HEART ATTACK RISK DOUBLES AFTER COPD EXACERBATION
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who experience an exacerbation have an increased risk for both myocardial infarctions (MI) and ischemic stroke. Researchers from the United Kingdom analyzed the risk of MI or stroke after exacerbation of COPD in 25,857 patients with the disease. Among the patients, 524 MI were identified in 426 patients and 633 ischemic strokes in 482 patients. Results showed that exacerbation rates were significantly higher in patients with COPD experiencing MI or stroke compared with those who did not suffer from these conditions. In addition, there was a 2.27-fold increased risk of MI 1 to 5 days after a COPD exacerbation and a 1.26-fold increase of stroke 1 to 49 days after a COPD exacerbation. Researchers suggest the findings provide good rationale for treating patients with COPD in both the stable and exacerbation states to reduce cardiovascular events. This study is published in the May issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians: CHEST 2010; 137(5):1091?.
SNORING INCIDENCE TRIPLES IN OBESE CHILDREN
Obesity is commonly associated with sleep-disordered breathing and snoring in adults, but a new study confirms the same association in children. Italian researchers compared the frequency of snoring in 44 children with habitual snoring, 138 children with occasional snoring, and 627 children who did not snore. Of the children, 64 were defined as obese, 121 as overweight, and 624 as normal weight. Results showed that the incidence of snoring in obese children was three times (12.5 percent) that of normal weight children (4.6 percent) and more than two times that of overweight children (5.8 percent). In addition, the presence of obstructive sleep apnea in obese children was nearly two times that of normal and overweight children. Researchers conclude that sleep disorders should be addressed in children in order to help prevent comorbitities in adulthood. The article is published in the May issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians: CHEST 2010; 137(5):1085?.
SIMULATION TRAINING IMPROVES BRONCHOSCOPY SKILLS
Pulmonary fellowship training programs currently require 50 bronchoscopies for pulmonary trainees to achieve competency. However, new research suggests performance-based metrics can be used to evaluate bronchoscopy skills and establish competency. Researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, compared the bronchoscopy skills and cognitive knowledge of 22 fellows who received standard bronchoscopy training with 22 fellows who received additional bronchoscopy training, including simulation bronchoscopy and an online curriculum. Results showed that fellows who received additional simulation training significantly improved their bronchoscopy skills and accelerated the acquisition of skills compared with those who received standard training. Researchers speculate that the study findings may have implications for other procedures currently performed by trainees in internal medicine and its subspecialties. This article is published in the May issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians:
CHEST 2010; 137(5):1040?.