Pulmonology Commons^™

Practice Patterns And Inpatient Outcomes In Lung Abscess: A Cross Sectional Study, Saikou Saidy, Ali Iqbal, Saqib H. Baig

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Lung abscess is typically managed with antibiotics, but drainage procedures are sometimes performed when there is inadequate clinical response or when source control is needed. Real-world inpatient practice patterns remain incompletely described in contemporary U.S. data. Our aim was to evaluate national inpatient practice patterns, predictors of procedural intervention, and associated in-hospital outcomes and resource utilization among patients hospitalized with lung abscess managed conservatively, with bronchoscopic drainage, or with percutaneous drainage.

Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) (2016–2018), we identified adult (18 years and older) hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of lung abscess [International Classification of Diseases, 10th …

Issue 17: Pulmonary & Critical Care Insider, Bharat Bajantri Md, Sarah Ellsworth Mls, Stephanie Subart Pharmd

Critical Care & Pulmonary

Pulmonary & Critical Care Insider Issue 17

Compiled by Bharat Bajantri, MD, and librarian Sarah Ellsworth, MLS for the clinicians of the Pulmonary and Critical Care team of Parkview.

The Pulmonary & Critical Care Insider newsletter was created by Dr. Bharat Bajantri, MD and Sarah Ellsworth, MLS in 2023 as a form of current awareness for current practice at our hospital, Parkview Health.

Topics: 

• Management of Uncomplicated Gram-Negative Bacteremia
• Complicated Urinary Tract Infection Guidelines Update
• Ketamine vs Etomidate for RSI
• STORM-PE 
• Lung Ultrasound–Guided Weaning
•  D-Dimer for Pulmonary Embolism
• Extubation Failure
•  A Multimodal, physiology-Driven approach to pleural effusions
• Dexmedetomidine for Hyperactive …

Leappt: Leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence-Pediatric Pulmonology Training. Curriculum And Content Development., Alvin Singh, Erin Khan, Mary Moffatt

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

After redesigning the curriculum of the pediatric pulmonology fellowship program at Children's Mercy-Kansas City, leadership continued to make changes based on feedback from a faculty survey concerned about the quality and structure of didactics. These changes included leveraging generative artificial intelligence to create a detailed course content outline containing specific objectives and study points for each subject related to pediatric pulmonology. Using the content outline as a foundational reference for learners, fellowship leadership continues to enhance the curriculum by creating testing questions, flipped classroom sessions and evaluations, and hope that these specific changes will help address decreased passing rates on …

A Rare And Challenging Polymicrobial Pleural Infection Involving Cupriavidus Pauculus In A Patient With Rheumatoid Arthritis And Multiple Complications, Moiz Ahmed Khan, Syeda Samiya Kamal, Muhammad Muneeb, Summaya Zafar

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

A 58-year-old female with a 15-year history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a history of treatment consisting of methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, leflunomide, and chronic prednisolone therapy, presented with fever, productive cough, dyspnea, and left leg cellulitis. She developed septic shock complicated by tension pneumothorax requiring emergency thoracostomy and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Pleural fluid culture grew Cupriavidus pauculus, a rare environmental gram-negative bacillus, alongside Burkholderia cepacia and Candida parapsilosis, indicating polymicrobial infection which was most likely predisposed by patient's immunosuppressed state from RA and prolonged steroid use. Treatment consisted of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, meropenem, fluconazole, and cardiopulmonary support, and culminated in …

Exercise Performance In Ordinary Children And Adolescents: Baseline, Pandemic, And Post-Pandemic, Abby Skiena, Gina D'Aloisio, Ms, Takeshi Tsuda, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic might have created considerable negative impacts on the physical fitness of ordinary adolescents, which may pose a major threat to long-term cardiovascular health.

Methods: Healthy adolescents (ages 11 to 18) who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) were grouped into baseline (~ 3/2020), pandemic (4/2020 ~12/2022), and post-pandemic (1/2023~ 5/2024) periods. Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation.

Results: Peak oxygen consumption (VO2/kg) and peak work rate (WR/kg) were significantly reduced during pandemic in both sexes and did not improve during post-pandemic in males (Table 1). The decline of peak oxygen pulse (OP/kg) …

Characterizing The Effects Of Antimuscarinics On Rhoa Signaling, Zuhra Tukhtamisheva, Elizabeth L. Mcduffie, Jordan Lee, Steven S. An, Reynold A. Panettieri Jr., Charles Scott

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma is driven by acetylcholine-mediated activation of the muscarinic acetylcholine 3 receptor (M3R), promoting bronchoconstriction, mucus hypersecretion, and airway remodeling. Despite directly targeting this pathway, antimuscarinics remain adjunctive rather than first-line therapy, suggesting a disconnect between biological rationale and clinical efficacy. Recent work from the Scott Lab at Thomas Jefferson University demonstrates that M3R in human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells drives muscle shortening through G_12/13–driven RhoA signaling rather than through G_q/11-dependent calcium flux. We therefore investigated whether clinically prescribed antimuscarinics effectively inhibit G_12/13-dependent RhoA signaling in HASM cells.

