Hot in CHEST September 2016
By: Dr. Chris Carroll
September 13, 2016
Each month, we ask Drs. Chris Carroll and Deep Ramachandran, Social Media Co-Editors of CHEST, to weigh in on the hot topics in CHEST. It’s September, so let’s hear from Dr. Carroll as he outlines his highlights from the September issue. After reviewing the issue, what’s on your hot list? Be sure to share on our Facebook wall, tweet with the hashtag #SeptemberCHEST, or discuss in the CHEST e-Community!
Ultrasound Corner
In 2013, the journal CHEST began publishing a section, Ultrasound Corner, to serve as a resource for clinicians interested in point-of-care ultrasound. In this issue, section editor Dr. Seth Koenig, discusses the section, its history, strengths, and opportunities. If you haven’t checked out Ultrasound Corner, I highly recommend it. Plus, Seth narrates. How can you lose?
OSA, REM, and Hypertension
To date, a majority of research around rapid eye moment (REM) sleep has focused on memory, affect, and cognition. However, in the last few years, researchers have begun to examine obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in REM and non-REM sleep. While OSA during REM sleep doesn’t appear to be associated with daytime sleepiness or reduced quality of life, the research does appear to support that OSA during REM may negatively impact cardiometabolic functioning. In the September issue, Dr. Sarah Appleton and colleagues add to the growing body of evidence that REM OSA is clinically important.
VTE and C-sections
Cesarean sections are believed to be associated with a great risk of postpartum venous thromboembolism (VTE), and this study sought to systematically review the evidence on the association and on the absolute risk of VTE following C-section. The meta-analysis found the risk of VTE was fourfold greater following C-section than following vaginal delivery and was greater following emergency C-section than following elective C-section. On average, three in 1,000 women will develop a VTE following C-section.
Medical Ethics: Reason-giving and Medical Futility in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom
Some of our favorite Tweeps weigh in on contrasting legal and social discourse surrounding disputes regarding life-prolonging treatments and disagreements among loved ones and clinicians. Researchers present three cases of disputed treatments and explore how they were resolved by their respected legal systems. The analysis highlights the inadequate legal and social discourse within the United States. The researchers conclude that these rulings are important mechanisms of social change regarding the boundaries of accepted medical practice.