Mediastinal hematoma following thrombolysis for acute pulmonary thromboembolism.

Massive pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) is a cardiorespiratory emergency and can be fatal if left untreated. The recommended treatment for PE in the presence of right ventricular dysfunction and hemodynamic instability is thrombolysis. However, the latter is a double-edged sword as life-threatening bleeding manifestations can occur post-thrombolysis. Timely identification and management of these complications can prevent a catastrophic outcome. We report a case of mediastinal hematoma with new onset hemodynamic compromise following thrombolysis for acute massive pulmonary embolism. Clinico-radiological features and Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) findings helped in the identification of the bleeding site in our case. Despite early diagnosis and timely intervention, the patient succumbed to secondary complications.

Identifying phenotypes of obstructive sleep apnea using cluster analysis.

PURPOSE: Over the last decade, advances in understanding the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, systemic consequences and treatment responses in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have made individualised OSA management plausible. As the first step in this direction, this study was undertaken to identify OSA phenotypes. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with OSA on level 1 polysomnography (PSG) were included. Clinical and co-morbidity profile, anthropometry and sleepiness scores were compiled. On PSG, apnea-hypopnea index, positional indices, sleep stages and desaturation indices (T90) were tabulated. Cluster analysis was performed to identify distinct phenotypes among included patients with OSA. RESULTS: One hundred patients (66 males) with a mean age of 49.5 ± 13.3 years were included. Snoring was reported by 94% subjects, and 50% were excessively sleepy. Two-thirds of subjects had co-morbidities, the most frequent being hypertension (55%) and dyslipidemia (53%). Severe OSA was diagnosed on PSG in 42%, while 29% each had mild and moderate OSA, respectively. On cluster analysis, 3 distinct clusters emerged. Cluster 1 consisted of older, obese subjects with no gender predilection, higher neck circumference, severe OSA with more co-morbidities and higher T90. Cluster 2 comprised of younger, less obese males with snoring, witnessed apnea, moderate and supine predominant OSA. Cluster 3 consisted of middle-aged, obese males with lesser co-morbidities, mild OSA and lower T90. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed three OSA clusters with distinct demographic, anthropometric and PSG features. Further research with bigger sample size and additional parameters may pave the way for characterising distinct phenotypes and individualising OSA management.

A simple x-ray scoring system for the diagnosis of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is a severe form of post-tuberculosis lung disease (PTBLD). Considering the high burden of TB in India, it can be concluded that the prevalence of CPA is also high. Chest x-ray though most feasible, interpretation is subjective. Therefore, decision on evaluation for CPA cannot be based on x-ray alone. OBJECTIVE: Present study evaluated an x-ray score as a marker for extent of lung damage in patients with PTBLD presenting with haemoptysis and its utility to predict Aspergillus serum IgG levels. METHODS: We used a modified scoring system developed by Anna Ralph et al X-ray score cut-offs of >71 and 40, with or without history of massive haemoptysis, were compared with serum IgG levels. RESULTS: With a chest x-ray score cut-off of 71, specificity was 88%. With an x-ray score of >71 combined with history of massive haemoptysis, 86% cases were found to be IgG positive. The specificity of this combination was 96%. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that a simple chest x-ray scoring system in addition to the symptom of massive haemoptysis helped in the decision on further evaluation of the subject for CPA, especially in resource constrained settings.

The effect of CPAP therapy on excessive daytime sleepiness and quality of life in subjects with obstructive sleep apnoea: an AB design study.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a disorder characterized by apnoeas and hypopnoeas due to repetitive upper airway collapse during sleep. So far, there are no published data regarding quality of life (QoL) and adherence to CPAP among patients with OSA in India. This study aims to measure sleepiness and QoL of patients before and after effective CPAP use in patients with OSA. METHOD: Newly diagnosed subjects with OSA were included, and socio-demographic risk factors and anthropomorphic measures were collected. Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and short sleep apnoea quality of life index (SAQLI) were administered before and after a minimum of 4 weeks of domiciliary CPAP use. While short SAQLI is a disease-specific questionnaire, ESS measures excessive daytime sleepiness. RESULTS: In 92 subjects age range was 28-74 years, mean age 49.7 ± 11.3 years, and male:female ratio was 70:22. Mean BMI was 32.1 ± 6.4 kg/sq.m; mean neck circumference was 39.4 ± 3.4 cm; 56 subjects had Mallampati score of 3 or 4. One-month follow-up was completed by 34 subjects who reported a mean of 5.8 ± 1.1 hours/night usage of CPAP. Mean ESS score was 11.31 ± 5.6 at baseline vs 6.9 ± 3.3 after 1 month (p = 0.02), and baseline short SAQLI score was at 2.54 ± 1.26 vs 1.38 ± 0.87 after 1 month (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Subjects reported adequate compliance with CPAP at 1 month, and both ESS and short SAQLI showed a significant improvement in these patients. CPAP compliance improved both QoL and sleepiness in patients with OSA.