Methods: …

Mycobacterium Shimoidei: A Case Report Of A Rare Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infection In An American Patient With A Favorable Outcome, Madison Baker, Farah Majdoub, Asad Nasir

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are common environmental pathogens, but they are an uncommon cause of illness. One such mycobacteria, Mycobacterium shimoidei, was discovered in 1968 and found to cause a respiratory illness in 1975. Since then, fewer than 100 cases have been reported worldwide. Symptoms can include cough, fever, weight loss, and hemoptysis This report describes an American patient with no travel history who was found to have significant pulmonary disease caused by this rare non-tuberculous mycobacteria.

High-Flow Oxygen Therapy In Ild Exacerbations: An Imperfect Therapy, Kathleen Spritzer, Jesse Roman, Ross Summer, Gautam George

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Improving False Code Blue Rates In The Hospital, Edrianna Mae Ablola, Muhammad Siddiqi, Veronica Phung, Sivatej Sarva

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

A Cost-Consequence Analysis Of The Children’S Administration Oxygenation Strategies Trial (Coast) In Severe Pneumonia, Orlagh U. Carroll, Richard Grieve, Sarah Kiguli, Peter Olupot-Olupot, Robert Opoka, Charles Engoru, Florence Alaroker, Abner Tagoola, Mainga Hamaluba, Eva Nabawanuka

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Oxygen supplementation is a recommended treatment for children with severe pneumonia or hypoxaemia. The open, fractional-factorial Children’s Oxygen Administration Strategies Trial (COAST) recruited Kenyan and Ugandan children with severe pneumonia and hypoxaemia. Participants in the severe hypoxaemia stratum (SpO₂ <  80%) were randomised to high-flow nasal therapy (HFNT) or low-flow oxygen (LFO), and in the hypoxaemia stratum (SpO₂ 80–91%) to HFNT, LFO or permissive hypoxaemia (ratio 1:1:2). The trial stopped early and there is ongoing uncertainty about the clinical benefits of the alternative strategies. There is a lack of evidence about the relative costs, of alternative oxygen delivery for critically-ill children in low- and middle- income countries. We used data from COAST to conduct a cost-consequence analysis …

Necrotizing Pneumonia And Alveolar-Pleural Fistula After Foreign Body Aspiration, Vineet Madishetty, Adam Hurwitz, Ritvik Peesapati, Jessica Neugebauer, James Flanagan

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Initiation, Timing, And Duration Of Prone Positioning In Icu Ards Patients: An Integrative Research Review (Irr), Amanda Everard Thomas

Covenant Nurses Week 2026

No abstract provided.

Improving Timely Asthma Treatment In A Pediatric Emergency Department Through A Standardized Evidence-Based Pathway, Olivia Everard Harris

Covenant Nurses Week 2026

No abstract provided.

Variation In Lung Cancer Risk Distribution By Race Across Modified Plcom2012 Risk Models Among Lung Cancer Screening Participants, Haley M. Evans, Rebecca Landy, Christine S. Shusted, Brooke Ruane, Eboni Anderson, Teresa Giamboy, Mary Mcmullen, Gregory C. Kane, Hee-Soon Juon, Julie Barta

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Pulmonary Functiontest Follow-Up Rates, Celine Agidigbo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are associated with significant physical, mental, and social burdens that impact patients’ quality of life (Franssen et al., 2018). Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is an essential diagnostic test for identifying and managing pulmonary conditions. Missed or delayed follow-up after abnormal PFT results may derail disease management and lead to frequent hospital readmissions, thereby disease management and patient outcomes.

According to Braveman et al. (2010), socioeconomic status (SES), defined by factors such as income, education, and employment, has been widely associated with disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. This paper examines the impact …

Revisiting Nasal Polyp Scoring In Clinical Trials: Interpretive Variability And The Need For Standardization, Leigh J. Sowerby, Babak Pourmomenarabi, Antonino Maniaci, Olivia Ginty, Joseph Khristian Han

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Borish et al. provided an excellent review highlighting methodological variability among the six pivotal Phase III trials [1]. One critical yet overlooked issue is the inconsistent application of the endoscopic nasal polyp score (NPS), a primary outcome measure in all trials.

