Bronchoscopist's perception of the quality of the single-use bronchoscope (Ambu aScope4™) in selected bronchoscopies: a multicenter study in 21 Spanish pulmonology services.

BACKGROUND: The disposable bronchoscope is an excellent alternative to face the problem of SARS-CoV-2 and other cross infections, but the bronchoscopist's perception of its quality has not been evaluated. METHODS: To evaluate the quality of the Ambu-aScope4 disposable bronchoscope, we carried out a cross-sectional study in 21 Spanish pulmonology services. We use a standardized questionnaire completed by the bronchoscopists at the end of each bronchoscopy. The variables were described with absolute and relative frequencies, measures of central tendency and dispersion depending on their nature. The existence of learning curves was evaluated by CUSUM analysis. RESULTS: The most frequent indications in 300 included bronchoscopies was bronchial aspiration in 69.3% and the median duration of these was 9.1 min. The route of entry was nasal in 47.2% and oral in 34.1%. The average score for ease of use, image, and aspiration quality was 80/100. All the planned techniques were performed in 94.9% and the bronchoscopist was satisfied in 96.6% of the bronchoscopies. They highlighted the portability and immediacy of the aScope4TM to start the procedure in 99.3%, the possibility of taking and storing images in 99.3%. The CUSUM analysis showed average scores > 70/100 from the first procedure and from the 9th procedure more than 80% of the scores exceeded the 80/100 score. CONCLUSIONS: The aScope4™ scored well for ease of use, imaging, and aspiration. We found a learning curve with excellent scores from the 9th procedure. Bronchoscopists highlighted its portability, immediacy of use and the possibility of taking and storing images.

[All Roads Lead to Rome: Results of Non-Invasive Respiratory Therapies Applied in a Tertiary-Care Hospital Without an Intermediate Care Unit During the COVID-19 Pandemic]. / Todos los caminos llevan a Roma: resultados de las terapias respiratorias no invasivas aplicadas en un centro terciario sin Unidad de Cuidados Intermedios durante la pandemia de COVID-19.

Introduction: Non-invasive respiratory therapies (NRT) were widely used in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in different settings, depending on availability. The objective of our study was to present 90-day survival and associated factors in patients treated with NRT in a tertiary hospital without an Intermediate Respiratory Care Unit. The secondary objective was to compare the outcomes of the different therapies. Methods: Observational study of patients treated with NRT outside of an intensive care or intermediate respiratory care unit setting, diagnosed with COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome by radiological criteria and SpO2/FiO2 ratio. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed to determine independently associated variables, and the outcomes of high flow nasal cannula and continuous positive airway pressure were compared. Results: In total, 107 patients were treated and 85 (79.4%) survived at 90 days. Before starting NRT, the mean SpO2/FiO2 ratio was 119.8 ± 59.4. A higher SOFA score was significantly associated with mortality (OR 2,09; 95% CI 1.34-3.27), while self-pronation was a protective factor (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.06-0.91). High flow nasal cannula was used in 63 subjects (58.9%), and continuous positive airway pressure in 41 (38.3%), with no differences between them. Conclusion: Approximately 4 out of 5 patients treated with NRT survived to 90 days, and no significant differences were found between high flow nasal cannula and continuous positive airway pressure.

Hidatidosis pulmonar como causa de hemoptisis recidivante / Pulmonary hydatidosis as a cause of recurrent hemoptysis

La hidatidosis es una zoonosis poco frecuente causada por cestodos del género Echinococcus. El órgano afectado con mayor frecuencia es el hígado, seguido del pulmón. La hidatidosis pulmonar se caracteriza por cursar de forma asintomática en la mayoría de los casos, y en muchas ocasiones suele ser un hallazgo casual en estudios realizados con otros fines. El diagnóstico resulta complejo por la diversidad de la presentación clínica, las pruebas serológicas pueden resultar negativas y los hallazgos de laboratorio son inespecíficos, por lo que debería ser un diagnóstico a tener en cuenta sobre todo en zonas con alta prevalencia de esta infestación. (AU)

Hydatidosis is a rare zoonosis caused by cestodes of the genus Echinococcus. The most frequently affected organ is the liver, followed by the lung. Pulmonary hydatidosis is characterized by an asymptomatic course in most cases, and in many cases it is usually an incidental finding in studies performed for other purposes. The diagnosis is complex due to the diversity of the clinical presentation, serological tests can be negative and laboratory findings are nonspecific, so it should be a diagnosis to consider especially in areas with high prevalence of this infestation. (AU)

