2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.

Objective: We provide evidence-based recommendations regarding the treatment of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in adults with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs).

Methods: We developed clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions. A systematic literature review was then performed, and the available evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology.

2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.

Objective: We provide evidence-based recommendations regarding the treatment of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in adults with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs).

Methods: We developed clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions. A systematic literature review was then performed, and the available evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology.

2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Screening and Monitoring of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.

Objective: We provide evidence-based recommendations regarding screening for interstitial lung disease (ILD) and the monitoring for ILD progression in people with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs), specifically rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, mixed connective tissue disease, and Sjögren disease.

Methods: We developed clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions related to screening and monitoring for ILD in patients with SARDs. A systematic literature review was performed, and the available evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology.

2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Screening and Monitoring of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.

Objective: We provide evidence-based recommendations regarding screening for interstitial lung disease (ILD) and the monitoring for ILD progression in people with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs), specifically rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, mixed connective tissue disease, and Sjögren disease.

Methods: We developed clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions related to screening and monitoring for ILD in patients with SARDs. A systematic literature review was performed, and the available evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology.

Nucleated red blood cells, critical illness survivors and postdischarge outcomes: a cohort study.

Background: Little is known about risk factors associated with out-of-hospital outcomes in survivors of critical illness. We hypothesized that the presence of nucleated red blood cells in patients who survived critical care would be associated with adverse outcomes following hospital discharge.

Methods: We performed a two-center observational cohort study of patients treated in medical and surgical intensive care units in Boston, Massachusetts.

Long term mortality in critically ill burn survivors.

Introduction: Little is known about long term survival risk factors in critically ill burn patients who survive hospitalization. We hypothesized that patients with major burns who survive hospitalization would have favorable long term outcomes.

Methods: We performed a two center observational cohort study in 365 critically ill adult burn patients who survived to hospital discharge.

Hypernatremia at Hospital Discharge and Out of Hospital Mortality Following Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Background And Purpose: In patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), it is not clear if hypernatremia is merely a marker of disease severity or if elevated sodium levels are harmful. We hypothesized that hypernatremia at hospital discharge in primary ICH patients would be associated with increased mortality following discharge.

Methods: We performed a two-center observational study of critically ill ICH patients in Boston.

Acute Kidney Injury After Craniotomy Is Associated With Increased Mortality: A Cohort Study.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious postoperative complication.

Objective: To determine whether AKI in patients after craniotomy is associated with heightened 30-day mortality.

Methods: We performed a 2-center, retrospective cohort study of 1656 craniotomy patients who received critical care between 1998 and 2011.

Association between blood alcohol concentration and mortality in critical illness.

Objective: In animal models of renal, intestinal, liver, cardiac, and cerebral ischemia, alcohol exposure is shown to reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury. Inpatient mortality of trauma patients is shown to be decreased in a dose-dependent fashion relative to blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at hospital admission. In this study, we examined the association between BAC at hospital admission and risk of 30-day mortality in critically ill patients.

Association of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Score and Mortality in Trauma Patients With Chronic Liver Disease.

Importance: The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is predictive of trauma outcomes.

Objective: To determine whether a decrease in MELD score is associated with improved mortality in critically ill trauma patients.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We performed a retrospective registry study of critically ill trauma patients 18 years or older with chronic liver disease treated between August 3, 1998, and January 5, 2012, at 2 level I trauma centers in Boston, Massachusetts.

Association between prehospital vitamin D status and incident acute respiratory failure in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: We hypothesise that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels before hospitalisation are associated with increased risk of acute respiratory failure.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Medical and Surgical Intensive care units of two Boston teaching hospitals.

Association between pre-hospital vitamin D status and hospital-acquired new-onset delirium.

The goal of the present study was to determine whether pre-hospital 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels are associated with the risk of hospital-acquired new-onset delirium (HANOD). We performed a retrospective cohort study of 4508 adult inpatients at two teaching hospitals in Boston from 1993 to 2006. All patients had 25(OH)D levels measured before hospital admission.

Increases in pre-hospitalization serum 25(OH)D concentrations are associated with improved 30-day mortality after hospital admission: A cohort study.

Context: Pre-hospital vitamin D status may be a modifiable risk factor for all-cause mortality among hospitalized patients.

