Comparison between procalcitonin and C-reactive protein to predict blood culture results in ICU patients

Biomarkers represent an essential tool for identification of patients developing infection and to determine their clinical severity. Procalcitonin (PCT) levels appeared to be correlated with the development of severe bacterial... read more

Comparison between procalcitonin and C-reactive protein to predict blood culture results in ICU patients

Alcohol Withdrawal: One Order to Sedate Them All

This is a retrospective cohort study describing 86 admissions to the ICU for alcohol withdrawal between 2011-2015. 86% were treated with benzodiazepines before ICU admission, usually on the general ward. The average dose... read more

Alcohol Withdrawal: One Order to Sedate Them All

Dutch Ambitions on eHealth

Dutch government is encouraging the healthcare sector to expand telehealth (eHealth) services. Dutch government wants eHealth to become more widely available and is encouraging the healthcare sector to develop it further.... read more

Dutch Ambitions on eHealth

Natural History of COPD Exacerbations in a General Practice-based Population with COPD

A large proportion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) do not exacerbate over a maximum 10 years of follow-up. AECOPD frequency in a single year predicts long-term AECOPD rate. Increasing frequency... read more

Natural History of COPD Exacerbations in a General Practice-based Population with COPD

Providing Psychological Support to People in Intensive Care

The Provision Of Psychological support to People in Intensive Care (POPPI) psychological intervention to reduce acute patient stress in critical care and prevent future psychological morbidity was feasible and acceptable.... read more

Providing Psychological Support to People in Intensive Care

Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction in COPD. What We Know and Can Do for Our Patients

Skeletal muscle dysfunction occurs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and affects both ventilatory and nonventilatory muscle groups. It represents a very important comorbidity that is associated... read more

Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction in COPD. What We Know and Can Do for Our Patients

The Elevated Troponin: What else besides ACS could cause troponin elevation?

The increased troponin used to be a straight ticket to the cardiology service. Now, the picture isn't so clear. What do you need to consider in the patient with elevated troponin? Cardiac troponins consist of three proteins:... read more

The Elevated Troponin: What else besides ACS could cause troponin elevation?

At the Root: Defining and Halting Progression of Early COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disorder with varying presentations and progression, but limited disease-modifying therapies. Trajectories of lung function decline in COPD differ significantly... read more

At the Root: Defining and Halting Progression of Early COPD

Management and Outcomes of ARDS Patients With and Without Comorbid Conditions

Half the patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) had major comorbidities, which were associated with severe ARDS, multiple organ dysfunction, and day‑28 mortality. These findings do not support the exclusion... read more

Management and Outcomes of ARDS Patients With and Without Comorbid Conditions

Noninvasive Retinal Analysis for Cardiovascular Profiling of Patients with COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disease with many patients suffering from cardiovascular comorbidity. However, cardiovascular diseases remain often undiagnosed in COPD. Assessment of the retinal... read more

Noninvasive Retinal Analysis for Cardiovascular Profiling of Patients with COPD

Lack of association between airflow limitation and recurrence of venous thromboembolism among cancer patients with pulmonary embolism

The presence of airflow limitation did not increase the risk of VTE recurrence in cancer patients with PE. Prospective studies are needed to validate this finding. Among 401 cancer patients with newly diagnosed PE, spirometry-based... read more

Lack of association between airflow limitation and recurrence of venous thromboembolism among cancer patients with pulmonary embolism

Resuscitation of Pulmonary Hypertension and RV Failure

A guide to the initial emergency department management of patients with pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure. It is very rare for my to write about pathophysiology, but understanding the pathophysiology of... read more

Resuscitation of Pulmonary Hypertension and RV Failure

New Approach Developed for Diagnosing COPD

Primary care clinicians may soon be able to provide an early diagnosis for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, using a new method. According to researchers, patients with COPD can be diagnosed with the help of... read more

New Approach Developed for Diagnosing COPD

The Life Cycle of Intensive Care Survivors

I started the Intensive care follow-up clinic to try to make sense of my work with critical patients and get feedback from their physical recovery. Over time, I verified that the patients presented not only physical effects,... read more

The Life Cycle of Intensive Care Survivors

Noninvasive Ventilation in Hypercapnic COPD

Recently, Murphy and colleagues reported findings from a clinical trial designed to evaluate the effect of home noninvasive ventilation (NIV) with oxygen on time to readmission or death in patients with persistent hypercapnia... read more

Noninvasive Ventilation in Hypercapnic COPD

Inspiratory Muscle Training Does Not Improve Clinical Outcomes in 3-week COPD Rehabilitation

The value of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unclear. The RIMTCORE (Routine Inspiratory Muscle Training within COPD Rehabilitation) randomised... read more

Inspiratory Muscle Training Does Not Improve Clinical Outcomes in 3-week COPD Rehabilitation

Differential Diagnosis Between Newly Diagnosed Asthma and COPD Using EBC Metabolomics

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are heterogeneous diseases with high pathological burden and healthcare costs. In the outpatient clinical practice, an accurate differential diagnosis is often very... read more

Differential Diagnosis Between Newly Diagnosed Asthma and COPD Using EBC Metabolomics

Human Airway Branch Variation and COPD

Susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) beyond cigarette smoking is incompletely understood, although several genetic variants associated with COPD are known to regulate airway branch development. We... read more

Human Airway Branch Variation and COPD

The Fallacy of Time-to-Intervention Studies

We are barraged by time-to-intervention studies (door-to-balloon time, time-to-antibiotics, door-to-needle, etc.). However, it must be kept in mind that these studies are purely correlational in design. Such studies cannot... read more

The Fallacy of Time-to-Intervention Studies

TAC on Computed Tomography and the Risk of COPD Progression

Total Airway Count (TAC) may reflect the airway-related disease changes that accumulate in the “quiet” zone in early/mild Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), indicating that TAC acquired with commercially available... read more

TAC on Computed Tomography and the Risk of COPD Progression

Intensive Care Syndrome: Promoting Independence and Return to Employment (InS:PIRE)

Many patients suffer significant physical, social and psychological problems in the months and years following critical care discharge. At present, there is minimal evidence of any effective interventions to support this... read more

Intensive Care Syndrome: Promoting Independence and Return to Employment (InS:PIRE)