Race Adjustment of Pulmonary Function Tests in the Diagnosis and Management of COPD: A Scoping Review.

Aim: Increasing evidence suggests that the inclusion of self-identified race in clinical decision algorithms may perpetuate longstanding inequities. Until recently, most pulmonary function tests utilized separate reference equations that are race/ethnicity based. Purpose: We assess the magnitude and scope of the available literature on the negative impact of race-based pulmonary function prediction equations on relevant outcomes in African Americans with COPD. Methods: We performed a scoping review utilizing an English language search on PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science in September 2022 and updated it in December 2023. We searched for publications regarding the effect of race-specific vs race-neutral, race-free, or race-reversed lung function testing algorithms on the diagnosis of COPD and COPD-related physiologic and functional measures. Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines were utilized for this scoping review. Eligibility criteria: The search was restricted to adults with COPD. We excluded publications on other lung disorders, non-English language publications, or studies that did not include African Americans. The search identified publications. Ultimately, six peer-reviewed publications and four conference abstracts were selected for this review. Results: Removal of race from lung function prediction equations often had opposite effects in African Americans and Whites, specifically regarding the severity of lung function impairment. Symptoms and objective findings were better aligned when race-specific reference values were not used. Race-neutral prediction algorithms uniformly resulted in reclassifying severity in the African Americans studied. Conclusion: The limited literature does not support the use of race-based lung function prediction equations. However, this assertion does not provide guidance for every specific clinical situation. For African Americans with COPD, the use of race-based prediction equations appears to fall short in enhancing diagnostic accuracy, classifying severity of impairment, or predicting subsequent clinical events. We do not have information comparing race-neutral vs race-based algorithms on prediction of progression of COPD. We conclude that the elimination of race-based reference values potentially reduces underestimation of disease severity in African Americans with COPD.

Saved by the PEEP: Resolution of Complete Unilateral Lung Collapse Secondary to Mucus Plugging With Ventilator Technique.

Bronchoscopy can be used to resolve respiratory failure caused by tenacious mucus plugs. However, emergent bronchoscopy to resolve mucus plugging is not always available in small rural hospitals around the country. We present a case in which increasing the positive end-expiratory pressure settings on the ventilator resulted in immediate improvement in patient oxygenation and imaging findings during a respiratory emergency caused by mucus plugging.

Prevalence of Pulmonary Embolism Among Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Discharges: A Decade of Analysis of the National Hospital Discharge Survey.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life threatening preventable medical condition involving sudden occlusion of arteries within the lungs. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory disorder and therefore independently poses a risk of PE. We aimed to determine the association of SLE and PE using National Hospital Discharge Survey data, a national representative sample of hospital discharges throughout the United States. METHODS: Retrospective population-based analysis was done using National Hospital Discharge Survey data for the period 2001 to 2010. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) coding was used to identify SLE (ICD-9 code 710.0) and PE (ICD-9 codes 415.11, 415.12, 415.13, and 415.19) mentioned in any of the discharge diagnosis. Patients 15 years or older were included in the study. Regression analysis was done including hyperlipidemia, heart failure, lower-limb injury or surgery, hypertension, diabetes cerebrovascular disease, and cancer. RESULTS: Our regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between SLE and PE, which was independent of sex, race, age, and associated comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99-2.16). Of included comorbidities, primary hypercoagulable disorder has the highest odds of association with PE (OR, 15.37; 95% CI, 15.22-15.51) followed by African American race compared with whites (OR, 1.08, 95% 1.08-1.09), and presence of at least 1 of the comorbidities (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.06-1.06). African American SLE cases have the higher prevalence of PE in all age groups, with the exception of persons 35 to 44 years old. CONCLUSIONS: Significant association exists between SLE and PE regardless of sex, race, age, and associated comorbidities. Females had an overall higher prevalence of SLE-related PE (1.67%) compared with males (1.29%). Stratified according to sex, race, and age groups, the association is highest for females, blacks, and age group 35 to 44 years, respectively.

Impact of Comorbidities Among Medicaid Enrollees With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, United States, 2009.

INTRODUCTION: Multimorbidity, the presence of 2 or more chronic conditions, frequently affects people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Many have high-cost, highly complex conditions that have a substantial impact on state Medicaid programs. We quantified the cost of Medicaid-insured patients with COPD co-diagnosed with other chronic disorders. METHODS: We used nationally representative Medicaid claims data to analyze the impact of comorbidities (other chronic conditions) on the disease burden, emergency department (ED) use, hospitalizations, and total health care costs among 291,978 adult COPD patients. We measured the prevalence of common conditions and their influence on COPD-related and non-COPD-related resource use by using the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. Elixhauser comorbidity counts were clustered from 0 to 7 or more. We performed multivariable logistic regression to determine the odds of ED visits by Elixhauser scores adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and residence. RESULTS: Acute care, hospital bed days, and total Medicaid-reimbursed costs increased as the number of comorbidities increased. ED visits unrelated to COPD were more common than visits for COPD, especially in patients self-identified as black or African American (designated black). Hypertension, diabetes, affective disorders, hyperlipidemia, and asthma were the most prevalent comorbid disorders. Substance abuse, congestive heart failure, and asthma were commonly associated with ED visits for COPD. Female sex was associated with COPD-related and non-COPD-related ED visits. CONCLUSION: Comorbidities markedly increased health services use among people with COPD insured with Medicaid, although ED visits in this study were predominantly unrelated to COPD. Achieving excellence in clinical practice with optimal clinical and economic outcomes requires a whole-person approach to the patient and a multidisciplinary health care team.