[Translated article] Advances in the work of multidisciplinary teams for the care of patients with severe uncontrolled asthma. A post-COVID vision (TEAM 2.0 project).

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease with a high health, social and economic impact, particularly in the case of Severe Uncontrolled Asthma (SUA). For this reason, new strategies are especially necessary to improve its approach, with a personalized approach to each patient and from a multidisciplinary perspective, in addition to integrating the new telemedicine and telepharmacy practices promoted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, the TEAM 2.0 project ("Work in Multidisciplinary Asthma Teams") has been developed, following the TEAM project carried out in 2019, with the aim of updating and prioritizing good multidisciplinary work practices in SUA in a post pandemic context and analyze the progress made. A coordinating group, made up of eight multidisciplinary teams of hospital pharmacists, pulmonologists, and allergists, carried out an updated bibliographic review, sharing of good multidisciplinary practices, and analysis of advances. Through five regional meetings with other experts with experience in SUA, the good practices identified were shared and subjected to debate, evaluation and prioritization. In total, 23 good multidisciplinary work practices in SUA, grouped into five work areas: 1) Organization of work in multidisciplinary teams, 2) Patient education, self-management and adherence, 3) Health results, data monitoring and persistence, 4) Telepharmacy and experiences implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and 5) Training and research, were evaluated and prioritized by 57 professionals from the field of Hospital Pharmacy, Pulmonology, Allergology and Nursing. This work has made it possible to update the roadmap of priority actions to continue advancing in optimal models of care for patients with AGNC in a post-COVID-19 context.

Advances in the work of multidisciplinary teams for the care of patients with severe uncontrolled asthma. A post-COVID vision (TEAM 2.0 project). / Avances en el trabajo de equipos multidisciplinares para la atención al paciente con asma grave no controlada. Una visión post-COVID (Proyecto TEAM 2.0).

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease with a high health, social and economic impact, particularly in the case of Severe Uncontrolled Asthma (SUA). For this reason, new strategies are especially necessary to improve its approach, with a personalized approach to each patient and from a multidisciplinary perspective, in addition to integrating the new telemedicine and telepharmacy practices promoted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, the TEAM 2.0 project ("Work in Multidisciplinary Asthma Teams") has been developed, following the TEAM project carried out in 2019, with the aim of updating and prioritizing good multidisciplinary work practices in SUA in a post pandemic context and analyze the progress made. A coordinating group, made up of eight multidisciplinary teams of hospital pharmacists, pulmonologists, and allergists, carried out an updated bibliographic review, sharing of good multidisciplinary practices, and analysis of advances. Through five regional meetings with other experts with experience in SUA, the good practices identified were shared and subjected to debate, evaluation and prioritization. In total, 23 good multidisciplinary work practices in SUA, grouped into five work areas: 1) Organization of work in multidisciplinary teams, 2) Patient education, self-management and adherence, 3) Health results, data monitoring and persistence, 4) Telepharmacy and experiences implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and 5) Training and research, were evaluated and prioritized by 57 professionals from the field of Hospital Pharmacy, Pulmonology, Allergology and Nursing. This work has made it possible to update the roadmap of priority actions to continue advancing in optimal models of care for patients with AGNC in a post-COVID-19 context.

Incidence of pulmonary embolism in patients with non-invasive respiratory support during COVID-19 outbreak.

While the incidence of thrombotic complications in critically ill patients is very high, in patients under non-invasive respiratory support (NIS) is still unknown. The specific incidence of thrombotic events in each of the clinical scenarios within the broad spectrum of severity of COVID-19, is not clearly established, and this has not allowed the implementation of thromboprophylaxis or anticoagulation for routine care in COVID-19. Patients admitted in a semi-critical unit treated initially with NIS, especially Continuous-Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), were included in the study. The cumulative incidence of pulmonary embolism was analyzed and compared between patients with good response to NIS and patients with clinical deterioration that required orotracheal intubation. 93 patients were included and 16% required mechanical ventilation (MV) after the NIS. The crude cumulative incidence of the PE was 14% (95%, CI 8-22) for all group. In patients that required orotracheal intubation and MV, the cumulative incidence was significantly higher [33% (95%, CI 16-58)] compared to patients that continued with non-invasive support [11% (CI 5-18)] (Log-Rank, p = 0.013). Patients that required mechanical ventilation were at higher risk of PE for a HR of 4.3 (95%CI 1.2-16). In conclusion, cumulative incidence of PE is remarkably higher in critically patients with a potential impact in COVID-19 evolution. In this context, patients under NIS are a very high-risk group for developing PE without a clear strategy regarding thromboprophylaxis.

