Understanding the effects of Haemophilus influenzae colonization on bronchiectasis: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial colonization is an essential aspect of bronchiectasis. Although Haemophilus influenzae is a frequent colonizer in some regions, its clinical impacts are poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of H. influenzae colonization in patients with bronchiectasis. METHODS: This retrospective study screened adult patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis at a tertiary referral center between April 1, 2003, and May 16, 2021, in South Korea. Propensity score matching was used to match patients with and without H. influenzae colonization. We assessed the severity of bronchiectasis as per the bronchiectasis severity index, the incidence of exacerbation, differences in lung function, and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Out of the 4,453 patients with bronchiectasis, 79 (1.8%) were colonized by H. influenzae. After 1:2 propensity score matching, 78 and 154 patients were selected from the H. influenzae colonizer and non-colonizer groups, respectively. Although there were no significant differences between the groups regarding baseline demographics, patients colonized with H. influenzae had a higher bronchiectasis severity index (median 6 [interquartile range 4-8] vs. 4 [2-7], p = 0.002), associated with extensive radiographic involvement (52.2% vs. 37.2%, p = 0.045) and mild exacerbation without hospitalization (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.15; 95% confidence interval 0.12-0.24). Lung function and mortality rates did not reveal significant differences, regardless of H. influenzae colonization. CONCLUSION: H. influenzae colonization in bronchiectasis was associated with more severe disease and greater incidence of mild exacerbation, but not lung function and mortality. Attention should be paid to patients with bronchiectasis with H. influenzae colonization.

Clinical features and long-term prognosis of acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia histologically confirmed by surgical lung biopsy.

BACKGROUND: Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia (AFOP) is a rare interstitial pneumonia characterized by intra-alveolar fibrin deposition and organizing pneumonia. The clinical manifestations and long-term prognosis of AFOP are unclear. Our objective was to investigate the clinical features and prognosis of AFOP. METHODS: We identified patients diagnosed with AFOP by surgical lung biopsy between January 2011 and May 2018 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. We retrospectively reviewed clinical and radiologic findings, treatment, and outcomes of AFOP. RESULTS: Fifteen patients with histologically confirmed lung biopsies were included. The median follow-up duration was 2.4 (range, 0.1-82) months. The median age was 55 (range, 33-75) years, and four patients were immunocompromised. Fever was the most common clinical presentation (86.7%). Patchy ground-glass opacities and/or consolidations were the most predominant findings on chest computed tomography images. Nine patients (60%) received mechanical ventilator care, and eight patients (53.3%) died. The non-survivors tended to have slightly higher body mass index (BMI) and a long interval between symptom onset and diagnosis than the survivors, but these findings were not statistically significant. Among seven survivors, five patients were discharged without dyspnea and oxygen supplement. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical course of AFOP was variable. Although AFOP was fatal, most of the patients who recovered from AFOP maintained normal life without supplemental oxygen therapy and respiratory symptoms.

Evaluation of the synergistic impact of needle and forceps biopsy with electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy: the CONFIDENT-ENB trial design.

BACKGROUND: Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) is an emerging advanced imaging-guided bronchoscopy technique for diagnosing peripheral lung lesions. However, the selection strategy for the optimal biopsy device and whether adopting a multi-tool strategy increases the diagnostic yield remains undetermined. The CONFIDENT-ENB trial (NCT05110131) is a prospective randomized study on ENB, performed in a least-invasive setting. The primary aim is to evaluate whether a combination of needle aspiration and forceps biopsy improves the diagnostic performance, and assess the comparative diagnostic value and discordance of the two devices. METHODS: The trial will recruit 142 participants with lung lesions suspected of malignancy who are eligible for an elective ENB procedure under moderate sedation. Participants will undergo ENB-guided needle aspiration and forceps biopsy in a randomized order without the use of any complementary techniques. All participants will be followed up subsequently for up to 12 months to conclude the final diagnosis of the biopsied lesions. Primary outcomes include the diagnostic yield and sensitivity of each biopsy modality and the diagnostic yield of the combined modalities. DISCUSSION: The CONFIDENT-ENB trial will prospectively evaluate the synergistic effectiveness and comparative accuracy of ENB-guided needle aspiration and forceps biopsy in a least-invasive setting. The results are expected to improve our understanding of the optimal tool-selection strategy for ENB. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05110131). Prospectively registered on 5 November 2021.