Objective: To examine the association between increases in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels during the year before hospitalization and risk of 30-day all-cause mortality after hospital admission.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Derivation and validation of the acute organ failure score to predict outcome in critically ill patients: a cohort study.

Objectives: Prediction models for ICU mortality rely heavily on physiologic variables that may not be available in large retrospective studies. An alternative approach when physiologic variables are absent stratifies mortality risk by acute organ failure classification.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

The association of acute kidney injury in the critically ill and postdischarge outcomes: a cohort study*.

Objective: Hospital readmissions contribute significantly to the cost of inpatient care and are targeted as a marker for quality of care. Little is known about risk factors associated with hospital readmission in survivors of critical illness. We hypothesized that acute kidney injury in patients who survived critical care would be associated with increased risk of 30-day postdischarge hospital readmission, postdischarge mortality, and progression to end-stage renal disease.

Association between prehospital vitamin D status and hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infections.

Objective: To investigate whether preadmission 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels are associated with the risk of hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infection (HACDI).

Materials And Methods: Our retrospective cohort study focused on 568 adult patients from 2 Boston teaching hospitals between August 1993 and November 2006. All patients had 25(OH)D levels measured before hospitalization and were at risk for HACDI (defined as the presence of C difficile toxin A or B in stool samples obtained >48 hours after hospitalization).

The association of red cell distribution width at hospital discharge and out-of-hospital mortality following critical illness*.

Objectives: Red cell distribution width is associated with mortality and bloodstream infection risk in the critically ill. In hospitalized patients with critical illness, it is not known if red cell distribution width can predict subsequent risk of all-cause mortality following hospital discharge. We hypothesized that an increase in red cell distribution width at hospital discharge in patients who survived to discharge following critical care would be associated with increased postdischarge mortality.

Evidence for a U-shaped relationship between prehospital vitamin D status and mortality: a cohort study.

Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the association between prehospital serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]and the risk of mortality after hospital admission.

Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study of adults hospitalized for acute care between 1993 and 2011.

Setting: The study was conducted at two Boston teaching hospitals.

Outcome of recommendations for radiographic follow-up of pneumonia on outpatient chest radiography.

Objective: Follow-up chest radiographs are frequently recommended by radiologists to document the clearing of radiographically suspected pneumonia. However, the clinical utility of follow-up radiography is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of important pulmonary pathology revealed during follow-up imaging of suspected pneumonia on outpatient chest radiography.

Diabetes mellitus and community-acquired bloodstream infections in the critically ill.

Introduction: Community-acquired bloodstream infections have not been studied related to diabetes mellitus in the critically ill.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and poor chronic glycemic control would increase the risk of community-acquired bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs) in the critically ill.

Methods: We performed an observational cohort study between 1998 and 2007 in 2 teaching hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts.

The association between primary language spoken and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients.

Purpose: The study objective was to investigate the association between primary language spoken and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients.

Materials And Methods: We performed a cohort study on 48 581 patients 18 years or older who received critical care between 1997 and 2007 in 2 Boston hospitals. The exposure of interest was primary language spoken determined by the patient or family members who interacted with administrative staff during hospital registration.

Association of low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and sepsis in the critically ill.

Objective: We hypothesized that deficiency in 25-hydroxyvitamin D prior to hospital admission would be associated with sepsis in the critically ill.

Design: Two-center observational study of patients treated in medical and surgical ICUs.

Setting: Two hundred nine medical and surgical intensive care beds in two teaching hospitals in Boston, MA.

Association between prehospital vitamin D status and hospital-acquired bloodstream infections.

Background: Alterations in immune function can predispose patients to nosocomial infections. Few studies have explored potentially modifiable host factors that may improve immune function and decrease risk of hospital-acquired bloodstream infection (HABSI). Vitamin D is a key regulator of innate and adaptive immune systems that may influence host susceptibility to infections.

Pre-hospital vitamin D concentration, mortality, and bloodstream infection in a hospitalized patient population.

Objective: The study objective was to examine the association between pre-hospital serum vitamin D concentration and mortality after hospitalization.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study in 2 tertiary hospitals in Boston, Mass, on 23,603 patients aged ≥18 years in whom 25(OH)D was measured before hospitalization between 1993 and 2010. The main outcome measures were all-cause mortality by day 30 post-hospital admission, in-hospital mortality, and community-acquired bloodstream infection.