Respiratory Tract Diseases Commons^™

Hemoptysis And Shock From A Proximal Bronchial Artery Aneurysm Successfully Treated With Endovascular Embolization, Gautham Raghuthaman, Charmi Mehta, Tamer Hudali

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

Background: Bronchial artery aneurysm (BAA) is a rare vascular abnormality and an uncommon cause of hemoptysis. Although many BAAs are asymptomatic, rupture can result in life-threatening hemorrhage and shock. Proximal BAAs arising near the bronchial artery origin are particularly rare and may be underrecognized due to nonspecific clinical and radiographic findings.

Case Presentation: Patient is a 49-year-old male with a history of pituitary tumor resection complicated by secondary adrenal insufficiency and hypothyroidism presented with three days of cough, fatigue, and hemoptysis. He was hypotensive and hypoxic on arrival and required vasopressor support with stress-dose corticosteroids. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) of …

Challenges Of Thrombectomy In Submassive Pulmonary Embolism With Patent Foramen Ovale, Sana Khan, Syed Ahmed, Muhammad T. Siddique, Edic Stephanian

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

BACKGROUND/ INTRODUCTION: Submassive, or intermediate-risk, pulmonary embolism (PE) is defined by preserved systemic blood pressure with evidence of right ventricular (RV) strain. The presence of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) in this setting significantly increases the risk of hypoxemia, paradoxical embolization, and procedural complications during catheter-based interventions. Mechanical thrombectomy has become an important treatment option for selected patients with intermediate- to high-risk PE; however, experience in patients with concomitant large PFOs remains limited.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 78-year-old woman presented with acute dyspnea, hypoxemia, and chest pain and was found to have a saddle PE with severe RV dilation and biomarker …

Roles Of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (Tsh) And Vitamin D Levels In Asthma Severity And Length Of Stay, Kumail Rizvi, Kenny Tran, Michele Mccarrol, Mohan Sengodan

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

Background: Asthma exacerbations leading to hospitalization are very common and result from multifactorial causes. This research aims to investigate factors such as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and Vitamin D, which may play a role in the modulation of asthma-related hospitalizations and patient outcomes. TSH influences numerous cellular processes in the body, particularly during times of stress and illness, yet its role in asthma exacerbations and hospital length of stay remains unclear. Vitamin D has been studied for its role in enhancing medication absorption and regulating immune function, and multiple studies have shown that low serum Vitamin D levels are associated with …

Don’T Blame The Heart When On Steroids: A Rare Case Of Glucocorticoid Dependant Childhood Asthma Causing Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Greeshma Molugu, Srinivasan Rajaganapathy, Machaiah Madhrira, Karthik Anand

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

Background: Steroids are known to have various cardiac side effects, such as hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. They are also known to cause rare but potentially life-threatening cardiomyopathy. The mechanisms behind steroid-induced cardiomyopathy are multifactorial, potentially involving direct or indirect myocardial toxicity, such as tissue fibrosis, apoptosis, and alterations in cardiac remodeling pathways via the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Cardiomyopathy is known to occur with anabolic steroid use, but the literature on glucocorticoid-induced cardiomyopathy is scant. We present a rare case of glucocorticoid-induced dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM) in a patient with a history of refractory asthma who was treated …

Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis: A Two-Year Journey, Jason Woods, Padmaditya Sureddi, Nga Van, Danielle Ford

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

BACKGROUND: Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) has decreased the incidence of opportunistic infections among persons with HIV. Invasive aspergillosis specifically is uncommon among individuals with clusters of differentiation 4 (CD4) count >100 cells/mm3. Furthermore, treatment of aspergillosis in the HIV-infected population has not been examined systematically. We report a patient with CD4 count >200 cells/mm3, compliant with HAART therapy who developed invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) over the course of two years that was successfully treated through a combination of bronchial artery embolization and liposomal amphotericin.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 56-year-old man from southern Africa with four-year history of HIV-1 on HAART …

Reducing Respiratory Viral Testing In A Pediatric Emergency Department: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Anna Suessman

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

Background: Respiratory viral testing in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) is frequently performed despite limited impact on clinical management for many low-risk presentations. Unnecessary testing increases cost and operational burden may delay patient throughput and can provide false reassurance to caregivers. Additionally, pediatric emergency department nurses agreed with overburden and impact to throughput based on overuse of viral testing (qualitative nursing survey conducted on September 4, 2024 showed >98% felt testing was unnecessary). We hypothesized that reducing testing through standardized team education and discharge processes would not negatively affect patient experience. This initiative aimed to decrease unnecessary respiratory viral testing during …

Impact Of Mips Measure 66 On The Incidence Of Pta's, Sydney Finch, Christopher Houston

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

INTRO

A number of randomized controlled trials indicate that using point-of-care group A strep (POC GAS) testing decreases antibiotic utilization without compromising health outcomes. In 2018, the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) measure 66 went into effect requiring the testing for GAS when treating pharyngitis. The intent was to decrease the unnecessary use of antibiotics in the treatment of pharyngitis, given that most cases are viral. Anecdotally, some physicians have noticed the increased incidence of peritonsillar abscesses (PTA). Our research group aims to investigate if there has been a significant increase in incidence of PTAs after the implementation of MIPS …