Lung cancer probability and clinical outcomes of baseline and new subsolid nodules detected on low-dose CT screening.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available regarding the management of subsolid nodules detected on lung cancer screening with low-dose CT (LDCT). We aimed to determine the characteristics of screen-detected subsolid nodules, and to evaluate the probability of lung cancer and the clinical course of subsolid nodules detected at baseline and during follow-up screening. METHODS: We evaluated 50 132 asymptomatic adults (22 631 never-smokers and 27 501 ever-smokers) who underwent LDCT screening for lung cancer between May 2003 and June 2019 at a tertiary centre in South Korea. The incidence, characteristics and clinical outcomes of the baseline and new screen-detected subsolid nodules were determined. RESULTS: A total of 6725 subsolid nodules (5116 pure ground glass opacity nodules and 1609 part-solid nodules) were detected in 4545 participants (1484 new subsolid nodules detected in 937 (1.9%) participants; the overall incidence of subsolid nodules: 10.7% in never-smokers and 7.7% in ever-smokers, p<0.001). Among 4918 subsolid nodules that underwent follow-up with CT scans (the mean number of CT scans, including the baseline LDCT scan: 4.6), 2116 nodules (30.0% of baseline subsolid nodules and 78.9% of new subsolid nodules) resolved spontaneously. Among 293 biopsied subsolid nodules, 227 (77.5%) nodules were diagnosed as lung cancer, of which 226 (99.6%) were adenocarcinomas. No significant difference was observed in pathological invasiveness or the initial stage between the baseline and new cancerous subsolid nodules. Multivariable analyses revealed that new detection at follow-up screening was significantly associated with a lower probability of lung cancer (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.49) and overall growth (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.59), but with a higher probability of resolution (OR 6.30, 95% CI 5.09 to 7.81). CONCLUSIONS: LDCT screening led to a considerably high rate of subsolid nodule detection, particularly in never-smokers. Compared with the baseline subsolid nodules, the new subsolid nodules were associated with a lower probability of lung cancer and higher probability of spontaneous resolution, indicating their more inflammatory nature. Less aggressive follow-up may be allowed for new subsolid nodules, particularly in screening programmes for Asian populations.

Genome-wide association study of non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) is increasing in South Korea and many parts of the world. However, the genetic factors underlying susceptibility to this disease remain elusive. METHODS: To identify genetic variants in patients with NTM-PD, we performed a genome-wide association study with 403 Korean patients with NTM-PD and 306 healthy controls from the Healthy Twin Study, Korea cohort. Candidate variants from the discovery cohort were subsequently validated in an independent cohort. The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database was used to identify expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and to conduct Mendelian randomisation (MR). RESULTS: We identified a putatively significant locus on chromosome 7p13, rs849177 (OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.71 to 3.21; p=1.36×10-7), as the candidate genetic variant associated with NTM-PD susceptibility. Its association was subsequently replicated and the combined p value was 4.92×10-8. The eQTL analysis showed that a risk allele at rs849177 was associated with lower expression levels of STK17A, a proapoptotic gene. In the MR analysis, a causal effect of STK17A on NTM-PD development was identified (ß, -4.627; 95% CI, -8.768 to -0.486; p=0.029). CONCLUSIONS: The 7p13 genetic variant might be associated with susceptibility to NTM-PD in the Korean population by altering the expression level of STK17A.

Application of N Descriptors Proposed by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer in Clinical Staging.

