Cover Article
Blood Test May Accurately Detect Early-Stage Lung Cancer
A new test looks at peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression in subjects' circulating white blood cells for a more accurate cancer screening.

Selected Articles

• Is Service in Iraq a Risk Factor for Bronchiolitis?
• Tele-ICUs May Improve Worker Satisfaction, But Have Limited Effect on Reducing Mortality
• What Are the Best Strategies for Hemodialysis in the ICU?
• In Acute Kidney Injury, Rehydration Is Not Synonymous With Volume Expansion
• Within Five Years, Smoking Cessation Significantly Lowers Women's Mortality Risk

  Full text of stories will be available on the 15th of the month following publication.

Cover Article
HAST Can Predict Air Travel Safety for Lung Disease Patients
Hypoxia altitude simulation test (HAST) can identify patients who are most at risk for adverse events during air travel and may benefit from oxygen supplementation, according to several reports in the April Chest.

Selected Articles

• Palliative Care Should Be Incorporated Into All Stages of Patient Management
• Critical Care for Bariatric Surgery Patients Demands Special Considerations
• SEDCOM Study Shows Dexmedetomidine for Long-Term Sedation Is Safe
• Influenza Vaccination Can Dramatically Reduce Risk of Respiratory Disease
• Routine Use of Steroids for Septic Shock Has Pros and Cons

Cover Article
Health Care Providers: Paid for Performance or Not at All?
Pay for performance initiative aims to reduce US health care costs while improving quality of care, however this may be detrimental for those that don't measure up to standards, according to Daniel L. Herr, MD.

Selected Articles

• Medicare P4P Incentive Programs Are Ready to Use Now
• Traumatic Brain Injury Research Reveals More Don'ts Than Dos
• Vasopressin Mortality Rates No Better Than Norepinephrine's in Septic Shock
• ECMO Increases Survival for Patients With Severe Respiratory Failure
• Is OSA Linked to Increased Mortality in Stroke Patients?

Cover Article
Endoscopic Lung Cancer Staging Methods May Improve Accuracy
Endobronchial plus transesophageal endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirations may be more accurate in detecting malignant lymph nodes than transbronchial needle aspiration, and it could be an alternative to mediastinoscopy, according to Michael B. Wallace, MD.

Selected Articles

• When Should Acute PE Be Treated on an Outpatient Basis?
• Epidemic Form of MRSA Emerged From a Single Strain
• Intensive Insulin Therapy and HES May Be Harmful to the Critically Ill
• Severe Sepsis Incidence Highest Among Blacks, Lowest Among Hispanics
• Ventricular Arrhythmia Is Established as a Possible Cause of Chronic Cough

Cover Article
Improvements in Oxygen Delivery Systems Lead to More Efficient, Easier-to-Use Devices
Significant technological advancements have occurred in the area of supplemental oxygen delivery, according to Joseph S. Lewarski, RRT, at the American College of Chest Physicians' 2007 Annual International Scientific Assembly.

Selected Articles

• More Patients Should Be Tested for α₁-Antitrypsin Deficiency
• Osteoporosis Prevalent Among Women With Sarcoidosis
• Viral Infection in Community-Acquired Pneumonia Is Common
• Early Mobility Among ICU Pateints May Reduce Later Disability
• Severe Sepsis Risk Depends More on Organ Dysfunction Mix Than on Age

Cover Article
Can Early Treatment of COPD Slow Its Progression?
At a Clinical Controversy session during the American College of Chest Physicians' 2007 Annual International Scientific Assembly, Sandra G. Adams, MD, of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center and Paul Enright, MD, of the University of Arizona presented opposing views as to whether early treatment of COPD can slow disease progression.

Selected Articles

• Lung Transplantation for Children With CF May Do More Harm Than Good
• Obesity Has Implications for Lung Disease, Sleep Disorders, and Critical Care
• Should All Inpatients Undergo Sleep Apnea Screening?
• ICU Patients Need Better Quality Sleep
• Dexmedetomidine May Provide Better Sedation, Less Acute Brain Dysfunction