A Case Series of Secondary Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum and Pneumothorax in Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Introduction Pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax are uncommon complications in COVID-19 patients. The exact prevalence, etiology, and outcomes are not well known. We report a case series of patients in our institution with COVID-19 related pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax and address these questions.

Hypertriglyceridemia and massive rhabdomyolysis in a patient with disseminated legionella.

Legionella most commonly presents as pneumonia but can have disseminated involvement, presenting as extra-pulmonary disease involving gastrointestinal, neurological, cardiac, renal, and musculoskeletal systems, and skin and soft tissues. We present a case of a patient with pneumonia, rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, hypertriglyceridemia, pancreatitis, and cutaneous involvement. This case highlights the breath of involvement legionella can have, including the never previously documented manifestation of hypertriglyceridemia and severe rhabdomyolysis with the highest creatinine kinase recorded.

RasGRF Couples Nox4-Dependent Endoplasmic Reticulum Signaling to Ras.

Objectives: In response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, endothelial cells initiate corrective pathways such as the unfolded protein response. Recent studies suggest that reactive oxygen species produced on the ER may participate in homeostatic signaling through Ras in response to ER stress. We sought to identify mechanisms responsible for this focal signaling pathway.

The SF-36 and 6-Minute Walk Test are Significant Predictors of Complications After Major Surgery.

Background: Major surgeries are associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality. Current preoperative evaluation fails to identify patients at increased risk of postoperative complications. This study is aimed to determine whether the Short Form-36 health survey (SF-36) and the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) are useful predictors of postoperative complications after major surgery.

Mechanisms of lung endothelial barrier disruption induced by cigarette smoke: role of oxidative stress and ceramides.

The epithelial and endothelial cells lining the alveolus form a barrier essential for the preservation of the lung respiratory function, which is, however, vulnerable to excessive oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic insults. Whereas profound breaches in this barrier function cause pulmonary edema, more subtle changes may contribute to inflammation. The mechanisms by which cigarette smoke (CS) exposure induce lung inflammation are not fully understood, but an early alteration in the epithelial barrier function has been documented.

Activated protein C attenuates acute lung injury and apoptosis in a hyperoxic animal model.

Evidence suggests that activated protein C (APC) attenuates acute lung injury (ALI) through antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of APC on ALI in adult rats exposed to hyperoxic environment. Rats were divided into control, hyperoxia, hyperoxia + APC, and APC.