Robotic Assisted Thoracoscopic Repair of Iatrogenic Tracheal Rupture.

Tracheal rupture is a rare condition, and its most common cause is head and neck trauma. Iatrogenic rupture is extremely rare and has multiple causes of which orotracheal intubation is the most common (1). Its importance derives from the associated high morbidity and mortality.

Esophageal Pressure Measurement in Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure Due to Severe COPD Exacerbation Requiring NIV-A Pilot Safety Study.

Esophageal pressure (Pes) measurements could optimise ventilator parameters in acute respiratory failure (ARF) patients requiring noninvasive ventilation (NIV). Consequently, the objectives of our study were to evaluate the safety and accuracy of applying a Pes measuring protocol in ARF patients with AECOPD under NIV in our respiratory intermediate care unit (RICU). An observational cohort study was undertaken.

Asthma in Pregnancy. Review of Current Literature and Recommendations.

Asthma is the most common respiratory disorder affecting women during pregnancy. Although it is a reversible disease, it may adversely affect maternal quality of life and perinatal outcomes, especially in severe and inappropriately managed cases. Conversely, pregnancy influences the course of asthma through the physiological respiratory, hormonal, and immune system changes.

Predictors of Long-term Mortality after Hospitalization for Severe COPD Exacerbation.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health problem resulting in significant morbidity. Acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) is a severe complication associated with increased short- and long-term mortality. Identifying predictors of long-term mortality after a severe AECOPD may improve management and long-term outcome of this disease.

Predictors of outcome of noninvasive ventilation in severe COPD exacerbation.

Background: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) reduces the rate of endotracheal intubation (ETI) and overall mortality in severe acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) with acute respiratory failure and is increasingly applied in respiratory intermediate care units. However, inadequate patient selection and incorrect management of NIV increase mortality. We aimed to identify factors that predict the outcome of NIV in AECOPD.

Pulmonary Hypertension Complicating Fibrosing Mediastinitis.

Fibrosing mediastinitis is caused by a proliferation of fibrous tissue in the mediastinum with encasement of mediastinal viscera and compression of mediastinal bronchovascular structures. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe complication of fibrosing mediastinitis caused by extrinsic compression of the pulmonary arteries and/or veins.We have conducted a retrospective observational study reviewing clinical, functional, hemodynamic, radiological characteristics, and outcome of 27 consecutive cases of PH associated with fibrosing mediastinitis diagnosed between 2003 and 2014 at the French Referral Centre for PH.

[Microcalorimetry -- a new method for bacterial characterisation].

The microcalorimetry is a method used for recording of the heat produced by a thermodinamic system in a scale of micronanojouls. One of the domains in which this method is used is the one called bacterial microcalorimetry, which studies the heat generated by the bacterial populations. The process of bacterial growth can be monitored in real time by the recording a graph of the generated power over time.

The potential for macitentan, a new dual endothelin receptor antagonist, in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

In recent years in the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) represent a well-established class of therapeutic agents with clear beneficial effects. Macitentan (Opsumit), a dual ERA optimized for efficacy and safety, is the newest drug in the class. Macitentan presents a number of key beneficial characteristics, including increased in vivo preclinical efficacy versus existing ERAs, resulting from sustained receptor binding and physicochemical properties that allow enhanced tissue penetration.

Comparative analysis of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli microcalorimetric growth.

Background: Microcalorimetric bacterial growth studies have illustrated that thermograms differ significantly with both culture media and strain. The present contribution examines the possibility of discriminating between certain bacterial strains by microcalorimetry and the qualitative and quantitative contribution of the sample volume to the observed thermograms. Growth patterns of samples of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) were analyzed.

MicroDSC study of Staphylococcus epidermidis growth.

Background: A microcalorimetric study was carried out using a Staphylococcus epidermidis population to determine the reproducibility of bacterial growth and the variability of the results within certain experimental parameters (temperature, bacterial concentration, sample thermal history). Reproducibility tests were performed as series of experiments within the same conditions using either freshly prepared populations or samples kept in cold storage. In both cases, the samples were obtained by serial dilution from a concentrated TSB bacterial inoculum incubated overnight.