LATEST PICKS from PulmCCM.org
New lung cancer prediction tool promises better use of screening CT (NEJM)
New Prediction Model Selects Best Lung Cancer Screening Candidates In the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), screening for lung cancer with low-dose chest CT scans resulted in a 20% reduction in death from lung cancer. The consumer-serving American Lung Association recommended that older people with heavy smoking histories should get lung cancer screening; leading professional societies [... read more]
Staph vaccine fails in cardiothoracic surgery patients (JAMA)
Staph Vaccine Fails in Cardiothoracic Surgery Patients Staphyloccocus aureus wound infections and bacteremia commonly complicate cardiothoracic surgery, even with meticulous attention to infection prevention. Staph mediastinitis, a deep infection of the surgical wound, is particularly feared and lethal. Vance Fowler et al randomized 8,031 people undergoing sternotomy to receive the V710 vaccine against S. aureus, [... read more]
Taking Apixaban (Eliquis) after completing Coumadin prevents recurrent DVT/PE (NEJM)
Apixaban (Eliquis) Prevents Recurrent DVT-PE Long-Term People with unprovoked venous thromboembolic disease (pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis, or DVT) are at high risk for recurrence, and current ACCP guidelines advise consideration of “indefinite” anticoagulation. Warfarin (Coumadin) is a wonder drug efficacy-wise, reducing the risk of pulmonary embolism and deep venous thrombosis by ~90%. However, [... read more]
FDA approves Breo Ellipta, a new once-daily COPD inhaler treatment
FDA Approves Breo Ellipta, Once-Daily LABA/ICS for COPD The FDA approved the new drug Breo Ellipta as a once-daily inhaled therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Breo Ellipta includes the corticosteroid fluticasone, and vilanterol — a once-daily long acting beta agonist — in a combination dry powder inhaler. This was the FDA’s first approval [... read more]
Killer carbapenem-resistant bacteria spreading through LTACs
Killer Carbapenem-Resistant Bacteria Spreading Across U.S. Gut-living bacteria like Klebsiella are gaining resistance to carbapenems at an alarming rate, and long-term acute care hospitals (LTACs) and nursing homes seem to be the incubators for these killer bugs spreading across the U.S. Carbapenems like meropenem and doripenem have been the gold standard to treat infections from [... read more]
Allowing families to witness CPR had positive effects (RCT, NEJM)
Families Allowed to Witness CPR Felt Better, Had Fewer Regrets Should family members be allowed, or even encouraged, to witness the health care team’s attempts to revive their family member with CPR after a cardiac arrest? In the interests of openness and transparency, many have argued “yes,” with the thought that witnessing the heroic efforts [... read more]
Pulse oximetry as time machine: Lag times confuse doctors, complicate intubations (EMCrit)
image: wikimedia Pulse Oximetry: The 30-Second Time Machine Why does it seem to take so long to re-oxygenate your crashing patient? Because your pulse oximeter is lying to you, no matter how good it is. Telescopes show us how a star looked millions or billions of years ago; pulse oximeters create a similar, though tiny [... read more]
Using procalcitonin to guide antibiotics for pneumonia (JAMA)
Use of Procalcitonin to Reduce Unnecessary Antibiotics by Blair Westerly, MD Acute respiratory tract infections have a wide range of disease severity and the use of antibiotics for self-limited infections contributes to antibiotic overuse and antimicrobial resistance, though we have all probably been guilty of it a time or two when we just weren’t sure [... read more]