Background: Mechanical ventilation (MV) management is an essential skill for pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) fellows to master during training. The unprecedented emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the need for advanced operator competency in MV to improve patients' outcomes.
Objective: We aimed to create a standardized case-based curriculum using a blended approach of high-fidelity simulation, rapid-cycle deliberate practice, video didactics, and hands-on small group sessions for rapid accumulation of knowledge and hands-on skills for PCCM fellows before caring for critically ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Introduction: Thoracentesis is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the inpatient setting. Although coagulation profile is usually evaluated prior to thoracentesis, bleeding is a rare complication, occurring in less than 1% of the cases. Several society guidelines recommend holding antiplatelet medications and anticoagulants prior to thoracentesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is used for treatment of a myriad of both malignant and non-malignant disorders. However, despite many advances over the years which have resulted in improved patient mortality, this subset of patients remains at risk for a variety of post-transplant complications. Pulmonary complications of HSCT are categorized into infectious and non-infectious and occur in up to one-third of patients undergoing HSCT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is the standard diagnostic method for sampling mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. Non-diagnostic samples have led some pulmonologists to add a miniforceps biopsy (EBUS-TBFB) in order to increase diagnostic yield. Our study aims to analyze the impact of adding EBUS-TBFB to the EBUS-TBNA in cases where Rapid On-site Evaluation (ROSE) was negative for malignancy or was non-diagnostic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF