The Impact of Gravity vs Suction-driven Therapeutic Thoracentesis on Pressure-related Complications: The GRAVITAS Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Thoracentesis can be accomplished by active aspiration or drainage with gravity. This trial investigated whether gravity drainage could protect against negative pressure-related complications such as chest discomfort, re-expansion pulmonary edema, or pneumothorax compared with active aspiration.

Methods: This prospective, multicenter, single-blind, randomized controlled trial allocated patients with large free-flowing effusions estimated ≥ 500 mL 1:1 to undergo active aspiration or gravity drainage.

Sampling Utility of the Convex Probe Endobronchial Ultrasound Visible Intrapulmonary Lesion.

Background: The value of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the mediastinal staging of lung cancer has been well established. However, data regarding its utility in the diagnosis of intrapulmonary lesions has been sparse. This study assesses the sampling utility of convex probe EBUS-visible intrapulmonary lesions not visualized by the white-light bronchoscopy.

Clinical Success Stenting Distal Bronchi for "Lobar Salvage" in Bronchial Stenosis.

Background: Airway stents are traditionally used in central airway obstructions to maintain airway patency. Historically, distal bronchial stenting within lobar and segmental bronchi has not been amenable to stenting. In addition, there are questionable benefits to stenting small airways.

Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transvascular Needle Aspiration: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is well established for the staging and diagnosis of lung cancer and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Central mediastinal vascular structures may preclude EBUS-TBNA access to lymph nodes in the aortopulmonary window and certain centrally located parenchymal lesions. Thus, a transvascular approach is necessitated.

Cost effectiveness of bronchial thermoplasty in patients with severe uncontrolled asthma.

Rationale: Based on its clinical effectiveness, bronchial thermoplasty (BT) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2010 for the treatment of severe persistent asthma in patients 18 years and older whose asthma is not well-controlled with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonist medicines.

Objective: Assess the 10 year cost-effectiveness of BT for individuals with severe uncontrolled asthma.

Methods: Using a Markov decision analytic model, the cost-effectiveness of BT was estimated.

EGFR mutational genotyping of liquid based cytology samples obtained via fine needle aspiration (FNA) at endobronchial ultrasound of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Objectives: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation status should be determined in all patients with advanced, non-squamous non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) to guide targeted therapy with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. EGFR mutations are commonly tested by Sanger sequencing or allele specific polymerase chain reaction (ASPCR) on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples including cell blocks (CB) that may fail due to absence of tumor cells. The cell pellet from cytology specimens obtained at the time of endobronchial guided ultrasound fine needle aspiration (EBUS FNA) (EBUS-TBNA, transbronchial needle aspiration) represents an alternative resource for additional tissue.