Usefulness of Routine Bronchial Aspirate of Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration.

INTRODUCTION: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is commonly used for the study of intrathoracic lymphadenopathy and centrally tumours but no report has discussed the contribution of routine cytological and microbiological BA during the procedure. The aim of the study was to analyse the diagnostic yield of BA during EBUS, and to determine the potential cost reduction. METHODS: A prospective study of cytological and microbiological BA collected during EBUS-TBNA was conducted between January 2021 and June 2022. Demographic data, indication, previous BA bronchoscopy or EBUS diagnosis were recorded. The main variable tested was the number of patients in which the result of the BA obtained through EBUS-TBNA determined a change in the diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 450 (70.9% male) patients were included. BA cytology showed abnormal cells in 33 (7.3%) of patients, and only 1 case (0.2%) provided a previously unknown diagnosis. All these cases were patients with suspected malignancy. BA microbiological samples found germens in 30 (6.7%) patients but only in 5 cases (1.1%) found microbiological specimens not detected in previous bronchoscopy. None of them received antibiotics and evolved correctly. The potential total cost reduction during the study period at our centre if routine BA was deleted would be 21,937.50€ for routinely combined study. CONCLUSIONS: The low diagnostic yield of cytological and microbiological bronchial aspirate in EBUS-TBNA supports the idea of not performing routine BA. Although the potential for cost savings in caring for an individual patient is modest, many centres routinely perform BA, so the potential savings could be significant.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Infectious Complications of EBUS-TBNA: Prospective Multicenter Study.

The aim of our study was to describe the incidence of infectious complications of endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and to analyze the potential risk factors in a prospective cohort of patients. METHODS: We conducted a prospective multicenter study, with all consecutive patients referred for an EBUS-TBNA with patients at risk of developing an infectious complication (considering>10 nodal samplings, known immunosuppression, bronchial colonization and cavitated or necrotic lesions) and a second group without any risk factor. RESULTS: Three hundred seventy patients were included: 245 with risk factors and 125 without risk factors (as the control group). Overall, 15 patients (4.05%) presented an acute infectious complication: fourteen in cases (5.7%) and 1 in controls (0.8%). Of these, 4 patients presented pneumonia, 1 mediastinitis, 4 obstructive pneumonitis and 6 mild complications (respiratory tract infection that resolved with antibiotic). Also 7 (1.9%) patients had self-limited fever. One-month follow-up showed 1 mediastinitis at sixteenth day post-EBUS, which required surgical treatment, and 3 pneumonias and 3 respiratory tract infections at nineteenth day (1.9%). All patients had a good evolution and there were no deaths related with infectious complication. We observed an increased risk of complication in patients with risk factors and in patients with necrosis (p=0.018). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of infectious complications in a subgroup of patients with risk factors was higher than in patients without risk factors. Nevertheless, it remains low, and no fatal complication occurred, which reinforces the idea that EBUS-TBNA is a safe technique for the assessment of the mediastinum. Necrotic lesions are a risk factor of post-EBUS infection, and their puncture should be avoided.

The role of bronchoscopy in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: The role of bronchoscopy in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a matter of debate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This observational multicentre study aimed to analyse the prognostic impact of bronchoscopic findings in a consecutive cohort of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Patients were enrolled at 17 hospitals from February to June 2020. Predictors of in-hospital mortality were assessed by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 1027 bronchoscopies were performed in 515 patients (age 61.5±11.2 years; 73% men), stratified into a clinical suspicion cohort (n=30) and a COVID-19 confirmed cohort (n=485). In the clinical suspicion cohort, the diagnostic yield was 36.7%. In the COVID-19 confirmed cohort, bronchoscopies were predominantly performed in the intensive care unit (n=961; 96.4%) and major indications were: difficult mechanical ventilation (43.7%), mucus plugs (39%) and persistence of radiological infiltrates (23.4%). 147 bronchoscopies were performed to rule out superinfection, and diagnostic yield was 42.9%. There were abnormalities in 91.6% of bronchoscopies, the most frequent being mucus secretions (82.4%), haematic secretions (17.7%), mucus plugs (17.6%), and diffuse mucosal hyperaemia (11.4%). The independent predictors of in-hospital mortality were: older age (OR 1.06; p<0.001), mucus plugs as indication for bronchoscopy (OR 1.60; p=0.041), absence of mucosal hyperaemia (OR 0.49; p=0.041) and the presence of haematic secretions (OR 1.79; p=0.032). CONCLUSION: Bronchoscopy may be indicated in carefully selected patients with COVID-19 to rule out superinfection and solve complications related to mechanical ventilation. The presence of haematic secretions in the distal bronchial tract may be considered a poor prognostic feature in COVID-19.

Tolerance and Safety of 5 Models of Sedation During Endobronchial Ultrasound.

