Lung clearance index and high-resolution computed tomography scores in primary ciliary dyskinesia.

RATIONALE: Lung clearance index (LCI) is a more sensitive measure of lung function than spirometry in cystic fibrosis (CF) and correlates well with abnormalities in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scanning. We hypothesized LCI would be equally sensitive to lung disease in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). OBJECTIVES: To test the relationships between LCI, spirometry, and HRCT in PCD and to compare them to the established relationships in CF. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 127 patients with CF and 33 patients with PCD, all of whom had spirometry and LCI, of which a subset of 21 of each had HRCT performed. HRCT was scored for individual features and these features compared with physiological parameters. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Unlike in CF, and contrary to our hypothesis, there was no correlation between spirometry and LCI in PCD and no correlation between HRCT features and LCI or spirometry in PCD. CONCLUSIONS: We show for the first time that HRCT, spirometry, and LCI have different relationships in different airway diseases and that LCI does not appear to be a sensitive test of airway disease in advanced PCD. We hypothesize that this results from dissimilarities between the components of large and small airway disease in CF and PCD. These differences may in part lead to the different prognosis in these two neutrophilic airway diseases.

Pulmonary Cystic Echinococcosis in a Child Presenting in the United Kingdom with Fever and Chest Pain: A Brief Report and Discussion on Management.

Cystic echinococcosis is a zoonosis caused by the larvae of Echinococcus granulosus . Pulmonary disease may be asymptomatic until the cyst ruptures or becomes secondarily infected. We report a case of pulmonary cystic echinococcosis presenting in the United Kingdom, with discussion on management: optimum antihelminthic agent, length of treatment and type of operative intervention. Treatment should be individualized to the clinical scenario.

Wound healing after cultured epithelial autografting in patients with massive burn injury: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Last century, our laboratory produced Cultured Epithelial Autograft (CEA) for clinical use by the affiliated adult burn service and other burn units across the country. Production of CEA for clinical use was discontinued after several years because of a low success rate and subsequent low demand. Recently, at our burns unit, a cell culture program was reintroduced as a direct response to the need for improvement in ongoing deficiencies and clinical requirements in burn wound closure. The aim of this study was to validate the laboratory processes and clinical algorithms established and share our recent clinical experiences involving CEA. METHODS: This observational cohort study recruited patients with burns exceeding 35% TBSA admitted to the Victorian Adult Burns Service at The Alfred (December 2013-December 2016). Autologous keratinocytes were expanded and delivered through sheets of fibrin carrier. RESULTS: Twelve patients were recruited to participate in the study. Thirty-two sites were treated with CEA. CEA applied in combination with widely meshed SSG led to the highest take rate (90.1%) at 7-10 days. Further, debridement and grafting were necessary in sixteen of thirty-two sites treated, all involving wound beds prepared with Cuono method or sites treated with CEA only. CONCLUSION: It is important to address the problem of wound bed contamination, either through increased resistance on the part of the construct or wound bed sterilization. Improved understanding of the relative importance of vascularization, control of cell behavior, the extracellular matrix, immune function, and intrinsic antimicrobial capacity for graft take would then inform a more targeted approach to skin tissue engineering for wound closure in severe burns.

A rare case of failed healing in previously burned skin after a secondary burns.

BACKGROUND: Patients presenting with large surface area burns are common in our practice; however, patients with a secondary large burn on pre-existing burn scars and grafts are rare and not reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We report on an unusual case of a patient sustaining a secondary large burn to areas previously injured by a burn from a different mechanism. We discuss the potential implications when managing a case like this and suggest potential biological reasons why the skin may behave differently. Our patient was a 33-year-old man who presented with a 5% TBSA burn on skin scarred by a previous 40% total body surface area (TBSA) burn and skin grafts. Initially assessed as superficial partial thickness in depth, the wounds were treated conservatively with dressings; however, they failed to heal and became infected requiring surgical management. CONCLUSIONS: Burns sustained in areas of previous burn scars and grafts may behave differently to normal patterns of healing, requiring more aggressive management and surgical intervention at an early stage.

Why do parents use the emergency department for minor injury and illness? A cross-sectional questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: To understand decision-making when bringing a child to an emergency department. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey of parents attending with children allocated a minor triage category. SETTING: Emergency department in South West England, serving 450,000 people per annum. PARTICIPANTS: All English-speaking parents/caregivers whose children attended the emergency department and were triaged as minor injury/illness. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Parental and child characteristics, injury/illness characteristics, advice seeking behaviour, views regarding emergency department service improvement, GP access and determinants of emergency department use. RESULTS: In sum, 373 responses were analysed. The majority of attendances were for minor injury, although illness was more common in <4 year olds. Most presentations were within 4 h of injury/illness and parents typically sought advice before attending. Younger parents reported feeling more stressed. Parents of younger children perceived the injury/illness to be more serious, reporting greater levels of worry, stress, helplessness and upset and less confidence. Parents educated to a higher level were more likely to administer first-aid/medication. Around 40% did not seek advice prior to attending and typically these were parents aged <24 and parents of <1 year olds. The main determinants of use were: advised by someone other than a GP; perceived urgency; perceived appropriateness. The need for reassurance also featured. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that it is difficult for parents to determine whether their child's symptoms reflect minor conditions. Efforts should focus on building parental confidence and self-help and be directed at parents of younger children and younger parents. This is in addition to appropriate minor injury/illness assessment and treatment services.

Retrospective review of a tertiary adult burn centre's experience with modified Meek grafting.

BACKGROUND: Autologous split skin grafting is the gold standard in treating patients with massive burns. However, the limited availability of donor sites remains a problem. The aim of this study is to present our experience with the modified Meek technique of grafting, outcomes achieved and recommendations for optimized outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patient records from our tertiary referral burn centre and the Bi-National Burns Registry to identify all patients who had modified Meek grafting between 2010 and 2013. Patient records were reviewed individually and information regarding patient demographics, mechanism of injury and surgical management was recorded. Outcome measures including graft take rate, requirement for further surgery and complications were also recorded. RESULTS: Eleven patients had modified Meek grafting procedures. The average age of patients was 46 years old (range 23 - 64). The average total body surface area (TBSA) burnt was 56.75 % (range 20-80 %). On average, 87 % of the grafted areas healed well and did not require regrafting. In the regrafted areas, infection was the leading cause of graft failure. CONCLUSIONS: Modified Meek grafting is a useful method of skin expansion. Similar to any other grafting technique, infection needs to be sought and treated promptly. It is recommended for larger burns where donor sites are not adequate or where it is desirable to limit their extent.