Background Patients with N1 or N2 non-small cell lung cancer exhibit prognostic heterogeneity. To refine the current N staging system, new N stages were proposed by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. However, those proposed new N stages have not been validated. Purpose To evaluate the prognostic performance of the proposed N descriptors for clinical staging. Materials and Methods Participants with non-small cell lung cancer without distant metastasis from January 2010 to December 2014 were retrospectively included. Each patient's clinical N (cN) stage was assigned to one of seven categories (cN0, cN1a, cN1b, cN2a1, cN2a2, cN2b, cN3). The 5-year overall survival rates were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% CIs were estimated by using a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model. Ad hoc analyses according to lymph node (LN) size were performed. Results A total of 1271 patients (median age, 66 years; interquartile range, 59-73 years; 812 men) were included. The 5-year overall survival rates were 77.3%, 53.7%, 36.0%, 29.2%, 34.4%, 18.0%, and 12.4% for stages cN0, cN1a, cN1b, cN2a1, cN2a2, cN2b, and cN3, respectively. Patients with cN2b disease had a worse prognosis than patients with cN2a disease (HR, 1.53; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.22; P = .02). There was no prognostic difference between cN1b and cN1a (HR, 1.13; 95% CI: 0.61, 2.09; P = .71); however, there was a difference between cN1 subgroups when stratified by LN size (≥2 cm; HR, 2.26; 95% CI: 1.16, 4.44; P = .02). Within cN2a disease, there were no differences between cN2a1 and cN2a2 (HR, 0.98; 95% CI: 0.61, 1.56; P = .93) or between subgroups according to LN size (HR, 0.74; 95% CI: 0.40, 1.37; P = .34). Conclusion A survival difference was observed between single- and multistation involvement among cN2 disease. The number of involved lymph node stations in patients with cN1 disease and the presence of skip metastasis in patients with cN2 disease were not associated with survival differences. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Tumor spread through air spaces (STAS): prognostic significance of grading in non-small cell lung cancer.

Tumor spread through air spaces (STAS) is an invasive pattern of lung cancer that was recently described. In this study, we investigated the association between the extent of STAS and clinicopathological characteristics and patient outcomes in resected non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). STAS has been prospectively described from 2008 and graded its extent with a two-tiered system (STAS I: <2500 µm [one field of ×10 objective lens] from the edge of tumor and STAS II: ≥2500 µm from the edge of tumor) from 2011 in Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. We retrospectively analyzed the correlations between the extent of STAS and clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic significance in 1869 resected NSCLCs. STAS was observed in 765 cases (40.9%) with 456 STAS I (24.4%) and 309 STAS II (16.5%). STAS was more frequently found in patients with adenocarcinoma (ADC) (than squamous cell carcinoma), pleural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and/or higher pathologic stage. In ADC, there were significant differences in recurrence free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and lung cancer specific survival (LCSS) according to the extent of STAS. In stage IA non-mucinous ADC, multivariate analysis revealed that STAS II was significantly associated with shorter RFS and LCSS (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively). In addition, STAS II was an independent poor prognostic factor for recurrence in both limited and radical resection groups (p = 0.001 and p = 0.023, respectively). In conclusion, presence of STAS II was an independent poor prognostic factor in stage IA non-mucinous ADC regardless of the extent of resection.

Low-dose chest computed tomographic screening and invasive diagnosis of pulmonary nodules for lung cancer in never-smokers.

BACKGROUND: Although lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is now widely used in clinical practice, the characteristics and outcomes of diagnostic procedures related to screen-detected nodules in never-smokers remain unclear. We aimed to determine the incidence of nodules considered for invasive biopsy and evaluate the final diagnoses and procedure-related complications in never-smokers in comparison to ever-smokers who underwent LDCT screening. METHODS: We evaluated 37 436 asymptomatic adults (17 968 never-smokers and 19 468 ever-smokers) who underwent LDCT screening for lung cancer between January 2009 and December 2018 at a tertiary centre in South Korea. The rates of invasive diagnostic procedures for detected nodules and related complications, and the diagnostic outcomes were determined in the never-smoker and ever-smoker groups. RESULTS: Among the never-smokers, 2908 (16.2%) out of 17 968 had positive nodules. Overall, 139 (0.77%) out of 17 968 never-smokers and 194 (1.00%) out of 19 468 ever-smokers underwent invasive biopsy (p=0.022). Lung cancer was diagnosed in 84 (0.47%) out of 17 968 never-smokers and 123 (0.63%) out of 19 468 ever-smokers (p=0.032). The proportions of participants diagnosed with benign disease after invasive biopsy (false-positive) were 50 (0.28%) out of 17 968 and 69 (0.35%) out of 19 468 in the never-smoker and ever-smoker groups, respectively (p=0.191). Multivariate analyses revealed no significant associations of smoking with the risk of a false-positive diagnosis (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.62-1.57) and complications (OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.65-3.73) after biopsy. Of the 84 never-smokers with lung cancer, 82 (97.6%) had adenocarcinoma, and 75 (89.3%) were in stage I with a favourable prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: LDCT screening in never-smokers resulted in a notable detection rate of lung nodules, which warranted invasive biopsy. The lung cancer detection rate was lower in never-smokers than in ever-smokers. However, no significant differences in the false-positive and complication rates were observed between the two groups. Accordingly, a more specifically tailored management strategy is needed for screen-detected nodules in Asian never-smokers.

