Optimizing care in early phase cancer trials: The role of palliative care.

Advancements in cancer treatment have led to improved survival rates, with early phase clinical trials (EPCTs) serving as important initial steps in evaluating novel therapies. Recent studies have shown that response rates in these trials have doubled in the last twenty years. Patients who enroll on EPCTs have advanced cancer and heightened symptomatology yet maintain a robust performance status that qualifies them for clinical trial participation.

Can echocardiographically estimated pulmonary arterial elastance be a non-invasive predictor of pulmonary vascular resistance?

Introduction: Measurement of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is essential in evaluating a patient with pulmonary hypertension.

Material And Methods: Data from right heart catheterization (RHC) and echocardiograms performed within 90 days of each other on 45 non-consecutive adult patients were reviewed in this retrospective study. Patients were recruited using an assortment of strategies to ensure the presence of patients with a wide range of PVR.

Operationalizing the internal medicine milestones-an early status report.

Background: The internal medicine milestones were developed to advance outcomes-based residency training and will play an important role in the next accreditation system.

Innovation: As an element of our program's participation in the internal medicine educational innovations project, we implemented a milestones-based evaluation process in our general medicine and pulmonary-critical care rotations on July 1, 2010.

Measures: Outcomes assessed included survey-rated acceptability to participating faculty, residents, and clinical competency committee members.

Dual stent migration to the heart and pulmonary artery.

The practice of intravascular stenting largely grew out of the concept of stenting the coronaries in acute myocardial infarction. According to the recent United States Renal Data System data registry, there has been a significant increase in endovascular intervention (1.8-fold increase-from 52,380 to 98,148) with a 2.

Management of massive and nonmassive pulmonary embolism.

Massive pulmonary embolism (PE) is characterized by systemic hypotension (defined as a systolic arterial pressure < 90 mm Hg or a drop in systolic arterial pressure of at least 40 mm Hg for at least 15 min which is not caused by new onset arrhythmias) or shock (manifested by evidence of tissue hypoperfusion and hypoxia, including an altered level of consciousness, oliguria, or cool, clammy extremities). Massive pulmonary embolism has a high mortality rate despite advances in diagnosis and therapy. A subgroup of patients with nonmassive PE who are hemodynamically stable but with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction or hypokinesis confirmed by echocardiography is classified as submassive PE.

Management of massive and submassive pulmonary embolism.

Massive pulmonary embolism has a high mortality rate despite advances in diagnosis and therapy. This article attempts to review the evidence-based risk stratification, diagnosis, initial stabilization, and management of massive and submassive pulmonary embolism.

Amiodarone induced pulmonary toxicity: An unusual response to steroids.

Background: Amiodarone, class III anti-arrhythmic was originally introduced to treat angina pectoris, was later approved by FDA in 1985 for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias. Despite its anti-arrhythmic properties, amiodarone is associated with side effects such as thyroid dysfunction, corneal deposits, bluish skin discoloration, neuropathy and pulmonary toxicity. Amiodarone induced pulmonary toxicity (AIPT) is one of the most serious side effect thus limiting its use.

The care transitions intervention: translating from efficacy to effectiveness.

Background: Well-executed communication among hospital providers, patients, and receiving providers at the time of hospital discharge contributes to better health outcomes and lower overall health care costs. The Care Transitions Intervention has reduced 30-day hospital readmissions by 30% in a randomized controlled trial in an integrated health system but requires real-world testing to establish effectiveness in other settings. We hypothesized that coaching would reduce 30-day readmission rates for fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, even in open, urban health care delivery systems.

Asking the right questions: developing evidence-based strategies for treating HIV in women and children.

In July 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued formal revisions of its guidelines on the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy for HIV. The new guidelines greatly expand eligibility for treatment of adults and children, as well as for pregnant women seeking prophylaxis for vertical HIV transmission. WHO's new recommendations bring the guidelines closer to practices in developed countries, and its shift to earlier treatment alone will increase the number of treatment-eligible people by 50% or more.

Hemoptysis in a patient with tracheopathia osteochondroplasia.

Tracheopathia osteochondroplasia is a rare slowly progressive benign disease of unknown etiology characterized by submucosal nodules protruding in the airway. Most patients are asymptomatic but with progression of disease, symptoms of cough, hemoptysis, dyspnea, wheezing, hoarseness, and rarely airway compromise have been reported. Management is symptomatic with control of cough, prophylaxis with antibiotics, and rarely surgery.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: evaluation and management.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis consists of a group of diseases resulting from inhalation of organic particles causing an immunopathological reaction of the lungs in susceptible individuals. The diagnosis requires a detailed and careful history that would include social, environmental, and occupational status, pulmonary function tests, serum precipitins, bronchoalveolar lavage, imaging, and lung biopsy. Early recognition and avoidance of the causative agent is important although the use of corticosteroids hastens improvement of symptoms.

Hemoptysis: diagnosis and treatment.

Hemoptysis is the expectoration of blood or blood tinged sputum from the bronchi, larynx, trachea or lungs. The etiology of hemoptysis is best categorized from the various system or site of bleeding. The management of hemoptysis begins with an initial assessment of gas exchange and hemodynamic stability followed by an identification of the cause by means of fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and chest imaging studies to attain cessation of bleeding and to prevent future recurrence.

Evaluation and management of cough.

Cough is the most common complaint for which patients seek outpatient medical attention. Usually a minor irritant, it can occasionally be caused by a serious underlying process, and healthcare providers should be diligent in their evaluation. Symptom duration and the particular response to treatment options help identify the etiology of the cough.

Prevalence of use of cardiovascular drugs in 499 patients with suspected coronary artery disease at time of hospitalization for coronary angiography and in 357 patients with obstructive coronary artery disease documented by coronary angiography.

In a prospective study of 499 patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) hospitalized for coronary angiography, the prevalence of use of cardiovascular drugs at hospital admission was 80% for antiplatelet drugs, 66% for beta blockers, 55% for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), 65% for lipid-lowering drugs, 24% for calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and 16% for nitrates. In 357 patients with obstructive CAD diagnosed by coronary angiography, the prevalence of use of these drugs at hospital discharge was 100% for antiplatelet drugs, 97% for beta blockers, 91% for ACE inhibitors or ARBs, 98% for lipid-lowering drugs, 17% for CCBs, and 27% for nitrates. Obstructive CAD was significantly more prevalent in men (P < 0.

Association of lung volumes with nocturnal oxygen saturation in obese persons: a possible role for therapeutic continuous positive airway pressure.

We investigated the association among obesity, nocturnal oxygen saturation, and pulmonary function in 31 obese women and 17 obese men scheduled for bariatric surgery who underwent nocturnal polysomnography and pulmonary function testing. Pearson correlation coefficients showed a significant association between expiratory reserve volume percent and average oxygen saturation (P = 0.027), between body mass index and lowest oxygen saturation (P = 0.

A continuum-based outcome approach to measuring performance in HIV/AIDS case management.

This methods paper is third in a series addressing client outcomes in HIV/AIDS case management. After introducing earlier work the authors outline their effort to consolidate numerous discrete outcome measures and to establish each outcome indicator along a continuum scale that can be self-abstracted by HIV/AIDS service providers. The paper includes in-depth discussion of challenges and benefits derived from this type of outcome measurement process.