Effect of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia prophylaxis on hematologic toxicity in patients receiving chemoradiation for primary brain tumors.

Purpose: Diffuse gliomas are managed with radiation and temozolomide; however, this therapy often results in hematologic toxicities. Patients undergoing chemoradiation also risk contracting Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP), and frequently receive prophylaxis against PJP during treatment. Independent of chemoradiation, some PJP prophylaxis drugs have the potential to cause myelosuppression, which could require cessation of chemotherapy.

Neck Flexion Strength as a Predictor of Need for Intubation in Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Objectives: Respiratory failure in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is common. Forced vital capacity (FVC) is the gold standard for monitoring respiratory muscle strength in GBS. In some clinical situations, FVC testing could be delayed or unavailable, thus there is a need for accurate, fast, and device-free bedside respiratory evaluation.