Pneumothorax as a complication of central venous catheter insertion.

The central venous catheter (CVC) is a catheter placed into a large vein in the neck [internal jugular vein (IJV)], chest (subclavian vein or axillary vein) or groin (femoral vein). There are several situations that require the insertion of a CVC mainly to administer medications or fluids, obtain blood tests (specifically the "central venous oxygen saturation"), and measure central venous pressure. CVC usually remain in place for a longer period of time than other venous access devices.

Operation for preservation of lung parenchyma in central lung cancer--in vivo and ex situ reimplantation techniques.

Background/aim: Lobar reimplantation techniques enable the safe resection of lung cancer when pneumonectomy is not desirable or not feasible. We report our experience with this procedure.

Patients And Methods: Patients with difficult to resect upper/middle lobe non-small cell lung cancer were included.

Long-term data from the Swiss pulmonary hypertension registry.

Background: Registries are important for real-life epidemiology on different pulmonary hypertension (PH) groups.

Objective: To provide long-term data of the Swiss PH registry of 1998-2012.

Methods: PH patients have been classified into 5 groups and registered upon written informed consent at 5 university and 8 associated hospitals since 1998.

Real-life effectiveness of smoking-cessation treatments in general practice clinics in Denmark. The Escape Smoke project.

Background: The smoking prevalence has not decreased in the last years in Denmark. General practice (GP) offers smoking cessation (SC) treatment. Studies of real-life effectiveness of daily practice SC-activities from the GP-setting opposed to efficacy results from randomized clinical trials are few.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) as preoperative test before lung resection.

Lung resection is still the only potentially curative therapy for patients with localized non-small lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the presence of cardiovascular comorbidities and underlying lung disease increases the risk of postoperative complications. Various studies have evaluated the use of different preoperative tests in order to identify patients with an increased risk for postoperative complications, associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased morbidity and mortality.

Effect of oxygen and acetazolamide on nocturnal cardiac conduction, repolarization, and arrhythmias in precapillary pulmonary hypertension and sleep-disturbed breathing.

Background: Sleep-disturbed breathing (SDB) is common in patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH). Nocturnal oxygen therapy (NOT) and acetazolamide improve SDB in patients with PH, and NOT improves exercise capacity. We investigated the effect of NOT and acetazolamide on nocturnal cardiac conduction, repolarization, and arrhythmias in patients with PH and SDB.

Effect of nocturnal oxygen and acetazolamide on exercise performance in patients with pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension and sleep-disturbed breathing: randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial.

Aim: Sleep-disturbed breathing (SDB) is common in pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) and impairs daytime performance. In lack of proven effective treatments, we tested whether nocturnal oxygen therapy (NOT) or acetazolamide improve exercise performance and quality of life in patients with pre-capillary PH and SDB.

Methods: This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, three period cross-over trial.

Microbiology of the middle meatus compared to sputum in young patients with cystic fibrosis from Bahia - Brazil.

Lower airway infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis. It is currently unknown if the infection of the upper airway can cause exacerbation of lower respiratory tract infection. This study aimed to determine the microbiological profile of the anterior paranasal sinuses outflow tract (middle meatus) of cystic fibrosis outpatients.

Measurement of exhaled alveolar nitrogen oxide in patients with lung cancer: a friend from the past still precious today.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a marker of airway inflammation and indirectly a general indicator of inflammation and oxidative stress. NO is a contributing factor in lung cancer at an early stage and also after chemotherapy treatment of lung cancer. We studied whether exhaled NO levels were altered by three cycles of chemotherapy at diagnosis and after chemotherapy, and whether, directly or indirectly, these changes were related to the course of disease.

Case report: polyuria related to dexmedetomidine.

Dexmedetomidine has become a popular sedative in the intensive care unit for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation because of its highly selective α-2 agonism, which exerts a combination of anesthetic, analgesic, and anxiolytic effects. Bradycardia and hypotension have been reported as the most common side effects of its use in large studies. Dexmedetomidine has been reported to induce polyuria by suppressing vasopressin secretion and increasing permeability of the collecting ducts in a dose-dependent fashion.

Solitary papillomas of the lower airways: epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic data during a 22-year period and review of the literature.

Introduction: Solitary respiratory papillomas (SRPs) are considered uncommon yet benign neoplasms of the lower respiratory tract. Most of our understanding stems from single case reports or limited case series.

Objective: To determine the incidence of solitary SRPs and more accurately describe the localization, distribution of subtypes of solitary SRPs, clinical features, and the risk of malignant transformation.

