may be low compared with other transplant surgeries, advances in technology have helped increase the success rate.

With Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms growing in popularity, physicians are facing more pressure from patients to incorporate these tools into practice. This can be a difficult decision; however, for some the benefits will greatly outweigh the risks.

With the approval of two new drugs for the treatment of IPF, patients who otherwise would have only had lung transplantation as a treatment option now have a new way to improve their quality of life.

For patients diagnosed with occupational asthma, sometimes taking a step as simple as leaving work can improve their condition. For others, finding relief may be a much more involved process that requires more comprehensive treatment.

Study results presented at CHEST 2014 show that patients with stage I to stage III non-small cell lung cancer have different metabolite profiles in their blood than those of patients who are at risk but do not have lung cancer.

The largest study performed to date of mortality trends in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) shows that the rate of mortality dropped significantly over a 16-year period.

The fact that cigarette smoking is dangerous to a person's health is not a new concept, but a recent study took a more direct view of just how much damage smokers in the United States do to themselves through what was described as "major medical conditions."

A collaborative effort from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Florida has yielded plant leaves as a viable treatment for pulmonary hypertension.

Among Latinos, a Native American heritage was linked to a lower rate of asthma development, while an African lineage resulted in an increased asthma risk, researchers at University of California San Francisco found.

By comparing healthy and asthmatic lung cells post-infection, Imperial College London researchers believe they have discovered a new treatment target for asthma.

Prenatal exposure to phthalates, a chemical commonly used in cosmetics, increases children's asthma risk, according to study results published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Calculation and interpretation of the anion gap is extremely useful in the evaluation and treatment of the patient with metabolic acidosis. In this installment, we look at case examples involving patients with multiple sclerosis and urosepsis; COPD, diabetes, and renal failure; and type 1 diabetes.

Researchers report finding a correlation between adverse childhood experiences and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) development, with a more pronounced association in women.