Correction to: Stepwise Disease Progression Model of Subsolid Lung Adenocarcinoma with Cystic Airspaces.

In the original article there are errors in Fig. 3. Following is the corrected figure.

Stepwise Disease Progression Model of Subsolid Lung Adenocarcinoma with Cystic Airspaces.

OBJECTIVES: Subsolid lung adenocarcinoma with cystic airspaces (LACA) is a unique manifestation of lung cancer. This study was conducted to establish a radiologic disease progression model of LACA and to explore its association with the clinical course and clinicopathologic features of LACA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients with LACA who underwent surgery at our center between 2004 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The morphological changes of LACA over time on 98 serial computed tomography scans from 27 of 60 patients were tracked to establish a radiologic disease progression model. Associations between this model and the clinicopathologic characteristics of LACA were investigated. RESULTS: The following stepwise progression model of LACA was developed: in phase I, cystic airspaces (CAs) appear in the middle of non-solid nodules; in phase II, the CAs grow; in phase III, a solid component appears on the border of the CAs; and in phase IV, the solid component gradually surrounds the CAs and becomes thicker, and the CAs shrink. In total, 10 (17%), 33 (55%), and 17 (28%) LACA patients were classified as belonging to phases II, III, and IV at the time of surgery, respectively. More advanced phases were associated with higher pathologic T and N staging, lymphovascular invasion, visceral pleural invasion, spread through air spaces, and solid/micropapillary subtype. In the multivariate analysis, our model demonstrated a good discrimination capability for cancer recurrence risk. CONCLUSIONS: The stepwise disease progression model of LACA based on radiologic findings developed in this study represented its natural clinical course and clinicopathologic features well.

Factors Associated With Quality of Death in Korean ICUs As Perceived by Medical Staff: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey.

OBJECTIVES: Facilitating a high quality of death is an important aspect of comfort care for patients in ICUs. The quality of death in ICUs has been rarely reported in Asian countries. Although Korea is currently in the early stage after the implementation of the "well-dying" law, this seems to have a considerable effect on practice. In this study, we aimed to understand the status of quality of death in Korean ICUs as perceived by medical staff, and to elucidate factors affecting patient quality of death. DESIGN: A multicenter cross-sectional survey study. SETTING: Medical ICUs of two tertiary-care teaching hospitals and two secondary-care hospitals. PATIENTS: Deceased patients from June 2016 to May 2017. INTERVENTIONS: Relevant medical staff were asked to complete a translated Quality of Dying and Death questionnaire within 48 hours after a patient's death. A higher Quality of Dying and Death score (ranged from 0 to 100) corresponded to a better quality of death. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 416 completed questionnaires were obtained from 177 medical staff (66 doctors and 111 nurses) of 255 patients. All 20 items of the Quality of Dying and Death received low scores. Quality of death perceived by nurses was better than that perceived by doctors (33.1 ± 18.4 vs 29.7 ± 15.3; p = 0.042). Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and using inotropes within 24 hours before death were associated with poorer quality of death, whereas using analgesics was associated with better quality of death. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of death of patients in Korean ICUs was considerably poorer than reported in other countries. Provision of appropriate comfort care, avoidance of unnecessary life-sustaining care, and permission for more frequent visits from patients' families may correspond to better quality of death in Korean medical ICUs. It is also expected that the new legislation would positively affect the quality of death in Korean ICUs.