Best practices for interdisciplinary care of uncontrolled severe asthma patients (TEAM project).

As one of the most prevalent chronic respiratory diseases, asthma imposes a heavy health and socioeconomic burden on society,  particularly in the case of patients who fail to appropriately control the  disease. For this reason, improving the clinical management of patients  with severe uncontrolled asthma should be a priority for any healthcare  system.At a time when healthcare models for chronic disease management and  personalized medicine are undergoing a major overhaul, the project presented in this study seeks to lay the foundations for an  interdisciplinary care model for patients with severe uncontrolled asthma. The work carried out reinforces the general perception that it is  paramount to optimize coordination between different levels of care,  encourage collaboration and an interdisciplinary approach, and promote  an integrated care model that makes it possible to adapt the care of  patients with severe uncontrolled asthma in a more personalized manner. Under this project, a series of interdisciplinary working groups were  created, made up of specialist hospital pharmacists, pneumologists and  allergists, to identify and prioritize a number of best practices, and  classify them in terms of their potential impact on the improvement of  the quality of care and the health outcomes of patients with severe  uncontrolled asthma, and their feasibility. The authors' ambition is that  the conclusions drawn from this study should help other interdisciplinary  teams improve the care provided to patients suffering from severe  uncontrolled asthma.

El asma es una de las enfermedades crónicas respiratorias de mayor prevalencia e impacto sanitario y socioeconómico, especialmente  en el caso de pacientes que no alcanzan un adecuado control de la  enfermedad.Por ello, mejorar el manejo clínico de los pacientes con asma grave no  controlada debe ser una prioridad sanitaria. En un contexto de  redefinición general de los modelos de atención orientados al abordaje de la cronicidad y la personalización se ha desarrollado un proyecto para  definir las bases del modelo de atención multidisciplinar del paciente con  asma grave no controlada. El trabajo realizado refuerza la percepción de  la necesidad de optimizar la coordinación entre niveles asistenciales,  fomentar la colaboración y el abordaje multidisciplinar, y promover un  modelo integral asistencial que permita adaptar la atención a los  pacientes con asma grave no controlada de manera más personalizada.  El trabajo ha permitido la identificación y priorización de buenas  prácticas, por parte de equipos de trabajo multidisciplinares constituidos  por médicos especialistas en alergología, neumología y farmacéuticos  especialistas en farmacia hospitalaria, en base a su potencial impacto en  la mejora de la calidad asistencial, resultados en salud del paciente con  asma grave no controlada y la factibilidad de su implementación. Las  conclusiones de este proyecto pretenden servir de ayuda a otros equipos  de trabajo multidisciplinar con interés en mejorar la asistencia a esta  patología.

Successful conservative management in iatrogenic tracheobronchial injury.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to describe and to assess the effectiveness of conservative treatment as the chosen treatment for managing iatrogenic tracheobronchial injuries (ITBI). METHODS: Between January 1993 and December 2003, 33 tracheobronchial injuries were treated in our hospital. Eighteen (54.5%) were ITBI and 15 (45.5%) were traumatic noniatrogenic injuries. Of the ITBI patients, sex distribution was 15 (83%) females and 3 (17%) males with a mean age of 57.7 +/- 20.7 years (range, 17 to 88 years). Fifteen (83.3%) of the injuries were caused by orotracheal intubation and 3 (15.7%) by tracheotomy. The average diagnostic delay was 25.7 +/- 22.9 hours. The mean injury size was 2.83 +/- 1.02 cm (range, 1 to 4 cm). Nine (50%) injuries were located in the cervical trachea, 6 (33.3%) in the thoracic trachea, and 3 (16%) involved both trachea and main bronchi. Conservative treatment was chosen for 17 (94.4%) of the 18 cases. We performed surgical repair in only 1 case owing to progressive subcutaneous emphysema and increasing difficulty with mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: No complications arose from the use of conservative treatment. Four patients (22%) died in our hospital, 3 of these of non-ITBI-related causes. Mortality was not related to four variables: sex, diagnostic delay, location, or size of the ITBI. Fourteen of the 18 patients (77.7%) were discharged uneventfully, and the endoscopic and clinical follow-up examinations were satisfactory in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Conservative treatment for ITBI is effective regardless of production, size, or site of the injuries. Surgical treatment is advisable in specific cases: rapid progression of subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema, mediastinitis, and difficulty with mechanical ventilation.