The connective tissue diseases (CTDs) are a group of systemic disorders characterized by autoimmunity and autoimmune-mediated organ damage. The lung is a frequent target and all components of the respiratory system are at risk. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) represents a broad group of diffuse parenchymal lung injury patterns characterized by varying degrees of inflammation and fibrosis, is a common manifestation of CTD particularly common in systemic sclerosis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, and rheumatoid arthritis, and is a leading cause of significant morbidity and mortality. The lung injury patterns of CTD-associated ILD (CTD-ILD) mirror those of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and may arise at any time during the course of the CTD or may be the first manifestation of CTD. Patients ...

Abstract Prompt attention to airway management is a fundamental component of the approach to trauma anesthesiology. While anesthesiologists manage the greatest number of airways in their training and practice, a variety of medical providers perform airway management in the trauma population (i.e., paramedics, emergency physicians, anesthesiologists, respiratory therapists). Rates of successful intubation can vary widely between groups; therefore, a definition of expertise is required to develop training plans, as well as standards for maintenance of proficiency. While competency is challenging to define in any field, the data suggest that individuals with the greatest experience achieve the highest level of success. Given that anesthesiologists manage several thousand airway encou...

Identification of the causal antigen for patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is challenging in a standard clinical setting. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether it was possible to evaluate the home/workplace of patients, and identify the causal antigen. (Source: Respiratory Medicine CME)

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common manifestation of connective tissue disease (CTD) and is often associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The evaluation of ILD in patients with CTD is complex because of the heterogeneity of the CTD spectrum, the various patterns and degrees of severity of ILD encountered, and because ILD can be identified at any point in time in these patients. A thorough - and optimally multidisciplinary - evaluation is needed when CTD patients develop ILD or when evaluating ILD patients for the presence of occult CTD. Determining whether ILD is associated with a preexisting CTD requires the exclusion of alternative etiologies, and thorough assessments of the clinical features of both the CTD and ILD. The detection of occult CTD in patients with presu...