2025 CHEST Conference Highlights
In this episode, pulmonary and critical care leaders share the most exciting takeaways from the CHEST annual meeting—where innovation and practical insights meet bedside care. Our experts discuss sessions that cover real-world strategies for managing the morbidly obese ICU patient, from fine-tuning ventilation to navigating complex drug dosing. They cover presentations that give an inside look at cutting-edge sepsis research shaping new hemodynamic guidelines. They review the growing integration of AI across pulmonary and critical care research, including groundbreaking biomarker research that could redefine precision medicine in the ICU. Beyond the science, our hosts celebrate the vibrant mentorship and collaboration that make this annual CHEST conference a hub for advancing pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.

This podcast delivers a high-impact, practical discussion on managing critically ill pregnant patients—an area often outside the daily comfort zone of many pulmonary and critical care physicians. From recognizing subtle red flags like mild hypertension and tachypnea to navigating the complexities of airway management in the third trimester, this episode dives into scenarios you may face in emergent situations. The discussion covers the physiologic pitfalls of intubation, aspiration risks and the value of upright airway positioning, backed by simulation-based training insights. You'll also gain a grounded perspective on the judicious use of point-of-care ultrasound in obstetric emergencies and when to defer to specialists. This episode reinforces core principles and equips you with knowledge to recognize danger early and collaborate effectively under pressure.

What makes the ATS the go-to home for clinicians, researchers and educators in pulmonary health? In this inspiring episode, the new ATS president lays out a bold vision to strengthen the society’s impact—from elevating the quality and timeliness of clinical guidelines to expanding opportunities for every member to engage, grow, and lead. Whether you're a junior investigator or a seasoned clinician, tune in to discover why ATS is more than just a conference—it's a community where your work, voice, and passion truly matter.

What if subtle CT findings you're used to skimming over could actually predict increased mortality and signal the earliest stages of fibrotic lung disease? In this episode, we dive into how interstitial lung abnormalities—once considered incidental and insignificant—are now being redefined, reclassified and closely scrutinized in light of new evidence and evolving guidelines from ATS and Fleischner. Join us as we explore the diagnostic gray zones, progression risks, radiologic pitfalls and whether AI might soon help us see clearly through the fog.

Discover how Cleveland Clinic transformed a single ultrasound machine into a cutting-edge, hospital-wide Point-of-Care Ultrasonography (POCUS) program that now performs thousands of cardiac, lung, and vascular ultrasounds annually. In this episode, Drs. Ajit Moghekar and Siddharth Dugar detail their journey from early adoption to national leadership in POCUS, including its critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic and its integration into Epic and PACS for real-time clinical decision-making. Learn how they’ve overcome barriers in training, quality assurance and workflow optimization to standardize and scale across regional ICUs. The discussion also explores advanced applications like TEE during cardiac arrest, novel diagnostics in ARDS and sepsis phenotyping, and how AI and wearable ultrasound tech are set to revolutionize critical care. If you're invested in elevating bedside care with innovative imaging, this is the podcast for you.

Chronic cough is an often-misunderstood condition that places a significant quality of life burden on patients and their loved ones. For providers, this complex condition requires more than just symptom management—it calls for expert, patient-centered evaluation. In this podcast, Dr. Rachel Taliercio and Dr. Michael Ghobrial discuss how early referral to a specialized chronic cough clinic can reduce unnecessary testing, avoid treatment delays and uncover treatable causes that are often missed. They review how thoughtful history-taking and using guideline-based diagnostics can improve outcomes. They assess promising new medication trials, and how innovations like AI-powered cough monitoring and Behavioral Cough Suppression Therapy are transforming chronic cough care.

In this episode of Respiratory Exchange, titled "Treating CTEPH: Surgery, Medication or Balloon Angioplasty?" Dr. Gustavo Heresi and Dr. Alice Goyanes discuss specialized, dedicated treatment options for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), a type of pulmonary vascular disease. They review when pulmonary endarterectomy is appropriate. They also discuss treatment options for patients who are not candidates for surgery, such as those with decompensated cirrhosis or metastatic cancer. For those patients, they consider the options such as using the FDA-approved vasodilator, Riociguat, and balloon angioplasty. They also note the benefits of discussion with vascular medicine and hematology.

Dr. Amy Attaway and Dr. Dan Culver review the emerging relationship between COPD patients who have intermittent hypoxemia and an increase they have in co-morbidities and mortality. They discuss how multiple associative studies suggest that intermittent hypoxemia may impact musculature, cardiovascular and neurologic systems. Dr. Attaway and Dr. Culver also underscore the need to review studies in light of the impact of skin pigmentation on oximetry, the connection to Sarcopenia and a related shift in muscle fibers from Type 1 to Type 2.