Applying a low-flow CO2 removal device in severe acute hypercapnic respiratory failure.

A novel and portable extracorporeal CO2-removal device was evaluated to provide additional gas transfer, auxiliary to standard therapy in severe acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. A dual-lumen catheter was inserted percutaneously in five subjects (mean age 55 ± 0.4 years) and, subsequently, connected to the CO2-removal device.

A phase I study of concurrent individualized, isotoxic accelerated radiotherapy and cisplatin-vinorelbine-cetuximab in patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: In this open-label phase I study, the maximum-tolerated dose of cetuximab with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (C-CRT) in stage III non-small-cell lung cancer together with individualized, isotoxic accelerated radiotherapy (RT) was investigated.

Methods: Patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer, World Health Organization performance status 0-1, forced expiratory volume in 1 second more than 50%, carbon monoxide diffusing capacity more than 50%, weight loss less than 10%, and no severe comorbidity were enrolled. Patients without progression after one to two cycles of gemcitabine-carboplatin were included and treated with cetuximab 400 mg/kg d7 and 250 mg/kg weekly together with RT and cisplatin (50 mg/m d1, 8; 40 mg/m d22)-vinorelbine for 5 weeks.

Open window thoracostomy treatment of empyema is accelerated by vacuum-assisted closure.

Background: Recurrent thoracic empyema in the presence of residual lung tissue can be treated with an open window thoracostomy (OWT). Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) of these large thoracic defects is a novel option.

Methods: Nineteen patients with residual lung tissue received an OWT for treatment of recurrent thoracic empyema.

Effectiveness of managing suspected pulmonary embolism using an algorithm combining clinical probability, D-dimer testing, and computed tomography.

Context: Previous studies have evaluated the safety of relatively complex combinations of clinical decision rules and diagnostic tests in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

Objective: To assess the clinical effectiveness of a simplified algorithm using a dichotomized clinical decision rule, D-dimer testing, and computed tomography (CT) in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

Design, Setting, And Patients: Prospective cohort study of consecutive patients with clinically suspected acute pulmonary embolism, conducted in 12 centers in the Netherlands from November 2002 through December 2004.

The destroyed lung syndrome: report of a case after Harrington rod instrumentation and fusion for idiopathic scoliosis.

Study Design: A case report is described.

Objective: To describe the very rare complication of destroyed lung syndrome after scoliosis correction.

Summary Of Background Data: The destroyed lung syndrome has, to our knowledge, never been associated with scoliosis in the literature.