CHEST Physician
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Gen Z is hooked on vaping
Pulmonologist Evan Stepp, MD, FCCP, has a teenage daughter who doesn’t smoke or vape – as far as he knows, Stepp will admit – but the statistics on youth smoking are alarming enough to have him worried. On one hand, fewer Americans are smoking today than ever before. Since 1992, the percentage of people who…
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ILD: Time lost is lung lost
First launched in 2022 in partnership with Three Lakes Foundation, Bridging Specialties™: Timely Diagnosis for ILD is a collaborative initiative hinged on bringing together pulmonary and primary care experts. To shorten the time to diagnosis for interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) like pulmonary fibrosis, the initiative illustrates that there is a need for clinicians to work…
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Sedative use in older adults after critical illness
Patients admitted to ICUs require modifications to their medication regimen due to their critical illness and rapidly changing clinical status. Modifications to medication regimens may include stopping home medications for chronic conditions, dose adjustments for altered organ function, or initiating new treatments for acute illness(es). Common examples of changes to a critically ill patient’s medication…
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Update on seasonal flu, RSV infections, and vaccines
November 12 marks World Pneumonia Day, and while it has long been recognized that viruses play a significant role in causing pneumonia, awareness has surged due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, with the advent of rapid molecular diagnostics, the contribution of respiratory viral pathogens in pneumonia has become clearer (Seema J, et al. N Engl…
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The crucial roles of inpatient vaccinations in preventing respiratory viral illnesses
In recent years, the importance of inpatient vaccinations against respiratory viral illnesses has become increasingly clear. As the world grapples with the ever-present threat of contagious diseases like influenza, COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and other respiratory viruses, the significance of vaccinating individuals during hospital stays cannot be overstated. Notably, the rates of inpatient vaccinations…
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525,600 minutes… How does one measure a year as President?
As we find ourselves in November, on the heels of yet another exceptional CHEST Annual Meeting, I cannot help but use my last column as CHEST President to reflect on a year well spent. For the first time since CHEST 2011, when I was the Scientific Program Committee Vice Chair, I was able to return…
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New pharmacological interventions for residual excessive daytime sleepiness in OSA
Residual excessive daytime sleepiness (REDS) is defined as the urge to sleep during the day despite an intention to remain alert after optimal treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This is a distressing outcome with an estimated prevalence of 9% to 22% among patients with OSA (Pépin JL, et al. Eur Respir J. 2009;33[5]:1062). The…
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Updated pleural disease guidelines from the British Thoracic Society
After more than a decade, the British Thoracic Society (BTS) released updated guidelines for pleural disease (Roberts ME , et al. Thorax 2023; 78, s1-s42). Their focus includes spontaneous pneumothorax, undiagnosed unilateral pleural effusion, pleural infections, and malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Separate statements for pleural procedures (Asciak R et al. Thorax. 2023;78:s43-s68) and pleural mesothelioma…
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CHEST Advocates raises awareness against tobacco use
“Ew, gross.” “Um, no way.” “Of course not.” Earlier this summer, I partnered with Dr. Melissa Keene, the medical director of a federally qualified health center in southwest Virginia, to talk about tobacco with middle school students. A few minutes after our arrival, it was clear to us that cigarettes weren’t cool anymore. We asked…
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CHEST launches sepsis resources in partnership with the CDC
Earlier this year, CHEST released new clinical resources on sepsis and antibiotic stewardship developed by the Sepsis Resources Steering Committee with grant support from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The resources – including infographics, videos, podcasts, and research commentaries – aim to help clinicians increase their knowledge of sepsis prevention and…
