Fan therapy is a non-pharmacological approach useful in terminally ill patients that relieves dyspnea by directing a fan to blow air on one side of the patient's face. To date, there has been no systematic review of fan therapy for critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. This scoping review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of fan therapy studies published to date, clarify the therapeutic intervention methods of fan therapy, evaluate its safety according to existing literature, and explore its potential use in critically ill patients. A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. This scoping review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension of the scoping reviews statement. All published studies conducted on patients who received fan therapy regardless of age, disease, setting, phase, country, or follow-up duration were included. The data sources included Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Literature databases. Of the 685 studies obtained, 15 were included, comprising patients with terminal cancer and chronic lung diseases. The most common intervention was a single five-minute intervention for dyspnea at rest. The studies on patients receiving oxygen therapy did not report adverse events or worsening of blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, or SpO2 levels. However, there are no studies in the literature on the use of fan therapy for critically ill patients. Nevertheless, previous studies suggest that fan therapy is safe.

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the Respiratory Distress Observation Scale (RDOS), Intensive Care RDOS (IC-RDOS), and Mechanical Ventilation RDOS (MV-RDOS) as potential markers of dyspnea in ICU patients by describing their relationship with the Dyspnea Visual Analog Scale (D-VAS). Materials and methods A researcher and a trained nurse independently assessed ICU patients simultaneously. One researcher assessed the RDOS (IC/MV-RDOS) and the depth of sedation. An objective evaluation using the observational D-VAS was simultaneously performed by a trained nurse. Results The correlation coefficients for each scale were 0.338 for the D-VAS and RDOS, 0.239 for the IC-RDOS, and 0.237 for the MV-RDOS, indicating a low correlation. The prediction of self-reported dyspnea showed that each scale's area under the curve (AUC) as a predictor of D-VAS ≥4 was 0.79 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.71-0.87) for RDOS, 0.77 (95% CI 0.68-0.84) for IC-RDOS, and 0.73 (95% CI 0.64-0.81) for MV-RDOS. Conclusions The objective rating scales RDOS, IC-RDOS, and MV-RDOS can predict subjective dyspnea to a certain extent; however, they have limitations in accurately discriminating dyspnea intensity.

Introduction This study aimed to investigate changes in respiratory symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in patients with locally advanced and metastatic lung cancer receiving thoracic radiotherapy (RT). We investigated the correlation between the level of symptom relief and tumor response. Methods Thirty-two patients were included in this study. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life (QoL) Questionnaire (QLQ)-C30 and EORTC QLQ-LC13 were used to investigate QoL changes. Assessments were performed on the first day of RT, on the last day of RT, routinely monthly follow-ups, and three months after RT. Results The median age of the patients was 62; 88% of the patients were male. For the symptom scale, fatigue and dyspnea provided significant improvement at the end of RT (p=0.000, p=0.047). No significant improvement was observed at the end of RT in pain and insomnia. While coughing showed substantial improvement at the end of RT (p=0.004), the maximum improvement was achieved during the third-month follow-up (p<0.001). No significant improvement was observed at the end of RT in hemoptysis, but a considerable improvement was observed during the third-month follow-up (p=0.008). Conclusion This study confirms that RT offered palliation of respiratory symptoms and improved QoL in a substantial proportion of patients with lung cancer.

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is no longer considered a disease exclusive to the respiratory system. It is a multipronged disease with both lung and systemic involvement. Although the forced expiratory volume (FEV) in one second is one of the most commonly used markers to assess disease severity, in recent years, biomarkers such as interleukin-1 beta, serum C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10, fibrinogen, soluble receptor for advanced glycation, surfactant protein D, and club cell secretory protein have been proven to be effective markers to assess disease severity. Objective The current study aimed to test the association of fibrinogen levels with increased exacerbation of COPD per year and lower lung function and to discuss its potential utility as a biomarker. Methodology A total of 105 participants were enrolled in the study. The study participants included 35 stable COPD patients, 35 COPD patients with acute exacerbation, and 35 non-COPD healthy controls (matched for age and gender). All patients above 18 years of age who were diagnosed with COPD as per the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Disease (GOLD) guidelines were considered for inclusion in the study. The patients were divided into stable COPD group and acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) group based on the Anthonisen criteria. Sociodemographic factors, six-minute walk test, Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale, and COPD Assessment Test scale were computed. Spirometry according to the American Thoracic Society guidelines and hematological investigations including serum fibrinogen were performed. Additionally, GOLD staging and severity indices were used to determine the clinical phenotyping of COPD, namely, ADO (age, dyspnea, airflow obstruction) index, BODE (body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity) index, and DOSE (dyspnea, obstruction, smoking, exacerbation) index. Results Plasma fibrinogen level was significantly higher in the COPD groups compared to the control group. Plasma fibrinogen level was elevated in AECOPD compared to stable COPD patients. In addition, fibrinogen levels showed a positive correlation with important functional indices and prognostic markers such as BODE, ADO, and DOSE indices and a negative correlation with lung function. The odds of predicting an acute exacerbation of COPD for patients with FEV of <50% and FEV of >50% were 17.2 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.825; sensitivity = 90.4%; specificity = 62.79%) and 15.1 (AUC = 0.791; sensitivity = 57.7%; specificity = 92.5%), respectively. Conclusions Plasma fibrinogen has the potential to be an important biomarker in the management of COPD and its exacerbation due to its ability to be responsive to the COPD disease statuses such as the severity of COPD and AECOPD.

