Parents' approval of their children playing high-risk sports.

Sport concussions can have deleterious effects on the health of children. Despite the high risk of concussions for certain sports, previous research indicates many parents would let their children play these sports. Understanding which high-risk sports parents will let their children play, and why parents let them play high-risk sports is critical to understanding how best to educate parents about concussion risk and its consequences.

Operationalizing the New Global Definition of ARDS: A Retrospective Cohort Study From South Africa.

Background: A proposed new global definition of ARDS seeks to update the Berlin definition and account for nonintubated ARDS and ARDS diagnoses in resource-variable settings.

Research Question: How do ARDS epidemiologic characteristics change with operationalizing the new global definition of ARDS in a resource-limited setting?

Study Design And Methods: We performed a real-use retrospective cohort study among adult patients meeting criteria for the Berlin definition of ARDS or the global definition of ARDS at ICU admission in two public hospitals in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, South Africa, from January 2017 through June 2022.

Results: Among 5,760 adults (aged ≥ 18 years) admitted to the ICU, 2,027 patients (35.

Computational deconvolution of cell type-specific gene expression in COPD and IPF lungs reveals disease severity associations.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are debilitating diseases associated with divergent histopathological changes in the lungs. At present, due to cost and technical limitations, profiling cell types is not practical in large epidemiology cohorts (n > 1000). Here, we used computational deconvolution to identify cell types in COPD and IPF lungs whose abundances and cell type-specific gene expression are associated with disease diagnosis and severity.

Run-in periods and treatment outcomes in asthma trials: A narrative review.

Background: The run-in period is an important element of randomized controlled trials, and is often used in respiratory disease trials. The design of the run-in period can greatly impact results and data interpretation, and as such should be designed carefully.

Methods: In this review, we describe the design of run-in periods across six phase 3A trials of triple therapy in asthma, and discuss how differences in run-in period design (specifically the duration, treatment, and reporting of run-in results) may have the potential to alter the interpretation of study outcomes.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients With COPD and Comorbid Depression and Anxiety: Data From a National Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background: Most studies on mental health among individuals with COPD utilize screening questionnaires, which detect psychiatric symptoms, but cannot be used to diagnose depression/anxiety disorders. We utilized the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) to identify depression/anxiety disorders meeting DSM-V diagnostic criteria and described associated disease burden in people with COPD.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of a multi-center study designed to evaluate anxiety questionnaires in COPD patients.

International cross-sectional survey on current and updated definitions of intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome.

Background: The Abdominal Compartment Society (WSACS) established consensus definitions and recommendations for the management of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) in 2006, and they were last updated in 2013. The WSACS conducted an international survey between 2022 and 2023 to seek the agreement of healthcare practitioners (HCPs) worldwide on current and new candidate statements that may be used for future guidelines.

Methods: A self-administered, online cross-sectional survey was conducted under the auspices of the WSACS to assess the level of agreement among HCPs over current and new candidate statements.

Estimating rate of lung function change using clinical spirometry data.

Rationale: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), accurately estimating lung function from electronic health record (EHR) data would be beneficial but requires addressing complexities in clinically obtained testing. This study compared analytic methods for estimating rate of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV) change from EHR data.

Methods: We estimated rate of FEV change in patients with COPD from a single centre who had ≥3 outpatient tests spanning at least 1 year.

The Association Between Air Pollution and Lung Function in Sarcoidosis and Implications for Health Disparities.

Background: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease with varying courses of disease progression. Environmental exposures are thought to be contributors to disease onset. Exposure to air pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) have been identified as contributors to health disparities in lung diseases; little is known about these environmental exposures' associations with disease outcomes in sarcoidosis.

Fluid management in the septic peri-operative patient.

Purpose Of Review: This review provides insight into recent clinical studies involving septic peri-operative patients and highlights gaps in understanding fluid management. The aim is to enhance the understanding of safe fluid resuscitation to optimize peri-operative outcomes and reduce complications.

Recent Findings: Recent research shows adverse surgical and clinical outcomes with both under- and over-hydration of peri-operative patients.

An Introduction to Ventra: A Programmable Abdominal Phantom for Training, Educational, Research, and Development Purposes.

Background: Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is a critical parameter in the care of critically ill patients, as elevated IAP can lead to reduced cardiac output and organ perfusion, potentially resulting in multiple organ dysfunction and failure. The current gold standard for measuring IAP is an indirect technique via the bladder. According to the Abdominal Compartment Society's Guidelines, new measurement methods/devices for IAP must be validated against the gold standard.

Treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed COPD in the USA.

Background: Prompt and effective management with maintenance therapy (single or dual bronchodilator therapy) is recommended after the initial diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to maintain lung function and prevent exacerbations. Contrary to guideline-based recommendations, most patients are not prescribed maintenance treatment at initial diagnosis. The current study assessed the pharmacologic treatment patterns and outcomes of newly diagnosed patients with COPD in the USA.

Impact of COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout on Mental Health, Social Determinants of Health, and Attitudes Among Individuals With COPD.

Background: Social distancing early in the COVID-19 pandemic helped mitigate viral spread and protect vulnerable populations. Broad availability of vaccines allowed social re-integration, but effects on mental health, social determinants of health, and attitudes among individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who are high risk for adverse outcomes following COVID-19 infection, are unknown.

Methods: Participants in the Losartan Effects on Emphysema Progression trial were recruited into an ancillary study from May to November 2020.

Fluid accumulation syndrome in sepsis and septic shock: pathophysiology, relevance and treatment-a comprehensive review.

In this review, we aimed to comprehensively summarize current literature on pathophysiology, relevance, diagnosis and treatment of fluid accumulation in patients with sepsis/septic shock. Fluid accumulation syndrome (FAS) is defined as fluid accumulation (any degree, expressed as percentage from baseline body weight) with new onset organ-failure. Over the years, many studies have described the negative impact of FAS on clinically relevant outcomes.

Elevated Metal Levels in U.S. Honeys: Is There a Concern for Human Health?

Honey is a bioactive food used for millennia to improve health and treat diseases. More recently, researchers employ honey as a tool to assess local environmental pollution. Honeybees effectively 'sample' their environment within a ~ 7 km radius, actively collecting nectar, pollen, and water to bring to their hive.

Prostate volume: does it predict patient outcomes following prostate artery embolisation? A retrospective cohort study.

Prostate artery embolisation (PAE) is a minimally invasive procedure commonly performed to treat lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) is a validated patient questionnaire quantifying LUTS and is used for patient selection for PAE, but it is largely subjective. Prostate volume is an easily estimated objective parameter across multiple imaging modalities.

Changes of brain parenchyma free water fraction reflect tissue damage and impaired processing speed in multiple sclerosis.

Free water fraction (FWF) represents the amount of water per unit volume of brain parenchyma, which is not bound to macromolecules. Its excess in multiple sclerosis (MS) is related to increased tissue loss. The use of mcDESPOT (multicomponent driven single pulse observation of T1 and T2), a 3D imaging method which exploits both the T1 and T2 contrasts, allows FWF to be derived in clinically feasible times.

Impact of Clinical Characteristics and Biomarkers on Asthma Impairment and Risk Questionnaire Exacerbation Prediction Ability.

Background: Complex models combining impairment-based control assessments with clinical characteristics and biomarkers have been developed to predict asthma exacerbations. The composite Asthma Impairment and Risk Questionnaire (AIRQ) with adjustments for demographics (age, sex, race, and body mass index) predicts 12-month exacerbation occurrence similarly to these more complex models.

Objective: To examine whether AIRQ exacerbation prediction is enhanced when models are adjusted for a wider range of clinical characteristics and biomarkers.