The Effects of Obesity in Asthma.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Rising costs and increasing morbidity makes the identification and treatment of high-risk asthma phenotypes important. In this review, we outline the complex relationship between obesity and asthma. RECENT FINDINGS: Studies have confirmed a bi-directional relationship between obesity and asthma. Pathophysiological factors implicated include genetic risk, the effect of diet and microbiome, and obesity-related cytokines. There have been robust, albeit derived, efforts to phenotype this group with distinct clinical presentations based on age of onset of asthma. Unfortunately, the poor performance of biomarkers and traditional lung function testing has impeded diagnosis, phenotyping, and management of the obese asthma patient. There is also a lack of targeted interventions with weight loss showing some benefits. Obesity increases the prevalence of asthma and is associated with worse outcomes. There are unique research and clinical challenges while managing this group of patients.

A prospective clinical evaluation of the effects of intraoperative systemic anticoagulation in patients undergoing arteriovenous fistula surgery.

No standard presently exists for the use of systemic heparin during angioaccess surgery to decrease the incidence of postoperative thrombotic complications. Our objective was to study the effects of intraoperatively administered heparin on 30-day patency and postoperative bleeding complications in patients undergoing autogenous arteriovenous (AV) fistula surgery. A prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled study was performed on 48 patients undergoing AV fistula creation from April 2007 through November 2009. Of the 48 patients, 22 were randomized to the control group and received no heparin. Twenty-six were randomized to receive heparin (75 units/kg intravenously) before clamping of the artery. There was no significant difference in 30-day patency between the heparin and control groups (92% vs. 86%, P = 0.65), respectively. Three patients (12%) developed hematomas in the heparin group compared with one (5%) in the control group; however the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.61). The results suggest that intraoperative administration of heparin has no statistically significant effect on 30-day patency rates or postoperative bleeding complications. Larger trials with longer term follow-up and assessment of maturation rates are needed to determine the effect of intraoperative anticoagulation on these outcomes of arteriovenous fistula surgery.

Cardiogenic Auto-Triggering as a Consequence of Hemoperitoneum.

A 70-year-old woman presented with hemorrhagic shock secondary to hemoperitoneum following a paracentesis. On hospital day 3, she developed respiratory alkalosis and increased respiratory rates observed on the ventilator despite no spontaneous inspiratory effort. Converting to pressure support mode uncovered a cardiogenic oscillatory flow that had been auto-triggering the ventilator. This cardiogenic auto-triggering resolved with large-volume paracentesis. Cardiogenic auto-triggering leads to patient-ventilator dyssynchrony, respiratory alkalosis, lung distension, and difficulty with weaning from the ventilator, and it may be unrecognized in ICUs.

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry. Rationale, Design, and Methods.

Detailed understanding of longitudinal behavior, response to therapy, and applicable biomarkers for interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) is lacking. There is a need for a large multicenter registry that provides researchers and clinicians access to well-characterized data not limited to patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry (PFF-PR) is a database that collects baseline and longitudinal demographic and clinical information about patients with ILDs in the United States. The objective of this study is to describe the patient population, data collection process, and opportunities for retrospective and prospective research with the PFF-PR. Individuals 18 years or older who had ILD diagnosed and who were seen at PFF-PR centers who provided informed consent were eligible to participate. Baseline and longitudinal demographic, spirometric, radiographic, morbidity, and mortality data are recorded into a secure electronic data capture system. Starting in 2016, the PFF-PR has collected data on 2,003 patients at 42 clinical sites in the United States. At the time of enrollment, the mean age of participants was 68 years old. Most (62%) of participants were male, and 58% had a positive smoking history. The mean forced vital capacity was 69% predicted, and the mean diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was 43% predicted. Forty-one percent of patients were using supplemental oxygen, and 39% were on antifibrotic therapy. Reasons for attrition were mostly death or transplant, with low rates of loss to follow-up or withdrawal. The PFF-PR is a large multicenter United States-based registry that provides researchers and clinicians access to well-characterized ILD patient data.

Introduction of Procalcitonin Testing and Antibiotic Utilization for Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

BACKGROUND: The majority of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are triggered by nonbacterial causes, yet most patients receive antibiotics. Treatment guided by procalcitonin (PCT), a sensitive biomarker of bacterial infection, safely decreases antibiotic use in many controlled trials. We evaluated PCT implementation for inpatients with AECOPD at a large academic hospital. METHODS: All patients admitted for AECOPD during the first 6 months of PCT-guided therapy were eligible for inclusion in this retrospective cohort study. Patients with PCT performed were compared with those without PCT. The primary outcome was antibiotic days of therapy (DOT). Secondary outcomes included 30-day readmission and mortality. RESULTS: Of the 238 AECOPD admissions, 73 (31%) had PCT performed. Procalcitonin-tested patients were more likely to meet systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria, require intensive care unit (ICU)-level care, and have a longer length of stay (LOS) compared with those without PCT. Even after adjustment for these factors, PCT-tested patients received more inpatient DOT and there was no difference in total DOT. However, a low PCT value (<0.25 ng/mL) was associated with a 25.5% (P ⩽ .001) decrease in intravenous (IV) antibiotic DOT. Guideline-recommended follow-up testing was rare (12%). Procalcitonin measurement had no effect on 30-day readmission or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In this real-world analysis of inpatients with AECOPD, PCT-guided therapy was poorly adopted by providers and was not associated with a decrease in total antibiotic DOT. However, a low PCT level was associated with a 25.5% decrease in IV antibiotic DOT, suggesting increased comfort stepping down from IV to PO therapy.

Late outcomes of endovascular and open revascularization for nonatherosclerotic renal artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term outcome of endovascular and open treatment for nonatherosclerotic renal artery disease (NARAD). DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Academic institution. PATIENTS: Fifty-five patients (47 women; mean age, 40 years) with NARAD. Underlying disease included Takayasu arteritis in 31 and fibromuscular dysplasia in 24. INTERVENTIONS: Open revascularization and renal artery percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with or without stenting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary, primary assisted, and secondary patency rates; blood pressure; antihypertensive medication requirements; renal function; and mortality. RESULTS: Seventy-nine renal interventions were performed, including 59 aortorenal bypass (16 ex vivo), 3 visceral-renal bypass, 12 endovascular (8 percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and 4 stent placements) procedures, and 5 nephrectomies. There were no in-hospital deaths. During a mean follow-up of 75 months, 1-, 3-, and 5-year primary patency rates for any intervention were 87%, 75%, and 75%, respectively; primary assisted/secondary patency rates were 92%, 86%, and 86%, respectively. Endovascular interventions at 1, 3, and 5 years had primary patency rates of 73%, 49%, and 49%, respectively, and primary assisted/secondary patency rates of 83%, 83%, and 83%, respectively. For open revascularization, 1-, 3-, and 5-year primary patency rates were 91%, 80%, and 80%, respectively; primary assisted/secondary patency rates were 94%, 87%, and 87%, respectively. For both interventions, blood pressure and the number of antihypertensives used were reduced compared with preintervention values (all P < .05). Serum creatinine level and estimated glomerular filtration rate were also improved after revascularization (both P < .05). There were 6 deaths. Five- and 10-year actuarial survival rates were 94% and 78%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular and open management of NARAD confers long-term benefit for blood pressure, renal function, renal artery/graft patency, and survival. Open revascularization results in superior 1- and 5-year outcomes compared with endovascular management and provides the most durable outcome for NARAD.