INTRODUCTION: Sedation during endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is essential due to the long duration of this procedure. We evaluated different models of sedation and their complications. METHOD: A multicenter, prospective, observational study of 307 patients undergoing EBUS was conducted. Patients were sedated with: a) midazolam bolus; b) propofol infusion; c) midazolam bolus and propofol infusion; d) propofol infusion and remifentanil infusión, or e) midazolam bolus and fentanyl bolus, and clinical variables were collected. Patients were asked to complete a satisfaction survey following the test. RESULTS: Patients per sedation model were: A 24, B 37, C 107, D 62 and E 77. Scores for perceived sensations of recall, pain, cough, dyspnea and prolonged examination (0.65±1.11; 0 3±0.73, 0.46±0.9, 0.29±0.73, and 0.59±0.96, respectively) were lower compared to fear and nervousness before the examination (1.26±1.37 and 1.5±1.41, respectively). High levels of indifference to repeating the procedure (1.49±1.3) and a reported pleasant feeling during the test (1.23±1.17), with low levels of anxiety (0.49±0.85) and discomfort (0.62±1.1), show that different models of sedation were well tolerated. Almost half the patients (46.6%) did not report any "worst moment" during the procedure, and 89.6% were willing to undergo a repeat test. The E and C models presented fewest complications (12.9 and 31.7%, respectively), and all were resolved with simple therapeutic measures. CONCLUSIONS: The models of sedation evaluated were well tolerated and most patients were willing to undergo repeat EBUS. Complications were few and easily resolved.

Initial experience with real-time elastography using an ultrasound bronchoscope for the evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes.

Real-time elastography performed during endoscopic ultrasonography is a relatively new method for characterizing tissue stiffness, and has been used successfully as a predictor of malignancy in mediastinal lymph nodes. This case report describes our practical experience with this technique using an ultrasound bronchoscope to examine mediastinal lymph nodes. We present a case of sectorial endobronchial ultrasound and the first published case of endoscopic ultrasound elastography using ultrasound bronchoscope in two patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma. Qualitative tissue color pattern was obtained in both cases and correlated with pathological evaluation. The initial feasibility results are promising and suggest that ultrasound bronchoscopy techniques, such as guided nodal staging, merit additional studies. It may be important to categorize the risk of malignancy to facilitate sampling decisions.

Características clínicas, perfil hormonal y marcadores de autoinmunidad de pacientes con enfermedad de Graves / Clinical characteristics, thyroid function profile and autoimmune markers in patients with Graves' disease

Objetivo: Describir las características clínicas, el perfil hormonal y los marcadores de autoinmunidad de pacientes con enfermedad de Graves (EG), atendidos en el servicio de endocrinología de un hospital general. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo de pacientes con diagnóstico de EG atendidos en el servicio de endocrinología del HospitalNacional Cayetano Heredia durante el año 2005. Los pacientes fueron identificados utilizando el Registro Diario de Atención y Otras Actividades del consultorio externo. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizó el programa SPSS versión 12,0. Resultados: Se revisaron 111 historias clínicas. La edad promedio fue de 40,6 ± 14 años. El 71,2% eran mujeres. El 20,7% tenía antecedentefamiliar de otra enfermedad autoinmune. El tiempo de enfermedad promedio antes de la consulta fue 18,9 ± 30,4 meses. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron: tremor, piel delgada, palpitaciones y baja de peso. El peso promedio de la glándula tiroides estimado por palpación fue 69 ± 27,5 gr, 38,7% presentaba exoftalmos y 18,9% mixedema pretibial. El perfil hormonal mostró TSH suprimida, T4 libre y T3 total elevados. El 86,7% de los casos tenía autoanticuerpos anti-peroxidasa tiroidea (anti-TPO) positivo. En 95,5% el tratamiento incluyó el uso de tionamidas. El análisis bivariado mostró que las mujeres tuvieron antecedente familiar de enfermedad tiroidea autoinmune en mayor frecuencia que los varones (27,8 vs. 9,4%) (p=0,04). Conclusión: La población estudiada con EG fueron con mayor frecuencia mujeres entre la tercera y sexta década de la vida.El peso estimado de la glándula tiroides fue tres veces lo normal, con alta frecuencia de oftalmopatía y mixedema. La mayoría tiene marcadores humorales de autoinmunidad y el tratamiento inicial se basa en el uso de tionamidas.

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics, thyroid function profile and autoimmune markers in patients with Graves’ disease (GD) treated at the endocrine service of a general hospital. Material and methods: Descriptive and retrospective study in patients with GD treated at the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia during 2005, identified in the Daily Registry of Attention and Other Activities of the Endocrine Service. For statistical analysis, SPSS software was used. Results: We reviewed 111 medical charts. The mean age was 40.6 ± 14 years. 71.2% were women. Twenty three patients (20.7%) reported familial history of autoinmune disease. The mean time of disease was 18.9 ± 30.4 months before diagnosis. The most frequent symptoms were: tremor, thin skin, palpitations and weight loss. The mean thyroid weight was 69 ± 27.5 grams. In 38.7% exophthalmos was present and 18.9% had myxedema. Hormonal profile showed suppressed TSH, elevated levels of free T4 and total T3. In 86.7% autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) were positive. The initial treatment included thionamides in 95.5% of patients. Further statistical analysis showed that women had more frequent familiar history of autoinmune thyroid disease than men (27.8% vs. 9.4%) (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Most of our patients with GD were women between third and sixth decade of life. The estimated weight of the thyroid gland was three times the normal weight and ophthalmopathy and myxedema were frequent. Most of our patients had positive autoimmune markers and theinitial treatment included thionamides.