Background Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) is a syndrome characterized by a wide spectrum of symptoms emerging after clearance of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection. These symptoms include fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, cognitive dysfunction, and many other psychiatric symptoms. Given that fibromyalgia patients have similar symptoms, we conducted a web-based cross-sectional study to investigate the prevalence and predictors of fibromyalgia patients who recovered from COVID-19. Methods Data were collected between the 9th and 19th of March 2022 using a web-based survey. The questionnaire consisted of 25 questions gathering sociodemographic information, comorbid diseases and features of acute COVID-19 infection. Lastly, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) survey criteria completed the questionnaire. Results A final sample of 404 individuals (75% women) filled out the form. Of these, 80 (19.8%) satisfied the ACR survey criteria for fibromyalgia (93.8% women). A multivariate logistic regression model including demographic and clinical factors showed that female gender (OR: 6.557, 95% CI: 2.376 - 18.093, p = 0.001) and dyspnea (OR: 1.980, 95% CI: 1.146 - 3.420, p = 0.014) were the strongest predictors of being classified as having post-COVID-19 fibromyalgia. Bivariate correlation revealed that age (r = 0.200, p = 0.001) and duration of COVID-19 infection (r = 0.121, p = 0.015) were directly correlated with fibromyalgia symptom (FS) score. Conclusion Our data suggest that clinical features of fibromyalgia are common in patients who recovered from COVID-19 and that dyspnea and female gender increase the risk of developing post-COVID-19 fibromyalgia.

We report 13 cases of pulmonary pneumocystis (PCP) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-uninfected patients. Of eight males and five females, with a mean age of 55 years, one had breast neoplasia, two had common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), one had an autoimmune disease "Goodpasture's syndrome", and one had idiopathic fibrosis (nonspecific interstitial pneumonia/fibrosis (NIP)) undergoing prolonged corticosteroid therapy for two years, with no known immunosuppression in the remaining cases. The clinical picture was characterized by constant dyspnea and severe hypoxia in 11 cases. Lymphopenia was present in nine cases with an average rate of 920.76 elements/mm3. The diagnosis was confirmed by isolation of Pneumocystis jirovecii (PCJ) from induced sputum, except in two cases where analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was required. With trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) and corticosteroid therapy, the course was favorable in all cases. Prophylactic treatment was indicated in three cases.

Anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL) are a group of sporadic malignancies that generally have an aggressive clinical course, especially the subtype of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative ALCL. The appropriate diagnostic study modalities must be chosen to make an accurate diagnosis and promptly initiate specific treatment. We present the clinical case of a 72-year-old male patient with dyspnea on small efforts accompanied by diaphoresis and a weight loss of 10 kg in two months. Physical examination revealed adenopathy in the cervical region and bilateral pleural effusion. The pleural and lung biopsies revealed poorly differentiated metastatic adenocarcinomas. A multidisciplinary analysis was carried out; the typical clinical-radiographic presentation of adenocarcinoma was ruled out with immunohistochemistry, thus determining a diagnosis of ALK-negative anaplastic large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This case represented a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge since it is a rare entity with a poor prognosis, and there are only a few studies about the choice of appropriate chemotherapy in these patients.

Background Although Nepal is striving to expand primary health services for its citizens, many remote areas have limited access to basic health care. Short-term medical missions (STMMs) are one way of supplementing human resources for health in underserved areas. This article describes the chief complaints, medications dispensed, and unmet health needs during an STMM in rural Nepal. Methods This study is a retrospective analysis of data collected during an STMM that occurred in October 2017. Deidentified data from clinic intake forms were entered into an Excel spreadsheet, and formatted and cleaned. Demographics, chief complaints, medications, and unmet health needs were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results During a two-day health camp, 443 patients were seen. The most common chief complaint was dental (33.4%) followed by musculoskeletal (28.2%) and gastrointestinal (21.2%). Medications were dispensed to 94.8% of patients, primarily analgesics, antibiotics, and ophthalmologic preparations. Of the patients, 21% had unmet health needs, including specialty care and labs or imaging that were beyond the scope of the STMM. One patient was referred urgently to a hospital for treatment of dyspnea and markedly elevated blood pressure. Conclusion While STMMs cannot replace access to primary health services, they can provide insight into acute care needs in a system that has limited surveillance. This information describing an acute care patient population should inform future development work.

