Pulmonology

Study results show that incorrect use of inhalers and epinephrine autoinjectors is widespread among patients, which should prompt treating physicians to focus more on educating patients on proper use.

For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), at home oxygen therapy is associated with higher occurrences of burn injury, according to investigators at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).

Working in an emergency room setting in the United States, in almost all circumstances provides doctors with at least most of the major needs they require to do their jobs on a daily basis. One organization is working to bring those basic needs to hospitals throughout Latin America.

Age is a risk factor for most pulmonary diseases, and new research indicates mitochondrial swelling in the lung cells may be the culprit.

Based upon casual observation, some have suggested that the rise in the diagnosis and incidence of asthma is related to the pertussis vaccine. This study in Sweden attempted to determine if such a relationship exists.

Just 3 minutes of sprint interval training per week may improve cardio-metabolic factors in diabetic adults.

Clinicians have several options when it comes to treating their allergic patients with subcutaneous (SCIT) or sublingual (SLIT) immunotherapy.

Oseltamivir, aka Tamiflu, shortened the duration of symptoms by about one day and reduced the likelihood of having a respiratory infection by 44 percent, according to researchers from the University of Michigan, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and University of Alabama.

An unlikely remedy, beetroot juice, was found to improve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients' exercise performance.

Patients with high body mass indexes and obesity are at greater risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea. This meta-analysis looked to determine if the use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for sleep apnea would result in weight loss or weight gain.

Smoking rates were found to be higher in men than in women, but decreasing in both sexes – reports had indicated the rates may be increasing in young women. Previous studies have shown women become addicted to nicotine faster and have greater difficulty quitting smoking due to more intense cravings when stimulated by cues than men.

A new analysis of several prospective health studies indicates that low testosterone levels at any age are associated with an increased risk ischemic stroke in men.

While suicide ideation (SI) and depression is common among individuals suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emerging research has also discovered women with the condition disproportionately experience SI and it persists despite undergoing mental health treatment.

Postextubation dysphagia is a common but often unrecognized problem in critically ill patients who've been intubated for 2 days or more. Its causes include mechanical abrasion, cognitive disturbances, and the residual effects of narcotics and anxiolytic medications.

Eating a low carbohydrate diet compared to a low fat diet leads to greater loss of weight as well as a significant reduction in Framingham Risk Score.

This limited systematic review found some evidence of benefit of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation and little evidence of significant adverse outcomes.

The health care policy, written by Gary Rivard, DO, and Anthony Viera, MD, was published in The Journal of Family Practice. The authors noted that while more people are receiving vaccinations for pertussis, the US Centers for Disease Control reported 48,277 confirmed cases – the highest number since 1955, including 20 deaths related to the disease.

Prenatal and early infant exposure to air pollutants may be linked to developing autism, according to research presented at the American Association for Aerosol Research.

Lung infection bacteria levels will be tested via blood samples in emergency department patients in a new study being conducted at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Many people could be more active in their daily lives. The question for physicians is: How do you make that happen, especially for children and adolescents? A recent study provides clues about how to help patients maintain a healthy lifestyle.

For patients suffering a first-time cardiac event there could be warning signs in the form of a condition called vital exhaustion. A recent study looked at the causes and signs of vital exhaustion and potential preventive measures and treatments for these 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.

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.

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."

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.