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in non-small cell lung cancer: impact on survival and acute exacerbation.

BACKGROUND: In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, concomitant idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and emphysema (CPFE) are independently related to poor survival. CPFE is a condition with features of both pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. Here, we evaluated the effect of CPFE and IPF alone on the outcomes of NSCLC patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 283 patients with CPFE or IPF who were diagnosed with NSCLC between November 2003 and February 2018 at two tertiary care hospitals in South Korea. Patients were classified into CPFE and IPF groups according to chest computed tomography findings. RESULTS: One-hundred-and-seven patients (37.8%; mean age: 70.1 years; men 97.2%) had CPFE. Compared with IPF patients, CPFE patients had a heavier smoking history; lower diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (78.0% vs 64.8%, p <  0.001), and lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s. Of all patients with NSCLC, 71.7% overall died during the follow-up period; 71.6% died in the CPFE group and 72.0% in the IPF group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that CPFE (odds ratio [OR]: 2.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-4.69; P = 0.029) was significantly correlated with acute exacerbations (AEs). In a Cox proportional hazards analysis, stage > III NSCLC, higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, and higher gender-age-physiology index score was related to higher mortality. However, CPFE was not related to a higher mortality rate in univariate (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.75-1.32, P = 0.972) or multivariate analysis (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.66-1.21, P = 0.466). CONCLUSIONS: AE risk, but not all-cause mortality, was higher in patients with CPFE and NSCLC than in those with IPF and NSCLC. Physicians should be aware of the exaggerated risk of AE in patients with concomitant CPFE and NSCLC.

Prognostic Impact of DNA Repair Protein Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers Treated with Platinum-Based Chemotherapy and Subsequent Curative Lung Resection.

OBJECTIVE: Multimodal treatments that include preoperative platinum-based chemotherapy are fundamental to the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of DNA repair protein expression in surgically resected NSCLCs in terms of prognosis and responses to platinum-containing chemotherapy. METHODS: This retrospective study included 136 patients with NSCLC who were treated with preoperative platinum-based chemotherapy, followed by curative lung resection. ATM, RAD51, LKB1, H2AX, and SIRT1 expression levels were analyzed in resected tumor specimens via immunostaining and were used to classify patients and compare survival and responses to chemotherapy. RESULTS: SIRT1 expression correlated significantly with improved responses to platinum-based chemotherapy (odds ratio, 2.28; p = 0.024), progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.74; p = 0.036), overall survival (HR, 0.63; p = 0.006), and tumor-bearing survival (HR, 0.62; p = 0.014). After adjusting for clinical variables, the HR of SIRT1 expression remained significant for overall survival (HR, 0.59; p = 0.039) but not for progression-free survival (HR, 0.74; p = 0.183). No prognostic stratification was observed for the other 4 markers. CONCLUSION: Patients with SIRT1-expressing NSCLC had superior responses to chemotherapy and longer survival durations than those with SIRT1-negative cancer.

Comparison of outcomes between vertical and transverse skin incisions in percutaneous tracheostomy for critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) is a common procedure in critical care medicine. No definite clinical practice guidelines recommended on the choice of the direction of skin incision, vertical or transverse for tracheostomy in critically ill patients. The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the outcomes associated with vertical and transverse skin incisions in patients undergoing PT. METHODS: Patients who underwent PT between March 2011 and December 2015 in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary hospital were retrospectively included. PTs were performed by pulmonary intensivists at the ICU bedside using the single tapered dilator technique assisted by flexible bronchoscopy. The primary outcome was the incidence of tracheostomy site ulcers at 7 days after PT. RESULTS: Of the 458 patients who underwent PT, a vertical incision was made in 27.1% and a transverse incision was made in 72.9%. There were no tracheostomy-related mortalities, and no significant difference in the incidence of immediate postoperative complications, including bleeding, tracheal ring fracture, and subcutaneous emphysema. Thirty-five patients (7.6%) developed complications within 7 days after PT, in which tracheostomy-related pressure ulcers were the most frequent. Compared with vertical incisions, transverse incisions were associated with significantly lower incidence of complications (14.1% vs. 5.4%, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study showed that transverse skin incisions in PTs for critically ill patients, resulted in a significant decrease in overall complications, particularly ulcers in the tracheostomy site.

