Preoperative risk factors predict perioperative allogenic blood transfusion in patients undergoing primary lung cancer resections: a retrospective cohort study from a high-volume thoracic surgery center.

Background: Our study aimed to identify preoperative predictors for perioperative allogenic blood transfusion (ABT) in patients undergoing major lung cancer resections in order to improve the perioperative management of patients at risk for ABT.

Methods: Patients admitted between 2014 and 2016 in a high-volume thoracic surgery clinic were retrospectively evaluated in a cohort study based on a control group without ABT and the ABT group requiring packed red blood cell units within 15 days postoperatively until discharge. The association of ABT with clinically established parameters (sex, preoperative anemia, liver and coagulation function, blood groups, multilobar resections) was analyzed by contingency tables, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and logistic regression analysis, taking into account potential covariates.

Implementation of an internet-based asthma patient education program in primary care: results of a single-arm trial.

Asthma education programs (AEPs) for patients are known to be important to provide skills to effectively manage the disease. We developed an electronic AEP (eAEP) and assessed the extent to which patients with asthma in primary care are capable to use the eAEP and whether asthma knowledge improved after eAEP. A single-arm pilot study was performed between November 2019 and December 2020 in 12 general practices in Upper Bavaria, Germany.

Reduced decline of lung diffusing capacity in COPD patients with diabetes and metformin treatment.

We studied whether in patients with COPD the use of metformin for diabetes treatment was linked to a pattern of lung function decline consistent with the hypothesis of anti-aging effects of metformin. Patients of GOLD grades 1-4 of the COSYCONET cohort with follow-up data of up to 4.5 y were included.

COVID-19 assessment in family practice-A clinical decision rule based on self-rated symptoms and contact history.

The study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of contact history and clinical symptoms and to develop decision rules for ruling-in and ruling-out SARS-CoV-2 infection in family practice. We performed a prospective diagnostic study. Consecutive inclusion of patients coming for COVID-PCR testing to 19 general practices.