Articles related to PULMONARY DISTRESS

Uncover vital insights about supplemental oxygen use, demystify misconceptions, and learn best practices for managing respiratory diseases. Good day, physicians. Let’s talk about the controversial issue of supplemental oxygen use, frequently discussed by patients, clinicians, advocacy groups, and even politicians. In this summary, we’ll untangle misconceptions and illuminate best practices. To start with, the body’s oxygen utilization depends on three things: lung function, heart efficiency, and muscle oxygen use. These factors can improve with exercise, but worsen with inactivity. Remember, exercise matters. Why does oxygen matter? For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis (PF), or pulmonary hypertension (PH), impaired oxygenation can lead to hypoxemia and hypoxia. Hence, supplemental oxygen becomes a necessity. How do we assess oxygen levels? Two tests can be employed: arterial blood gas (ABG) or pulse oximetry. Normal partial pressure of oxygen, as per ABG, is around 75-100 mmHg, and a drop below 60 necessitates supplemental oxygen. Oxygen saturation, measurable via either test, should ideally be 95% or above, and values dropping to 90 or below indicate the need for supplemental oxygen. Now, let’s dispel some myths. Shortness of breath doesn’t always equate to hypoxia. A patient can experience breathlessness even with normal oxygen […]

Are the findings a result of bacterial endocarditis? Resurgent sarcoidosis? An opportunistic fungal pulmonary invasion? Review the workup and cast your vote on what you think the diagnosis is.

In the US, reports of COVID-related clots have declined. But social media posts in the UK indicate a rise there – and typically what the UK reports is a harbinger of what is coming to the US.

In a randomized study involving 750 ICU patient on mechanical ventilation, minimizing sedation and employing daily physiotherapy did not yield better outcomes vs. standard care – but did increase the number of adverse events.

This study of 2,500 adults receiving mechanical ventilation randomized 1/3 were assigned to an exigent saturation target pf 90%, 1/3 to a target of 94%, and 1/3 to a target of 98%. The median number of ventilator-free days was 20, 21, and 21 for the three target groups, respectively. In-hospital death by day 28 was 34.8%, 34.0%, and 33.2% for the three groups, respectively.