Effectiveness and Safety of Bronchial Thermoplasty in Severe Asthma in Clinical Practice in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is a minimally invasive procedure consisting of application of thermal energy into the airways to produce ablation of the hypertrophic smooth muscle. It was approved for use in moderate-severe asthma in Spain in 2010. OBJECTIVES: The aims of the present study are to analyze the effectiveness and the safety of BT in clinical practice in our center. METHODS: Participants had a confirmed diagnosis of severe asthma and poor control without therapeutic alternative. Effectiveness was measured by comparing exacerbations, admissions rates, asthma control, and medication 1 year prior and 1 year after BT was completed. All complications appearing during the procedure and in the first year were recorded. RESULTS: Patients had a mean age of 51 (SD 8) years and were predominantly female (17/23). The average number of activations per patient was 147 (16). The number of severe exacerbations was reduced by 75% (p < 0.001). A 38% reduction in admissions per year was also observed (p = 0.03). The Asthma Control Test improved by 7.1 (3.7) points (p = 0.018). Before BT, the dose of inhaled corticosteroids was 1,621 (1,015) µg of budesonide-equivalent and the dose of oral corticosteroids was 15 (13) mg of prednisone-equivalent. There was a reduction in 430 (731) µg of budesonide-equivalent (p = 0.02) and 4 (11) mg of prednisone (p = 0.094). No changes in lung function were observed. Complications were related mostly to exacerbation of asthma in the days following the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: BT is effective and safe for severe uncontrolled bronchial asthma in real clinical practice.

Neumoperitoneo como complicación de fibrobroncoscopia. Reporte de un caso / Pneumoperitoneum complicating bronchoscopy. Case report

El uso diagnóstico y terapéutico de la broncoscopia flexible (BF) ha tenido una gran evolución desde que Gustav Killian realizó en 1897 la primera endoscopia traqueal para extraer un cuerpo extraño1. Con el pasar de los años se ha demostrado que es un procedimiento seguro2 con una mortalidad escasa (< 0.1%) siendo sus complicaciones infrecuentes y derivadas principalmente del tipo de técnica, de las propias comorbilidades del paciente y de la sedación3. Dentro de las complicaciones infrecuentes podemos mencionar el neumomediastino y el neumoperitoneo que generalmente se deben a la presencia de una ruptura gástrica. Presentamos el caso de un paciente de 58 años que 15 días tras la realización de una BF, presenta el hallazgo incidental de un neumoperitoneo asintomático sin evidencia de lesión gástrica (AU)

The diagnostic and therapeutic use of flexible bronchoscopy has evolved greatly since Gustav Killian performed the first tracheal endoscopy in 1897 to remove a foreign body. Over the years it has been shown that it is a safe procedure with low mortality (< 0.1%), with a small rate of complications which are mainly due to the type of technique, the patient’s own comorbidities and sedation. Among the infrequent complications we can mention pneumomediastinum and pneumoperitoneum, which are generally due to the presence of a gastric rupture. We present the case of a 58-year-old patient who, 15 days after performing a flexible bronchoscopy, presented an incidental asymptomatic pneumoperitoneum with no evidence of gastric lesion (AU)

Impact of calcium intake on body mass index in Venezuelan adolescents.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide, affecting approximately 15% of adolescents in Venezuela, 17% in United States, and more than 30% in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Recent studies have shown that dietary calcium and dairy intake are associated with body fat. These studies show that a high calcium intake results in low body mass index (BMI). Therefore, the objective of the present study is to relate calcium intake from foods rich in calcium-rich foods to body weight and BMI in a random sample of 100 adolescents, aged 13-18 years. Anthropometric measurements (weight and height) were obtained for each participant, who also completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), modified with calcium-rich foods. Dietary calcium consumption was 1076+/-534 mg/d among the adolescents, which represented an adequacy of 90%. A negative and significant association was found between calcium intake and BMI in the boys aged 13-15 years (r=-0.39, p<0.05). This population subgroup exhibited the widest range of BMI values among all groups evaluated. This correlation was not found among the older boys (aged 16-18 years) or girls, in which BMI was in the normal range and with relatively high calcium intake. In conclusion, we found that high calcium intake in younger boys was related to a lower BMI. A high calcium intake, not only helps to maintain a healthy body weight, but also is essential for acquiring peak bone mass in this crucial stage of life.

El futuro de las pruebas de esfuerzo / The Future of Exercise Tolerance Testing

No disponible

A case of human conjunctival dirofilariosis by Dirofilaria immitis in Italy.

This short communication describes a case of human conjunctival dirofilariosis by Dirofilaria immitis. A 51-year-old man from the Emilia-Romagna region of northeastern Italy referred for ocular foreign body sensation in his right eye. A slight swelling of the bulbar conjunctiva was observed. A live, whitish, 10-cm-long nematode was extracted from the subconjunctival space. Histology revealed typical features of a filarioid nematode belonging to the genus Dirofilaria sp. Molecular analysis with polymerase chain reaction confirmed that the extracted nematode was a male of D. immitis. The removal of the parasite leads to complete resolution of symptoms. Ocular human dirofilariosis caused by infection with the filarioid nematode D. immitis is extremely rare, but should be considered in humans living in Italian endemic areas.