Diagnosing pneumonia can be challenging in general practice but is essential to distinguish from other respiratory tract infections because of treatment choice and outcome prediction.. ..Two hundred forty-nine patients were included of whom 30 (12%) displayed a consolidation on chest X ray. Absence of runny nose and whether or not a patient felt ill were… Continue reading Prediction model for #pneumonia in primary care patients with an acute respiratory tract infection: role of symptoms, signs, and biomarkers
Category: Pneumology
Effectiveness of a Brief Self-determination Theory–Based Smoking Cessation Intervention for Smokers at Emergency Departments in Hong Kong
Clinicians have an opportunity to provide #smoking cessation interventions to smokers who present to emergency departments (EDs). The effectiveness of a brief intervention based on self-determination theory for smoking cessation is uncertain. ..The intervention group received brief advice (about 1 minute) and could choose their own quit schedules (immediate or progressive) ..Compared with the control… Continue reading Effectiveness of a Brief Self-determination Theory–Based Smoking Cessation Intervention for Smokers at Emergency Departments in Hong Kong
Diagnosis of Pulmonary #Embolism with d-#Dimer Adjusted to Clinical Probability
Retrospective analyses suggest that pulmonary embolism is ruled out by a d-dimer level of less than 1000 ng per milliliter in patients with a low clinical pretest probability (C-PTP) and by a d-dimer level of less than 500 ng per milliliter in patients with a moderate C-PTP ..We performed a prospective study in which pulmonary… Continue reading Diagnosis of Pulmonary #Embolism with d-#Dimer Adjusted to Clinical Probability
Underuse of Clinical Decision Rules and d-#Dimer in Suspected Pulmonary #Embolism: A Nationwide Survey of the Veterans Administration Health Care System
The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a challenge. CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for suspected PE has become the primary imaging modality, but concerns regarding overutilization, overdiagnosis, radiation, and costs have led to algorithms that combine a clinical decision rule (CDR) and highly sensitive d-dimer to identify patients in whom PE can be safely excluded… Continue reading Underuse of Clinical Decision Rules and d-#Dimer in Suspected Pulmonary #Embolism: A Nationwide Survey of the Veterans Administration Health Care System
Comparisons of exacerbations and mortality among regular inhaled therapies for patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis
..Compared with placebo, all drug classes significantly reduced the total exacerbations and moderate to severe exacerbations. ICS/LAMA/LABA was the most efficacious treatment for reducing the exacerbation risk (odds ratio [OR] = 0.57; 95% credible interval [CrI] 0.50–0.64; posterior probability of OR > 1 [P(OR > 1)] < 0.001). In addition, in contrast to the other… Continue reading Comparisons of exacerbations and mortality among regular inhaled therapies for patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis
Clinical presentation, treatment, and short-term outcomes of #lung injury associated with e-cigarettes or #vaping: a prospective observational cohort study
..33 (55%) of 60 were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). 53 (88%) of 60 patients presented with constitutional symptoms, 59 (98%) with respiratory symptoms, and 54 (90%) with gastrointestinal symptoms. 54 (90%) of 60 were given antibiotics and 57 (95%) were given steroids. Six (10%) of 60 patients were readmitted to an ICU… Continue reading Clinical presentation, treatment, and short-term outcomes of #lung injury associated with e-cigarettes or #vaping: a prospective observational cohort study
A Screening Algorithm for Obstructive Sleep #Apnea in #Pregnancy
Obstructive sleep apnea (#OSA) is common in pregnancy and associated with maternal and fetal complications. Early detection of OSA may have important implications for maternal-fetal well-being. A screening tool combining several methods of assessment may better predict OSA among pregnant women compared with tools that rely solely on self-reported information.. Participants’ mean age was 27.4 ± 7.0… Continue reading A Screening Algorithm for Obstructive Sleep #Apnea in #Pregnancy
C-Reactive Protein Testing to Guide Antibiotic Prescribing for #COPD Exacerbations
Point-of-care testing of C-reactive protein (#CRP) may be a way to reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics without harming patients who have acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A lower percentage of patients in the CRP-guided group than in the usual-care group received an antibiotic prescription at the initial consultation (47.7% vs. 69.7%, for… Continue reading C-Reactive Protein Testing to Guide Antibiotic Prescribing for #COPD Exacerbations
#Metoprolol for the Prevention of Acute Exacerbations of #COPD
Observational studies suggest that beta-blockers may reduce the risk of exacerbations and death in patients with moderate or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but these findings have not been confirmed in randomized trials. .. There was no significant between-group difference in the median time until the first exacerbation, which was 202 days in the… Continue reading #Metoprolol for the Prevention of Acute Exacerbations of #COPD
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