A filamentous trio.

Opportunistic infections caused by fungi and unusual bacteria are predominantly encountered in the setting of immunosuppressed host. Co-infections with multiple such organisms can pose multiple challenges even to the astute clinician from establishing the diagnosis to drug interactions during treatment of such infections. We hereby present one such case of a triple opportunistic infection in an immunocompetent host and the difficulties faced in the therapeutic decision making.

Prevalence of restless legs syndrome and quality of sleep in type 2 diabetics.

INTRODUCTION: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by an irresistible urge to move, with or without paraesthesia occurring or worsening at rest and relieved by activity. Only a few reports of prevalence of RLS with type 2 diabetes are available in India. AIMS: To estimate the occurrence and risk factors of RLS among Indian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was done in consecutive adult patients with type 2 diabetes. Demographic and comorbidity profile were collected. RLS diagnosis was made based on revised international RLS study group (IRLSSG) criteria. RESULTS: Two hundred and ten diabetic patients were interviewed. Mean age was 56 ±â€¯13.5 years. Male-female ratio was 139: 71. Mean duration of diabetes was 8.3 years. Treatment received for diabetes included oral hypoglycaemic agents (153 patients) and insulin (85 patients). Forty-five patients had polyneuropathy, 18 had retinopathy and 22 had nephropathy. Majority (103) of subjects reported their bedtime as 9-10 pm. Average sleep duration was 8.4 h per night. RLS was diagnosed in 17 (8%) subjects. Mean sleep onset in subjects with RLS was 56 min versus 29 min in diabetics without RLS (p-0.01). The mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was 5 in RLS and 3.3 in non-RLS patients (p-0.01). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: RLS resulted in poor sleep quality and affected overall quality of life in diabetics. As poor sleep is a known risk factor for uncontrolled diabetes, early identification and treatment of RLS would help improve glycaemic control and quality of life in these patients.

Comparison of spray catheter with "spray-as-you-go" technique for airway anesthesia during flexible bronchoscopy - A randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Administration of local airway anesthesia is the principal determinant of procedural comfort during flexible bronchoscopy. However, the ideal method of administration is still unknown. In this study, we compared lignocaine administration using a spray catheter (SC) with "spray-as-you-go" technique. METHODS: Patients undergoing bronchoscopy were randomized to receive airway anesthesia with 2% lignocaine through the SC (SC group) or "spray-as-you-go" technique through the working channel (WC group). The primary outcome parameter was cough count, and the secondary outcome parameters compared were need for sedation, operator-rated procedural satisfaction and cough, and patient-rated comfort on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: One hundred and thirty patients were randomized with comparable baseline parameters. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) cough count was 28 (19, 37) in the WC group and 15 (9, 23) in the SC group (P < 0.001). Requirement for sedation was lower in the SC group (5 vs. 18; P = 0.003). The mean (standard deviation [SD]) VAS score for operator-rated satisfaction was 66.5 (16.8) in the WC group and 80.6 (14.2) in the SC group; P < 0.001. The median (IQR) VAS score for operator-rated cough was 35 (23, 44) in the WC group and 18 (11, 28) in the SC group; P < 0.001. However, there was no difference in the patient-rated comfort VAS (mean [SD] of 66.4 [14.5] in the WC group and 69.9 [13.0] in the SC group; P = 0.07). CONCLUSION: Lignocaine instillation using the SC during bronchoscopy reduced cough, need for sedation, and improved operator satisfaction.

Chronic granulomatous 'Aspergillus lung mass'.

The diverse clinicopathological spectrum of pulmonary aspergillosis is a consequence of varying levels of invasiveness of this ubiquitous fungus, which largely depends on the host immune response and pre-existing lung disease. The clinical presentation of pulmonary aspergillosis spans a wide spectrum from hypersensitivity to life threatening angio-invasive and disseminated disease. We report the case of a young immunocompetent male with no underlying lung disease, who presented with an incidentally detected 'infective mass' lesion in the lung associated with minimal respiratory symptoms. The diagnostic challenges posed by the unusual clinical, radiological and histological picture as well as the therapeutic dilemmas faced are discussed in this report.