Associations between obstructive sleep apnea severity and endoscopically proven gastroesophageal reflux disease.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is believed to be an important risk factor for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, the association between OSA and GERD is not straightforward and has been incompletely characterized. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between OSA and GERD by performing both polysomnography (PSG) and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). METHODS: The enrolled patients underwent both PSG and EGD from October 2003 to July 2015 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. All patients were checked for the presence of mucosal injury in the EGD findings and divided into a no-GERD group and a GERD group according to the Los Angeles (LA) classification. In addition, the GERD symptoms of heartburn, acid regurgitation, and reflux-related cough were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 216 patients were enrolled. Ninety-nine patients (45.8%) were in the GERD group, 68 (31.5%) were the minimal-change GERD group, and 49 (22.7%) were in the GERD LA-A/B group. The OSA-related findings were worse in the GERD LA-A/B group than in the no-GERD group: the apnea-hypopnea index was 33.6 ± 25.5 versus 22.0 ± 17.2 (p = 0.01), the longest apnea duration was 50.7 ± 24.0 versus 41.6 ± 23.3 s (p = 0.03), the lowest oxygen saturation was 80.2 ± 7.9 versus 83.2 ± 7.5% (p = 0.02), and the oxygen desaturation index was 25.1 ± 22.4 versus 16.1 ± 15.5 (p = 0.01), respectively. Sleep efficiency was significantly worse in patients with GERD symptoms (81.2 ± 10.8%) than in those without GERD symptoms (85.1 ± 11.4%) (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopically proven GERD was associated with more severe OSA. GERD symptoms were also associated with deteriorated sleep quality.

Solid part size is an important predictor of nodal metastasis in lung cancer with a subsolid tumor.

BACKGROUND: Candidates for preoperative or intraoperative nodal assessment among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) manifesting as a subsolid tumor are not established. The present study was conducted to demonstrate the distribution of nodal metastasis rate according to newly proposed T categories for subsolid tumors, and we further aimed to identify radiologic parameters that can be predictive of nodal metastasis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed cases of NSCLC manifesting as a subsolid tumor in computed tomography scans in a university-affiliated tertiary hospital between April 2013 and August 2016. All patients underwent mediastinal lymph node dissection during resection surgery. Multivariate analysis was performed among clinical and radiologic parameters. RESULTS: Of the 269 eligible patients, T-categories were classified as cTis (n = 23, 8.6%), cT1 (n = 203, 75.5%), and cT2 (n = 43, 16.0%). Ten patients (3.7%) had nodal metastasis: pN1 (n = 5, 1.9%), pN2 (n = 5, 1.9%). Nodal metastasis was not observed in tumors with a solid part ≤1.0 cm (cT1mi and cT1a) or in nonsolid tumors ≤3.0 cm (cTis). The nodal metastasis rate in cT1b, cT1c, and cT2 tumors was 6.1% (4/65), 8.3% (1/12), and 11.7% (5/43), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that a solid part size > 1.5 cm [odds ratio, 5.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-27.68, p = 0.025] was significantly associated with nodal metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: We observed nodal metastasis from cT1b tumors (solid part size > 1 cm) among proposed T categories for subsolid tumors and a solid part size is an important radiologic parameter predictive of nodal metastasis in NSCLC manifesting as a subsolid tumor. Considering the low rate of nodal metastasis, pathologic nodal assessment may be unnecessary in early T category tumors with a small solid part size.

Association between Pepsin in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid and Prognosis of Chronic Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Disease.

