Alison Rodriguez

A recent study compared the time to AIDS and mortality and the CD4 T-cell dynamics between HIV-1 and HIV-2, finding that both groups have a high probability of developing and dying from AIDS without antiretroviral treatment.

Researchers investigated the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) phenotypes and the prognosis of different histological subtypes of lung cancer and found that COPD, especially emphysema-predominant phenotype, was an independent prognostic risk factor for squamous carcinoma only.

A new report from the CDC revealed that it is necessary for providers to be aware of the challenges faced by Hispanics/Latinos with diagnosed HIV and to improve access to ancillary services.

A recent editorial outlined how to choose the necessary migraine pharmacotherapy for an elderly person and emphasized the importance of the careful personalization of treatment based on individual patient characteristics in order to choose a safe and effective migraine treatment.

Chronic pain affects many patients worldwide and often leads to opioid prescribing, thereby increasing the risk of opioid misuse. A position statement by the Association of Academic Physicians, published by the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, reflects experts’ call for a new, comprehensive national strategy to include a functional approach to the diagnosis and treatment of pain.

The quantity of opioid prescribed after surgery is associated with higher patient-reported opioid consumption, according to a recent study.

Researchers tested the hypothesis that a genetic risk score based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms may influence headache response to triptans in patients and found a significant relationship between triptan efficacy and the cumulative score of genetic risk.

Following release from prison or jail, people living with HIV have higher mortality rates than the general population, indicating that resources are needed to identify and treat HIV and other medical needs following release from incarceration in order to reduce mortality.

An investigation into the effects of a self-management intervention (SMI) called “Better Living with COPD” found that the intervention had a significant positive short-term effect for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Many headache specialists are not satisfied with the care their patients receive in the emergency department (ED), demonstrating the need for more standardized protocols for ED visits by patients with known headache disorders, according to a new study.

Family-centered pediatric advance care planning increased and maintained agreement about goals of care longitudinally, which lowered adolescents’ physical symptoms and suffering.

Individuals who suffer from knee pain also may suffer from neuropathic-like knee pain (NKP)—a result of localized damage to the nervous system and nerve fibers around a joint. Recent research aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of NKP, finding that NKP is driven by central risk factors and may require unique prevention and treatment strategies.

Inhaled corticosteroids, used for preventing acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), often lead to increased high blood eosinophil count, while low blood eosinophil count is often associated with pneumonia risk—however, the prognostic role of blood eosinophil count has not yet been explored. In a recent study, researchers found that the severity of emphysema was independently linked with low blood eosinophil count and the longer survival period was associated with increased blood eosinophil count.

A study that examined mortality among immunocompromised patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure found that high-flow oxygen therapy did not significantly decrease 28-day mortality compared with standard oxygen therapy.

As migraine is significantly more prevalent in women than men—likely due to fluctuations in estrogen levels—researchers conducted a systematic review of data involving the effect of exogenous estrogens and progestogens on the course of migraine during reproductive age, resulting in recommendations for clinical decision making.

Recent research evaluating the impact of implementing a new standardized pain care bundle to reduce postoperative opioids after outpatient general surgical procedures found that the bundle decreased opioid prescribing and often eliminated opioid use.

Researchers recently studied the adverse outcomes of symptomatic and asymptomatic nonobstructed individuals and those with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) longitudinally, and found that the presence of respiratory symptoms in nonobstructed individuals was a predictor of mortality, lung function decline, and exacerbations.

Researchers reviewed the most updated concepts of the pulmonary vascular changes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and concluded that certain subgroups of COPD patients with pulmonary vascular phenotypes may profit from targeted pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy.

Acupuncture represents a nonopioid alternative for treatment pain, but many institutions, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, are resistant to using the treatment.

Patients with insomnia had an increased risk of migraine and nonmigraine headache compared to those without insomnia.

Patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTMLD) have a significant greater risk of hospitalization and higher total healthcare expenditures than matched control patients without NTMLD.

Neuromuscular blocking agents, or muscle relaxants, are often used in surgery to prevent muscles from moving when a patient is unconscious. A recent study found that the use of neuromuscular blockers during general anesthesia is associated with an increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications.

A review of migraine and cluster headache emphasizes how their shared pathophysiological pathways may be important for identifying future treatments.

Benzodiazepines are typically prescribed to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms and are also typically prescribed for those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, a recent study found that long-term use of benzodiazepine medications in patients with both COPD and PTSD may be associated with a greater suicide risk.

For chronic sciatica, a recent study said that while gabapentin (GBP) and pregabalin (PGB) are both effective, GBP was found to be superior with fewer and less severe adverse events.

In some instances, migraine can be treated without medicine, meaning some patients with migraine can cut down on their medication use, according to a new study that demonstrated efficacy with an inhaler that slightly changes the body’s own molecules.

Insurers have inconsistent policy terms for nondrug treatments for low back pain while providing limited or no coverage for treatments that have scientific support, such as acupuncture and psychological counseling, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The first drug specifically to treat patients with Mycobacterium avium complex, a rare and chronic lung disease, has been approved by the FDA. Arikayce is also the first drug to be approved under the Limited Population Pathway for Antibacterial and Antifungal Drugs, established under the 21st Century Cures Act.

Some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience a sudden worsening of their symptoms that require additional treatment—also known as acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). A recent study, which investigated whether readmissions of patients with severe AECOPD varied according to the bacterium or virus identified, found that P. aeruginosa identification is associated with a higher readmission rate in patients.

Opioid abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs) represent 1 aspect of an opioid risk management plan that is aimed at managing a patient’s pain relief and quality of life while also protecting against harmful outcomes of opioid misuse. A report, published by the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, outlined ADF types and strategies and concluded all stakeholders play a role and must cooperate with opioid risk management in order to be effective.