Current practice in management of exudative pleural effusions-a survey of American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP).

Background: With increased availability of techniques to address pleural effusions including medical thoracoscopy (MT) and tunneled pleural catheter (TPC), we anticipate there has been an evolution in the practice pattern. We sought to evaluate the current practice patterns in the management of exudative pleural effusion in the interventional pulmonary (IP) community.

Methods: A questionnaire was developed and was disseminated to all listed American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP) members.

A single institution experience for the management of recurrent pleural effusions with tunneled pleural catheter and its evolution.

Background: Indwelling tunneled pleural catheters (TPCs) are increasingly being used to treat recurrent pleural effusions. There is also an increased interest in early pleurodesis in order to prevent infectious complications. We studied the time to removal and other outcomes for all the TPCs placed at our institution.

A bronchoscopic approach to benign subglottic stenosis.

Objectives: Subglottic stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the tracheal lumen at the level of subglottis (the area in between the vocal cords and the cricoid cartilage). It can cause significant symptoms due to severe attenuation of airflow. We describe our experience in alleviating symptoms by addressing the stenosis using fibreoptic bronchoscopic methods.

Perceptions of smoking and lung cancer in New Castle County, Delaware.

There is no standardized survey tool to capture adult respondents' knowledge of risks for lung cancer. We sought to develop such a tool and developed a test survey for this purpose. We designed and implemented this survey to identify knowledge of issues relating to smoking and lung cancer among patients of primary care practices in New Castle County, Delaware.

Diagnosis, management, and pathogenesis of TTP/HUS in an HIV positive patient.

An atypical presentation of HUS/TTP in an HIV positive adult with a prodrome of bloody diarrhea and lack of neurological deficits makes atypical HUS the likely etiology. This case demonstrates the differing treatment modalities for HUS and TTP given the atypical presentation and a discussion of the pathogenesis.

Fungal infections in bone marrow transplant recipients.

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) can cause significant morbidity and mortality in patients after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The two most notorious pathogenic fungal species in this group of patients are Candida and Aspergillus. Risk factors for IFIs include: prolonged neutropaenia; fungal overgrowth and conditioning regiment-related mucositis; graft versus host disease; and steroid therapy.

Recurrent high anion gap metabolic acidosis secondary to 5-oxoproline (pyroglutamic acid).

High anion gap metabolic acidosis in adults is a severe metabolic disorder for which the primary organic acid usually is apparent by clinical history and standard laboratory testing. We report a case of recurrent high anion gap metabolic acidosis in a 48-year-old man who initially presented with anorexia and malaise. Physical examination was unrevealing.