Ultrasound examination of the thorax is superior to chest radiograph or physical examination for diagnosing common conditions such as pneumonia, pulmonary edema, pleural effusion, and pneumothorax. The basic skill set is straightforward to learn, quick to perform, repeatable, and does not involve patient transport, harmful ionizing radiation, or waiting time. This paper outlines the basic building blocks that makeup a thoracic ultrasound examination, regardless of which specific scanning protocol is performed. Narrative videos and illustrative figures demonstrating these techniques are included.

To eliminate them, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) care and outcome disparities need to be better understood.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in patients with hypoxemic acute respiratory failure (ARF) often failed to show survival benefits and resulted in varying clinical end points.

OSA is prevalent during a time of critical neural repair after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The diagnostic utility of existing sleep studies is needed to inform clinical management during acute recovery from TBI.

In the incidental pulmonary nodule and breast cancer screening settings, high-quality patient-centered communication can improve adherence to evaluation and mitigate patient distress. Although guidelines emphasize shared decision-making before lung cancer screening, little is known about patient-clinician communication after lung cancer screening.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to interstitial lung disease (ILD; PH-ILD) can complicate a multitude of ILDs, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia. Development of PH-ILD is associated with increased need for supplemental oxygen, reduced mobility, and decreased survival. A high index of suspicion is required to make the diagnosis, given the substantial overlap in symptoms with those of ILD without PH. Severely reduced diffusing capacity or 6-min walk test distance, prominent exertional desaturation, and impaired heart rate recovery after exercise are all suggestive of the development of PH-ILD. Traditional transthoracic echocardiography is the most commonly used screening test for PH-ILD, but it lacks sensitivity and specificity. Newer echocardiographic tools involving 3-dimensional assessment of the right ventricle may have a role in both prognosis and the monitoring of patients with PH-ILD. Right-sided heart catheterization remains the gold standard for confirming a diagnosis of PH-ILD. Although there is little debate about the use of supplemental oxygen and diuretic therapy in the treatment of PH-ILD, treatment with pulmonary vasodilator therapy remains controversial. Although several studies have been terminated prematurely for harm, the recently completed INCREASE trial of inhaled treprostinil appears to validate the concept of treating PH-ILD with pulmonary vasodilators and, we hope, will serve as a foundation from which future studies can be developed.

Corticosteroids (CSs) have prolonged survival and respiratory function in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) when compared with CSs-naïve boys.

Fatigue is one of the most burdensome symptoms in interstitial lung disease (ILD) and can have a major impact on quality of life, social interactions, and work capacity. The cause of fatigue is complex; it is caused or aggravated by a combination of different predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors. There is no uniform definition of fatigue, but it is often divided in physical and mental components. Several validated questionnaires can be used for structural assessment of fatigue in daily care. Although the high burden of fatigue in ILD is recognized increasingly, studies that have investigated pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment options are scarce. Because fatigue in ILD is often a multifactorial problem, therapeutic interventions ideally should be aimed at different domains. One of the first steps is to optimize treatment of the underlying disease. Subsequently, treatable causes of fatigue should be identified and treated. Recently, an increasing number of studies showed that supportive measures have the potential to improve fatigue. However, evidence-based treatment guidelines are lacking, and more research is highly needed in this field. In clinical practice, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and individually tailored approach seems best fit to optimize treatment of fatigue in patients with ILD.

Inequitable access to quality health care contributes to the known poorer outcomes of people living in regional/remote areas (compared with urban-based), especially for First Nations people. Integration of specialist outreach services within primary care is one strategy that can reduce the inequity when modeled to the needs and available resources of target communities.