Chronic fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD)s are characterized by chronic progressive fibrosis of lung which include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), and connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD). IPF is an irreversible fibrotic lung disease which results in respiratory failure. Although NSIP and CTD-ILD can be improved or stable by treatment with corticosteroid or immunosuppressant, some of them progress to fibrotic lung diseases. Aspiration of gastric contents is suggested as an aggravating factor of ILDs. We measured pepsin, a marker of gastric aspiration, in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of chronic fibrosing ILD patients to evaluate the association between BAL fluid pepsin and prognosis of chronic fibrosing ILDs. Patients with chronic fibrosing ILDs, who underwent bronchoscopy between December 2010 and April 2015 were prospectively enrolled. Pepsin levels were measured using a commercial ELISA kit. Clinical characteristics, lung function data, and mortality were analyzed. Fifty-one patients with chronic fibrosing ILDs were enrolled (26 with IPF, 15 with NSIP, and 10 with CTD-ILD). Pepsin levels in BAL fluid were 69.87 ± 74.16 ng/mL in IPF, 110.68 ± 94.93 ng/mL in NSIP, and 101.87 ± 88.44 ng/mL in CTD-ILDs. There were no statistically significant differences in BAL fluid pepsin levels among patients with the different chronic fibrosing ILDs. In multivariate regression analysis, higher BAL pepsin levels were associated with higher mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.021, p = 0.025). BAL fluid pepsin may be used as a prognostic marker for predicting mortality in chronic fibrosing ILD patients.

Effectiveness Analysis of a Part-Time Rapid Response System During Operation Versus Nonoperation.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of a part-time rapid response system on the occurrence rate of cardiopulmonary arrest by comparing the times of rapid response system operation versus nonoperation. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A 1,360-bed tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: Adult patients admitted to the general ward were screened. Data were collected over 36 months from rapid response system implementation (October 2012 to September 2015) and more than 45 months before rapid response system implementation (January 2009 to September 2012). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The rapid response system operates from 7 AM to 10 PM on weekdays and from 7 AM to 12 PM on Saturdays. Primary outcomes were the difference of cardiopulmonary arrest incidence between pre-rapid response system and post-rapid response system periods and whether the rapid response system operating time affects the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence. The overall cardiopulmonary arrest incidence (per 1,000 admissions) was 1.43. Although the number of admissions per month and case-mix index were increased (3,555.18 vs 4,564.72, p < 0.001; 1.09 vs 1.13, p = 0.001, respectively), the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence was significantly decreased after rapid response system (1.60 vs 1.23; p = 0.021), and mortality (%) was unchanged (1.38 vs 1.33; p = 0.322). After rapid response system implementation, the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence significantly decreased by 40% during rapid response system operating times (0.82 vs 0.49/1,000 admissions; p = 0.001) but remained similar during rapid response system nonoperating times (0.77 vs 0.73/1,000 admissions; p = 0.729). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a part-time rapid response system reduced the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence based on the reduction of cardiopulmonary arrest during rapid response system operating times. Further analysis of the cost effectiveness of part-time rapid response system is needed.

Who Dies after ICU Discharge? Retrospective Analysis of Prognostic Factors for In-Hospital Mortality of ICU Survivors.

We investigated the causes of inpatient death after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge and determined predictors of in-hospital mortality in Korea. Using medical ICU registry data of Seoul National University Hospital, we performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients who were discharged alive from their first ICU admission with at least 24 hours of ICU length of stay (LOS). From January 2011 to August 2013, 723 patients were admitted to ICU and 383 patients were included. The estimated in-hospital mortality rate was 11.7% (45/383). The most common cause of death was respiratory failure (n = 25, 56%) followed by sepsis and cancer progression; the causes of hospital death and ICU admission were the same in 64% of all deaths; sudden unexpected deaths comprised about one-fifth of all deaths. In order to predict in-hospital mortality among ICU survivors, multivariate analysis identified presence of solid tumor (odds ratio [OR], 4.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.01-8.2; P < 0.001), hematologic disease (OR, 4.75; 95% CI, 1.51-14.96; P = 0.013), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score upon ICU admission (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.99-1.17; P = 0.075), and hemoglobin (Hb) level (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.52-0.86; P = 0.001) and platelet count (Plt) (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.99-1.00; P = 0.033) upon ICU discharge as significant factors. In conclusion, a significant proportion of in-hospital mortality is predictable and those who die in hospital after ICU discharge tend to be severely-ill, with comorbidities of hematologic disease and solid tumor, and anemic and thrombocytopenic upon ICU discharge.