Robotic-assisted Navigation Bronchoscopy: A Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Yield and Complications.

BACKGROUND: Robotic-assisted navigation bronchoscopy (RANB) is a novel method to biopsy lung nodules, with initial reports demonstrating excellent accuracy. We aimed to evaluate pooled estimates of diagnostic yields and complication rates with RANB by performing a meta-analysis of the available literature. METHODS: We searched 3 databases, including PubMed, EmBase, and Web of Science. The resulting abstracts were reviewed by 2 investigators. Analyses were performed using random effects models, and diagnostic yield and complication rates were estimated after the Freeman-Tukey transformation. RESULTS: A total of 23 articles, comprising 1409 patients and 1541 nodules, were included in the final analysis. Mean ages ranged from 63.2 to 69.3 years. The average size of the nodules ranged between 5.9 and 25.0 mm. Most patients (54.0% to 92.0%) had a current or prior smoking history in studies that reported them (n=8). The pooled diagnostic yield was 81.9% (12 studies, 838 nodules, 95% CI: 83.4%-91.0%), and the pooled sensitivity for malignancy was 87.6% (8 studies, 699 nodules, 95% CI: 81.3%-89.5%). The pooled incidence of pneumothorax rates was 0.60% (95% CI: 0.11%-1.35%). The pooled incidence of major bleeding was <0.01%. CONCLUSION: Diagnostic yield for patients with pulmonary nodules undergoing RANB is high, though may be impacted by the prevalence of malignancy, participant selection, and publication bias. Complication rates, including pneumothoraces and bleeding rates, appear low across all studies. If RANB is available, clinicians should consider utilizing this platform to biopsy pulmonary nodules.

Excess mortality risk from sepsis in patients with HIV - A meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Differences in HIV prevalence, access to antiretrovirals and ICU resources may result in wide variation in sepsis mortality in HIV patients. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to quantify the excess risk of sepsis mortality in HIV patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review was performed using three databases. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria was used for the presumptive diagnosis of sepsis. We only included studies that stratified sepsis mortality by HIV serostatus. A meta-analysis was performed using random effects models, with subgroup analyses performed using country income, sepsis severity, and time periods. RESULTS: 17 studies were included, containing 82,905 patients. Sepsis mortality was found to be 28% higher in the HIV positive patients (95% CI 1.13-1.46, p < .01). Relative risk of mortality was higher in patients treated in low-income countries (RR 1.43 in low-income vs. 1.29 in high-income countries). Mortality was more pronounced in HIV patients with severe sepsis (RR 1.32 in severe sepsis vs. RR 1.15 in sepsis). CONCLUSIONS: HIV increases the risk of sepsis mortality compared to seronegative individuals across all time periods and geographic areas. We note that this effect is more pronounced in patients with organ dysfunction.

Increasing Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria Infections in Veterans With COPD and Association With Increased Risk of Mortality.

Background: There are limited data on the epidemiology of Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections among patients with COPD, particularly in the veteran population. This study examined the prevalence, incidence, and mortality of pulmonary NTM infections among veterans with COPD population in the United States. Methods: We analyzed nationwide data from Veterans Affairs Hospitals from 2001 to 2015. First, we determined the incidence and prevalence rates and geographic distribution of NTM infections among veterans with COPD and then we evaluated the association between NTM infections with mortality among veterans with COPD. Pulmonary NTM and COPD diagnosis were defined based on charting claims for each condition on ≥2 occasions and ≥30 days apart. COPD diagnoses had to precede diagnosis of NTM. Cox Proportional-Hazards Regression was performed to determine the dependency of survival time of COPD patients with NTM. Results: The incidence and prevalence rates of NTM rose over the study period, with a sharp rise in incidence after 2012. The areas with the highest NTM period prevalence were Puerto Rico (370), followed by Florida (351) and District of Columbia (309) in 100,000 COPD population. Mortality registered for those patients with COPD Patients and NTM infection was 1.43 times higher compared to those that were uninfected. Conclusions: NTM rates have been increasing in veterans with COPD since 2012. NTM infection is associated with increased risk of mortality. This highlights the importance of identifying preventable risk factors associated with NTM infections in subjects with COPD.