E-cigarettes: Out of the frying pan into the fire?

Electronic nicotine delivery systems were developed over a decade ago to simulate the experience of smoking, although with a lower exposure to toxins than in conventional smoking. However, they have their own unique profile of side effects, some of which can be life threatening. We report the case of a young male, who in a desperate bid to de-addict himself from smoking developed a serious adverse effect related to the e-cigarettes.

Ultrasonographic assessment of skeletal muscle mass and diaphragm function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Although muscle dysfunction is a major contributor to morbidity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), assessment of skeletal muscle, and diaphragm function is not routinely performed in COPD patients. OBJECTIVES: (1) The aim is to assess muscle dysfunction in COPD by measuring the zone of apposition of diaphragm, diaphragm excursion, thickness of diaphragm, and rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RFCSA) with ultrasonography.(2) To correlate the above assessments with spirometric parameters; notably forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1). METHODS: Twenty-four consecutive stable COPD patients and 18 controls were included after obtaining written informed consent. Demographic and clinical data, spirometric values, 6-min walk distance, and sonographic parameters mentioned above were compiled for the analysis. RESULTS: All included participants were male with a mean age of 62.5 ± 8.4 years. The mean FEV1in cases was 1.12 ± 0.4 L versus 2.41 ± 0.5 L in controls. The diaphragm thickness (1.8 ± 0.5 mm vs. 2.2 ± 0.6 mm;P = 0.005) and RFCSA was significantly lower in COPD patients (4.8 ± 1.3 cm[2] vs. 6.12 ± 1.2 cm[2];P = 0.02). However, diaphragm excursion (5.35 ± 2.8 cm vs. 7 ± 2.6 cm) although lower in COPD patients, was not significantly different between the groups. Correlation between FEV1and ultrasound diaphragm measurements and RFCSA by Spearman's Rho correlation was poor (ρ= 0.2). CONCLUSION: Ultrasonographic assessment of the diaphragm and rectus femoris can be used as markers to assess skeletal muscle dysfunction in COPD as diaphragmatic function and RFCSA were lower in COPD patients.

A 51-Year-Old Woman With Pellets in the Sputum.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old woman with no comorbidities presented with a 3-month history of cough with mucopurulent expectoration and intermittent fever. Over the past 1 month, she complained of streaky hemoptysis and gave history of expectorating "whitish pellets" in the sputum on two occasions. She had developed progressive breathlessness for a week prior to presentation to our hospital. There was no history of chest pain or loss of weight or appetite. She was a nonsmoker and did not consume alcohol. She had received multiple courses of antibiotics at another center with no relief of symptoms.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a rural population in South India: Feasibility of health care workers to administer level III sleep study.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its risk factors in a rural Indian population using screening questionnaire and Level III sleep study. To determine the feasibility to train community health workers to administer Level III sleep study in the high-risk population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted from seven villages with adult population of 2247, in Mugalur, near Bengaluru, from January to April 2014. Berlin questionnaire was used to screen 321 participants chosen by stratified random sampling. A total of 26 out of 321 patients underwent Level III sleep study at home, administered by the health workers, who were trained in three sessions to hook up the machine. Data were verified by a certified sleep physician. RESULTS: The mean age was 39.43 ± 15.6 years with the M:F ratio of 0.98:1. Prevalence of risk of OSA by Berlin questionnaire was 8.72% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.63, 11.81) in the total population, 7.4% in males and 11.7% in females. Older age (odds ratio [OR] 3.97; CI 1.63, 9.6), hypertension (OR 11; CI 4.3, 28.2), obesity (OR 2.35; CI 1, 5.5), and higher Mallampati score (OR 3.78; CI 1.7, 8.4) were significantly associated with high risk of OSA (P = 0.0001-0.04). Twenty-six patients underwent Level III sleep study and OSA was diagnosed in 12 patients. The mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of this group was 9.7/h. The prevalence of OSA by AHI criteria was 3.74%. CONCLUSIONS: OSA is underdiagnosed in rural populations, although risk factors are present. Training community health workers to administer Level III sleep study is a feasible and cost-effective strategy.

