Multifocal Pulmonary Opacities in an Elderly Smoker.

Organizing pneumonia (OP) directly caused by ongoing cigarette smoking does not appear to have been previously described. Despite OP having pathophysiological features distinct from lung cancer, the two may be confused based on similar clinical, radiological, and histopathological findings. This distinction is further clouded by the dynamic nature of these diseases.

Battlefield mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A scoping review.

Background: Casualties of military conflicts suffer a multitude of injuries, and recent research has documented a significant number develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The present study undertakes a scoping review of research on the treatment of ARDS in combat casualties near the battlefield.

Methods: We review the extent of the current ARDS care, from intubation and mechanical ventilation (MV) to the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and how the respective echelons of care across the Military Health System (MHS) are involved in the care of these patients.

Characterizing the Asthma Phenotype of Military Personnel.

Introduction: Asthma is the most common diagnosis in military personnel who endorse chronic dyspnea. Service members have unique occupational risk factors, and there is concern that airborne exposures in the deployed environment as well as other occupational exposures may contribute to the development of asthma or exacerbate pre-existing disease. Asthma phenotyping with clinical biomarkers such as serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and eosinophil (EOS) counts is useful in defining treatment strategies for the management of asthma.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Cytology of Deployed Military Personnel With Chronic Respiratory Symptoms From the STAMPEDE III Study.

Introduction: Deployed military personnel may be at risk for developing acute and chronic lung disease. Prior studies of this patient population have revealed that unexplained exertional dyspnea is the most common diagnosis despite an extensive evaluation. There is a concern that an occult disorder may be affecting this population.

Correlation of Impulse Oscillometry with Spirometry in Deployed Military Personnel with Airway Obstruction.

Introduction: Evaluation of chronic respiratory symptoms in deployed military personnel has been conducted at Brooke Army Medical Center as part of the Study of Active Duty Military for Pulmonary Disease Related to Environmental Deployment Exposures III study. Although asthma and airway hyperreactivity have been the most common diagnoses, the clinical findings in these patients may be multifactorial. This study aims to evaluate the utility of impulse oscillometry (IOS) in diagnosing airway obstruction in patients undergoing multiple pulmonary function testing (PFT) studies.

A Case of Heyde's Syndrome With Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis.

Heyde's syndrome is a constellation of severe aortic stenosis, gastrointestinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), and an acquired von Willebrand type 2A coagulopathy resulting in moderate-to-severe gastrointestinal bleeding. Additional cardiac lesions have been observed to cause Heyde's syndrome including aortic regurgitation, mitral regurgitation, aortic/mitral valve prosthetic dysfunction, ventricular septal defects, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, left ventricular assist devices, and extracorporeal life support devices. Repairing the cardiac lesion or removing the device decreases the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding by normalizing the acquired von Willebrand coagulopathy and decreasing the amount of gastrointestinal AVMs likely to bleed.

The Effect of Deployment on Pulmonary Function in Military Personnel With Asthma.

Introduction: Military personnel with a diagnosis of asthma report increased respiratory symptoms in the deployment and post-deployment periods. The long-term effect of deployment on pulmonary function in this population is unknown. This study sought to determine the effect of deployment on post-deployment pulmonary function in active duty military personnel with asthma.