News briefs from the June issue of CHEST( PULMONARY HYPERTENSION: A CASE OF M...),Health

New research shows that patients who are diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) but fail to respond to targeted therapies may actually have a condition known as pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD), a subtype of PAH. Australian researchers reviewed 14 cases of clinically diagnosed PAH who had failed medical therapy and found that 12 patients (86 percent) had PVOD and 2 patients (14 percent) had PAH only. Although there were no significant differences in clinical presentations between patients with PVOD and PAH only, there were considerable differences in the vessel pathologic findings and pathophysiology between the two conditions. Researchers speculate that these differences may be the reason why some patients with PAH do not respond to standard PAH therapy. The researchers conclude that further research is needed to determine if PVOD should be considered an individual type of PAH or remain a PAH subtype. The study is published in the June issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

A new article underscores the many complexities and challenges associated with managing pain in the critically ill patient. Although the complex conditions presented by the critically ill patient provide significant obstacles, the authors discuss additional barriers to optimal pain management, including outdated clinical practices and faulty systems. The authors also present a number of structured approaches that have been shown to be successful in improving pain treatment in the critically ill patient, as well as future directions for pain management in the ICU. The article is published in the June issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.