Incidental Pulmonary Nodules and Lung Cancer Screening.

Incidental nodules and lung cancer screening nodules are causes of concern and anxiety for the patients. Both these require diligent follow up according to their respective guidelines.

Exploring the effects of racial and socioeconomic factors on timeliness of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment in Baltimore Veterans.

Objectives: To characterize the effect of racial and socioeconomic factors on the timeliness of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment in a single-center Veterans Affair Medical Center (VAMC) pulmonary nodule clinic.

Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective review of all patients seen at the Baltimore VAMC pulmonary nodule clinic between 2013 and 2019 to identify key demographic factors, measures of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, cancer staging and histopathologic information, and time elapsed between diagnosis and treatment. We excluded patients with pulmonary nodules undergoing active surveillance, prior history of lung cancer, metastases of a different primary origin, insufficient followup, or who had received care outside the VHA system.

Military exposures and lung cancer in United States Veterans.

Lung cancer screening begins at age 50, with yearly low dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans until age 80, for patients determined to be high risk due to tobacco smoking. Veterans serving from World War II to the Gulf War are now at the age where LDCT is recommended. This recommendation from the United States Preventative Service Task Force includes patients who have a 20-pack year tobacco history and currently smoke or quit within the last 15 years.

Spirometry testing for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) bridge to transplant patients.

Purpose: ECMO can provide a bridge to transplantation and improve survival for patients with advanced lung disease. Although pulmonary function testing (PFT) is an important component of the lung allocation score (LAS), it is not always feasible on patients requiring ECMO. While generally safe, PFT testing has contraindications and is not recommended in unstable patients.

The Effect of Chaplain Patient Navigators and Multidisciplinary Family Meetings on Patient Outcomes in the ICU: The Critical Care Collaboration and Communication Project.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a chaplain patient navigator in improving outcomes and reducing costs in the ICU setting.

Design: A randomized controlled trial at a large, urban, academic community hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Setting/patients: All patients admitted to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Cardiac and Medical ICUs between March 2015 and December 2015.

A mixed-methods exploration of faith, spirituality, and health program interest among older African Americans with HIV.

Background: Persons living with HIV (PLWH) are living into old age with more complex care needs that non-PLWH. Promoting quality of life should include advance care planning (ACP) education, particularly among African Americans. We explored faith/spirituality-related correlates of interest in a future quality of life program among African American PLWH.

The Association Between Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Readmissions for Patients Hospitalized With Sepsis.

Objectives: To evaluate associations between a readily availvable composite measurement of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage (the area deprivation index) and 30-day readmissions for patients who were previously hospitalized with sepsis.

Design: A retrospective study.

Setting: An urban, academic medical institution.

Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Manifesting as a Symptomatic Sellar Mass in a Young Woman.

A pituitary mass is a rare and poorly understood complication of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). Here we describe the case of a young woman with GPA who presented with signs and symptoms initially suggestive of meningitis but was ultimately found to have hypopituitarism and an enlarging sellar mass. She underwent transsphenoidal biopsy, which revealed an abundance of sterile inflammation and necrosis consistent with GPA-related inflammation.