Shaping The Future Of Respiratory Care: A Look Into The Next Decade And Strategic Recommendations By The European Forum For Research And Education In Allergy And Airways Diseases, Xander Bertels, Glenis K. Scadding, Vibeke Backer, Susanne Lou, Wytske J. Fokkens, Peter J. Barnes, Manuel Bernal Sprekelsen, Leif Bjermer, Michael Blaiss, Elena Borzova, Marie-Charlotte Brüggen, Guy G. Brusselle, Lars Olaf Cardell, Diego M. Conti, Marjolein Cornet, Eugenio De Corso, Bernard De Groeve, Ratko Djukanovic, Adam T. Fox, Mina Gaga, Philippe Gevaert, Peter Gibson, Claudia L. Gray, Joseph Han, Liam Heaney, Enrico Heffler, Hans Jürgen Hoffmann, Claire Hopkins, Daniel Jackson, Outi Jauhola, Milos Jesenak, Pål Johansen, Ekaterina Khaleva, Basile Landis, Stella Lee, Valerie Lund, Mika Mäkelä, Marinda Mcdonald, Erik Melén, Joaquim Mullol, Antonio Nieto-García, Ian Pavord, Anju Peters, David Price, Santiago Quirce, Dermot Ryan, Pernilla Sahlstrand-Johnson, Sophie Scheire, Peter Schmid-Grendelmeier, Sven Schneider, Brent A. Senior, Catherine M.E. Shire, Peter K. Smith, Zsolt Szépfalusi, M. Thijs A. Teeling, Michael E. Wechsler, Philippe Houssiau, Klaus F. Rabe, Peter W. Hellings, José Luis Castro

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) remain 1 of the leading causes of preventable morbidity and disability worldwide, affecting up to one-third of the total Western population in 2025. Recognizing the substantial burden of inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma, COPD, chronic rhinosinusitis, and respiratory allergy, the European Forum for Research and Education in Allergy and Airway Diseases (EUFOREA) organized the symposium “Shaping the Future of Respiratory Care” in April 2025 in Brussels, Belgium, at the occasion of the 10-year jubilee. Featuring keynote speakers from the World Health Organization and EUFOREA, this initiative had the following aims: (1) promoting dialogue on translating …

Prediction Of Lung Vital Capacity Value From Thoracoabdominal Expansion In Young Adults, Aung Myo Htun, Aung Aung Nwe, Chatchaya Jaimanee, Thiwaphon Chatprem, Saowanee Nakmaroeng, Chatchai Phimphasak

Journal of Health Research

Background: Vital capacity (VC) is a fundamental indicator of pulmonary health, but its routine assessment often depends on spirometry devices that may be unavailable (i.e. because of access, cost) in many clinical or community settings. In contrast, lower costal (LC) and upper abdominal (AB) expansions are simple, equipment-free methods commonly used in physiotherapy.

Method: This cross-sectional study was aimed at developing prediction equations for VC using LC or upper AB expansion alongside demographic and anthropometric variables. The study involved 116 healthy nonsmokers (53 male and 63 female individuals) aged 18–39 years. VC was measured via spirometry using a …

Urinothorax And Empyema: Presentation Of An Unusual Complication Of A Rare Condition, Nolan Fox, Nicholas Fox, Shourjo Chakravorty, Neeraj Sinha

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

A 68-year-old male with a history of metastatic bladder cancer and urinary obstruction presented with intractable hiccups and chest pain is presented in this case. He was found to have a unilateral pleural effusion in addition to ipsilateral renal metastasis abutting the diaphragm. Imaging revealed empyema. Thoracentesis revealed positive cultures and a lack of malignant cells on cytology. Comorbid urinary obstruction and urinary tract infection suggested the rare diagnosis of an infected urinothorax. Thoracentesis also revealed pleural fluid creatinine greater than serum creatinine, meeting the most specific diagnostic criteria for urinothorax and establishing the diagnosis. Treatment aimed at evacuating the …

Flawed Design And Selection Bias In Critical Care Randomized Controlled Trials (Rcts): The Patient Safety Risk Of The "Rct Mimic"., Lawrence A Lynn

Ambulatory and Primary Care Articles

Over three decades, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for critical care syndromes such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, and community acquired pneumonia (CAP) have repeatedly produced non-reproducible results, at times leading to high-impact reversals of global protocols when later studies revealed harm. These trials enroll patients using expert-derived threshold sets intended to define the syndrome. This analytic review presents the first historical and formal methodological review and mathematical analysis of such RCT using causal symbolic modeling (cSM), directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), and do-calculus. The review includes landmark publications, task-force threshold sets, and case examples, including the 2025 REMAP-CAP corticosteroid …