Williams-Campbell syndrome: a case report.

Introduction: Williams-Campbell syndrome, also known as bronchomalacia, is a rare disorder characterized by a deficiency of cartilage in subsegmental bronchi, leading to distal airway collapse and bronchiectasis. There have been few reports about patients affected by saccular bronchiectasis, paracicatricial emphysema, and diminished cartilage. These are all characteristic of Williams-Campbell syndrome.

Chronic cough and OSA: a new association?

Chronic cough is defined as cough lasting more than 2 months. Common causes for chronic cough in nonsmokers with normal chest radiographs and pulmonary functions include gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), cough-variant asthma (CVA), and upper airway cough syndrome (UACS). Current guidelines recommend diagnosing the etiology of chronic cough based upon the results of therapy for suspected GERD, CVA, and UACS.

Oxidative DNA damage and somatic mutations: a link to the molecular pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory airway diseases.

Background: Acquired somatic mutations induced by oxidative stress may contribute to the molecular pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory airway diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the intensity of oxidative DNA damage and the presence of microsatellite DNA instability (MSI), a marker of acquired somatic mutations, in patients with COPD, patients with noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, and control subjects.

Methods: Induced sputum and peripheral blood from 97 subjects were analyzed; 36 patients with COPD, 36 patients with bronchiectasis, 15 smokers without COPD, and 10 healthy control subjects.

Long acting somatostatin analogues in combination to antineoplastic agents in the treatment of small cell lung cancer patients.

Background: Long acting somatostatin analogues combined with platinum analogues have demonstrated an antiproliferative effect on growth of human SCLC xenographs.

Method: 130 previously untreated SCLC patients--54 with limited disease (LD) and positive somatostatin receptors were included in the study. All patients performed 111In-Octreotide scanning before chemotherapy (CHT), every 3 months and up to 4 times.

Comparison of photoplethysmographic and arterial tonometry-derived indices of arterial stiffness.

Arterial tonometry is a method to assess arterial stiffness and has become a valuable tool in the stratification of cardiovascular risk. The arterial tonometry-derived augmentation index (AIx) is a marker of arterial stiffness and an independent predictor of mortality. As the AIx is relatively cumbersome to obtain, simpler methods such as analysis of pulse waves obtained by digital photoplethysmography have been proposed to estimate arterial stiffness.

Orbital metastases as the first manifestation of lung adenocarcinoma.

Reduction in visual acuity due to orbital metastasis is rarely the first sign of lung cancer and very few cases have been published in the literature. Here we report a rare case of lung adenocarcinoma with orbital metastasis as the first presenting sign. The incidence of primary tumors that metastasize to the orbit is approximately 7%.

Therapeutic pneumoperitoneum in a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis and persistent fever.

Artificial pneumoperitoneum represents a therapeutic technique first applied in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in prechemotherapy antimycobacterial era. A 25-year-old patient presented with pulmonary TB diagnosed during the 8th month of her pregnancy. She was febrile and in severe clinical condition.

Iliopsoas tuberculous abscess associated with cervical and axillary tuberculous lymphadenopathy.

The authors report a case of iliopsoas tuberculous abscess without obvious spinal column involvement. Cervical and axillary tuberculous lymphadenopathy were also presented. Despite appropriate antituberculous treatment, patient required percutaneous drainage with CT-guided catheter insertion.

Tracheal aspirate Gram stain has limited sensitivity and specificity for detecting Staphylococcus aureus.

Background And Objective: The increasing incidence of respiratory infections due to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus has resulted in increased empirical use of antibiotics active against this pathogen. There are limited data available as to whether the Gram stain of respiratory tract secretions accurately predicts growth of S. aureus.

Chronic cough and obstructive sleep apnea in a community-based pulmonary practice.

Background: Recent reports suggest an association between unexplained chronic cough and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Current guidelines provide an empiric integrative approach to the management of chronic cough, particularly for etiologies of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) and cough variant asthma (CVA) but do not provide any recommendations regarding testing for OSA. This study was done to evaluate the prevalence of OSA in patients referred for chronic cough and examine the impact of treating OSA in resolution of chronic cough.

Lady Windermere syndrome after cardiac surgery procedure: a case of Mycobacterium avium complex pneumonia.

We present a patient with Lady Windermere syndrome after coronary bypass operation. To avoid the sternal pain that occurred after every cough episode, this patient used to receive large doses of antitussive drugs. In a poorly drained lung, this usage leads to the development of regions of colonization with Mycobacterium avium complex.