Recognizing Vocal Cord Dysfunction: Exercising Caution Before Intubation.

Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is the inappropriate adduction of the vocal cords during inhalation and sometimes, exhalation. Vocal cord dysfunction is often misdiagnosed in the emergency room as asthma exacerbation or laryngeal angioedema, leading to unnecessary and potentially harmful interventions including intubation and mechanical ventilation. Based on this, it is especially important to recognize this condition early to avoid intubation, which can further worsen VCD.

War is the Enemy of Health. Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine in War-Torn Syria.

The Syrian crisis, now in its fifth year, has created an unprecedented strain on health services and systems due to the protracted nature of the warfare, the targeting of medics and health care infrastructure, the exodus of physicians and nurses, the shortage of medical supplies and medications, and the disruption of medical education and training. Within a few short years, the life expectancy of resident Syrians has declined by 20 years. Over the first 4 years of the conflict, more than 75,000 civilians died from injuries incurred in the violence.

Duropleural fistula manifested as a large pleural transudate: an unusual complication of transthoracic diskectomy.

A 52-year-old patient presented with large symptomatic transudative pleural effusion 4 months following T8 to T9 transthoracic diskectomy. Anterior approach diskectomy has replaced the traditional laminectomy for treating symptomatic centrally herniated and calcified thoracic disks. We describe in this report the first case of a large cerebrospinal fluid collection in the pleural cavity caused by persistent postoperative duropleural fistula.