Improving Screening for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency with Direct Testing in the Pulmonary Function Testing Laboratory.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a common but highly underdiagnosed genetic disorder that may lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, and liver disease. Early diagnosis is key to altering the course of disease as well as informing family members of potential risk. This randomized, prospective observational study compares the different testing modalities for AATD testing of at-risk patients initiated in the pulmonary function testing (PFT) laboratory.

Urgent Creation of a Palliative Care Team in a Small Hospital During the COVID Crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a global health emergency that has changed the practice of medicine and has shown the need for palliative care as an essential element of hospital care. In our small South Florida hospital, a palliative care service was created to support the frontline caregivers. Thanks to the hospital support, our team was formed rapidly.

Feasibility of shortening respiratory isolation with a single sputum nucleic acid amplification test.

Rationale: Serial smear analysis to guide respiratory isolation (RI) of patients with suspected tuberculosis (TB), the majority of whom will be found not to have TB, leads to expensive and unnecessary isolation, and may potentially result in decreased vigilance of subjects with respiratory compromise.

Objectives: To compare the performance of a single first-sputum, Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific nucleic acid amplification (NAA) test with three sputum smears for assessing the need for RI.

Methods: Prospective evaluation of 493 patients with suspected TB (74% HIV positive) admitted to RI in a major county hospital in the United States, who had at least three sputum smears and material available from the first sample for additional NAA testing.