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a medical emergency that encompasses an array of signs and symptoms due to obstruction of blood flow through the superior vena cava (SVC). It poses a significant healthcare burden due to its associated morbidity and mortality. Its impact on the healthcare system continues to grow due to the increasing incidence of the condition. This incidence trend has been attributed to the growing use of catheters, pacemakers, and defibrillators, although it is a rare complication of these devices. The most common cause of SVCS remains malignancies accounting for up to 60% of the cases. Understanding the pathophysiology of SVCS requires understanding the anatomy, the SVC drains blood from the right and left brachiocephalic veins, which drain the head and the upper extremities accounting for about one-third of the venous blood to the heart. The most common presenting symptoms of SVCS are swelling of the face and hand, chest pain, respiratory symptoms (dyspnea, stridor, cough, hoarseness, and dysphagia), and neurologic manifestations (headaches, confusion, or visual/auditory disturbances). Symptoms generally worsen in a supine position. Diagnosis typically requires imaging, and SVCS can be graded based on classification schemas depending on the severity of symptoms and the location, understanding, and degree of obstruction. Over the past decades, the management modalities of SVCS have evolved to meet the increasing burden of the condition. Here, we present an umbrella review providing an overall assessment of the available information on SVCS, including the various management options, their indications, and a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of these modalities.

Objective To compare the precision of DECAF (Dyspnea, Eosinopenia, Consolidation, Acidemia, Atrial Fibrillation) and CURB-65 scoring systems in prediction of mortality among patients presenting with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Material and methods A prospective, cross-sectional study was done at the Department of Pulmonology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan over a period of seven months, May 2019 through November 2019. Previously diagnosed patients of COPD (for more than six months), of either sex, aged between 40 and 70 years admitted primarily with an exacerbation were included in the study by non-probability consecutive sampling. Patients with myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease and malignancy were excluded. All relevant data including patients' demography, history, examination, DECAF and CURB-65 scores and in-hospital mortality were recorded on a proforma and later analyzed by using SPSS, version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn for comparison of accuracy of both scoring systems in prediction of in-hospital mortality (based on area under the curve (AUC)). Results There were 34 (29.8%) in-hospital mortalities while 80 (70.2%) survivals. AUC for DECAF score was 0.777 (0.673-0.881) and of CURB-65 was 0.715 (0.613-0.817) that reveals fair accuracy of the tests. Sensitivity of DECAF and CURB-65 scoring systems was almost similar i.e. 67.65% and 64.71% respectively, however DECAF was more specific than CURB-65 (86.25% compared to 68.75%, respectively). Conclusion The findings of our study suggest the use of a combination of scoring systems for prediction of in-hospital mortality in acute exacerbation of COPD based on appropriateness, access to facilities and clinician's preference.

Introduction Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory disease that can affect patients of all ages and significantly impact the quality of life (QOL) in patients who suffer from it. In spite of its widespread prevalence, and the significant impact on QOL, data on the quantitative impact of bronchiectasis on QOL is lacking. The Quality of Life-Bronchiectasis (QOL-B) is a self-administered patient-reported outcome measure, that was recently developed as a response to the emergent need for such measurement tools to study the impact of bronchiectasis on QOL. Methods We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study to study the correlation between QOL and various other outcome parameters such as exercise capacity, lung functions, co-morbidities, inflammatory markers, and body mass index (BMI). The secondary outcome was to find out various determinants of quality of life in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). Results Forty-four patients who determined the pre-determined criteria for NCFB were enrolled in this study. This study demonstrated a significant impact on the QOL of NCFB patients based on the QOL-B scoring system. Almost all domains of QOL-B were found to be adversely impacted as measured by one or more of the outcome parameters but the FEV1, age, colonization, extension, dyspnea (FACED) score, bronchiectasis severity index (BSI) score, six-minute walk test (6MWD), and FEV1 showed associations across most scales while the other outcome parameters showed varying associations. Conclusions The QOL is significantly reduced in NCFB and it may be quantified using the QOL-B questionnaire. The impact on QOL in NCFB may be assessed using validated tools such as the FACED and BSI scoring systems, as well as other well-established outcome parameters like 6MWD and FEV1 predicted.

Objective The disease outcome had been shown to improve with improving patient knowledge. The study had two objectives, firstly to assess the level of knowledge about cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the general population, and secondly, to provide written educational material regarding the risk factors, major symptoms, and the prevention of CVDs. Method The target population was the residents living in the Western region of Saudi Arabia, aged 18 years and above. All were invited to participate voluntarily. A pre-structured questionnaire was designed to collect data related to age, gender, marital status, education level, occupation, lifestyle habits, and a history of heart diseases, as well as cardiac symptoms, and risk factors. The educational material was provided after the questionnaire. Results The majority of the participants were female (74.8%). The risk factors most frequently identified were lack of exercise, stress, and obesity. Chest pain was recognized as a major symptom (87.6%). Other symptoms included dyspnea, syncope, and excessive sweating. The level of knowledge regarding the risk factors for cardiovascular disease was poor. Only 18.5% were knowledgeable about the risk factors. The majority (60%) could identify the preventable factors, including smoking cessation (92.2%), a high level of cholesterol (88.6%), and hypertension (78.7%). The majority (83.7%) read the educational material and 99% reported that the lecture increased their knowledge about cardiovascular disease. Conclusion Although cardiovascular risk factors are common, there is a big gap in the knowledge in our population. Further, alarming symptoms that bring the patients to medical care are also deficient. A call for action at different levels is urgent. Simple educational material in a basic language and virtual education are useful and cheap tools that must be practiced wherever possible. Education is welcomed by the participants.