Monitoring whole-lung lavage using lung ultrasound: The changing phases of the lung.

Lung ultrasound (LUS) has been proven to yield valuable information for lung and pleural pathology. It is well validated for assessing extravascular lung water. It can also be used to monitor stages of controlled lung de-aeration in whole lung lavage (WLL) which is the treatment for Pulmonary Alveolar Protienosis (PAP),characterized by abnormal surfactant in the alveoli affecting gas exchange .LUS can help decide the point of termination of lung flooding. A 55 year old lady with biopsy proven pulmonary alveolar proteinosis presented with respiratory failure. WLL was planned. LUS was used to study the stages of lung flooding as previously described for ARDS model.6 areas screened based on six areas that are normally examined like upper zone, mid zone and lower zone showed alveolar interstitial pattern. One lung ventilation (OLV) was done and isolation of lavage lung was confirmed which was seen as lung collapse (lung pulse) on LUS. Saline infusion resulted in increase in B lines followed by tissue like pattern with fluid bronchogram on LUS(alveolar flooding) in all the areas. During the lavage of the second lung, appearance of alveolar flooding pattern resulted in termination of saline infusion. The use of LUS in monitoring WLL reduced amount of saline used for lavage, pick up complications like pleural effusion and spillage.

Undiagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Postoperative Outcomes: A Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during preoperative evaluation and the best method to screen OSA and its association with postoperative complications remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of undiagnosed OSA in preoperative Indian patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the STOP-BANG questionnaire to a preoperative level III sleep study, and to assess the association of OSA with postoperative complications. METHODS: A prospective cohort of 245 consecutive adults with ≥2 risk factors for OSA who underwent noncardiac surgery between July 2011 and February 2013 were studied. The STOP-BANG questionnaire was administered to all patients, and 182/245 (74.2%) patients underwent a preoperative level III sleep study. Patients were followed for postoperative complications in hospital and contacted at 30 days after surgery. RESULTS: 70/182 (38.5%) obtained a new diagnosis of OSA, including 11/182 (6%) with moderate to severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index ≥15/h). On logistic regression analyses, the presence of OSA was independently associated with postoperative oxygen desaturation (OR 5.96, 95% CI 2.35-15.1, p < 0.01), a postoperative complication within 7 days (OR 3.63, 95% CI 1.77-7.45, p < 0.01) and within 30 days (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.74-7.1, p < 0.01). The STOP-BANG questionnaire did not identify 12/70 (17%) of the patients diagnosed with OSA and classified 28% of the cohort as OSA when the level III sleep study was negative. CONCLUSIONS: Unrecognized OSA is common in preoperative patients and is independently associated with postoperative complications. The STOP-BANG questionnaire had a lower performance in the diagnosis of OSA in a South Indian population than the level III sleep study.

Pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis: A clinical profile.

BACKGROUND: Systemic sclerosis is a generalized disorder of connective tissue affecting skin and internal organs. Lung involvement accounts for significant morbidity and is a leading cause of mortality in patients. OBJECTIVES: This study intends to study the frequency of occurrence of pulmonary involvement in progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) and to describe the clinical and radiological picture of pulmonary involvement in PSS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A detailed history, modified Rodnan score, clinical examination, routine investigation, antinuclear antibody, immuno biot, chest X-ray (CXR), pulmonary function test (PFT), and 6 min walk test (6MWT) were performed on all patients. High resolution computed tomography was done on those who consented. RESULTS: Hundred subjects with PSS were included in the study; 90 were females and 10 were males. Common presenting complaints were skin thickening in 98% and Raynaud's phenomenon in 98%. Skin thickening of digits beyond metacarpo phalangeal was seen in 98%, face and neck in 92%, and hands in 92%. Chest wall thickening was seen in 40 subjects (40%). 90 (90%) of the studied subjects had pulmonary involvement, longer duration of disease was significantly associated with pulmonary involvement (P < 0.05). Dyspnea, cough, bilateral crepitations, CXR, Borg score, and Rodnan score was found to be significantly associated with severe pulmonary involvement (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of pulmonary involvement in this cohort study was 90%. Almost 1/3(rd) of patients, that is 29 (29%) were detected to have pulmonary involvement despite being asymptomatic for respiratory complaints, hence early screening and evaluation is recommended. PFT and 6MWT are noninvasive, cost-effective, and easily available screening tests which can be used in resource-limited settings.