Clinical Profile of Connective Tissue Disease- related Interstitial Lung Diseases at a Tertiary Care Center in Western India

Connective tissue disorders (CTDs) are one of the common causes of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). This prospective observational study included around 51 patients of CTD-ILDs, and their demographic, clinical, radiological, and laboratory profiles were studied. The most common type of CTD-ILD in our study is rheumatoid arthritis-related ILD. On high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) thorax, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) was the most common pattern seen in 30 patients (59%), followed by usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) seen in 20 patients (39%). Even though CTD-ILDs are similar to other idiopathic ILDs in clinical and radiological presentation, patients with CTDs have to be evaluated clinically and radiologically for early diagnosis. Early treatment initiation and pulmonary rehabilitation help in delaying the progression of disease. Among all ILDs, CTD-ILDs are associated with better prognosis and survival

The QT Interval: What the Pulmonologist Needs to Know

The QT interval is an electrocardiographical measurement that denotes the time interval between the commencement and completion of the cardiac ventricular contraction process. Alterations in its value indicate abnormal cardiac rhythm and herald the risk of torsades de pointes; a fatal ventricular arrhythmia. Causes leading to a prolonged QT interval encompass a heterogeneous gamut including genetic conditions, electrolyte imbalances, hormonal imbalances, and drugs. A wide range of drugs can lead to a prolonged QT interval and these include certain crucial drugs which are routinely prescribed by a pulmonologist for infectious as well as non-infectious pulmonary indications. This becomes particularly relevant in this decade which has witnessed an excrescence in drug-resistant tuberculosis cases. Certain vital drugs employed in its management prolong QT interval significantly. In these situations, the clinician faces the predicament of cautiously prescribing these drugs to eradicate the disease microbiologically whilst balancing the risk of sudden cardiac death due to torsades de pointes. We summarise the basics of QT interval which every pulmonologist presently needs to know.