RESUMEN
Objective: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is currently recommended for all patients undergoing lung resection with either respiratory comorbidities or functional limitations. The main parameter evaluated is oxygen consumption at peak (VO2peak). Patients with VO2peak above 20â ml/kg/min are classified as low risk surgical candidates. The aims of this study were to evaluate postoperative outcomes of low-risk patients, and to compare their outcomes with those of patients without pulmonary impairment at respiratory function testing. Methods: Retrospective monocentric observational study was designed, evaluating outcomes of patients undergoing lung resection at San Paolo University Hospital, Milan, Italy, between January 2016 and November 2021, preoperatively assessed by CPET, according to 2009 ERS/ESTS guidelines. All low-risk patients undergoing any extent surgical lung resection for pulmonary nodules were enrolled. Postoperative major cardiopulmonary complications or death, occurring within 30 days from surgery, were assessed. A case-control study was nested, matching 1:1 for type of surgery the cohort population with control patients without functional respiratory impairment consecutively undergoing surgery at the same centre in the study period. Results: A total of 80 patients were enrolled: 40 subjects were preoperatively assessed by CPET and deemed at low risk, whereas 40 subjects represented the control group. Among the first, 4 patients (10%) developed major cardiopulmonary complications, and 1 patient (2.5%) died within 30 days from surgery. In the control group, 2 patients (5%) developed complications and none of the patients (0%) died. The differences in morbidity and mortality rates did not reach statistically significance. Instead, age, weight, BMI, smoking history, COPD incidence, surgical approach, FEV1, Tiffenau, DLCO and length of hospital stay resulted significantly different between the two groups. At a case-by-case analysis, CPET revealed a pathological pattern in each complicated patient, in spite of VO2peak above target for safe surgery. Conclusions: Postoperative outcomes of low-risk patients undergoing lung resections are comparable to those of patients without any pulmonary functional impairment; nonetheless the formers represent a dramatically different category of individuals from the latter and may harbour few patients with worse outcomes. CPET variables overall interpretation may add to the VO2peak in identifying higher risk patients, even in this subgroup.
RESUMEN
Delirium is an acute confusional state characterized by altered level of consciousness and attention. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can manifest itself with this neuropsychiatric disorder. The endpoints of our study were: the frequency of delirium in subjects with COVID-19 pneumonia; the risk factors that predispose to this condition; and the impact of delirium on mortality. Subjects were consecutively enrolled in a Geriatric Unit from January 5th to March 5th, 2021. Inclusion criteria were: diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, a radiologically documented pneumonia, and the ability of providing informed consent. Exclusion criteria were: absence of radiological evidence of pneumonia, sepsis, and the need of intensive care unit treatment. All subjects were evaluated by means of Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) and Confusion Assessment Method-Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) at least twice per day. In the study cohort (n = 71), twenty patients (28.2%) had delirium. Delirium was present on admission in 11.3%, and occurred during hospitalization in 19.0%. Compared to patients without delirium, patients who developed this neuropsychiatric disorder had a higher mortality rate (35% vs 5.9%) and an increased average hospital length of stay (21 days vs 17 days). In the multivariate analysis delirium was associated with frailty (OR = 2.81; CI = 1.4-5.8) and helmet ventilation (OR = 141.05; CI = 4.3-4663.9). Delirium was an independent predictor of mortality. Nearly a third of subjects (28.2%) had delirium during hospitalization for COVID-19. This finding supports the notion that delirium is a common complication of SARS-CoV2 infection. Since delirium is associated with longer hospital stay, and it is an independent marker of increased mortality, clinicians should assess and prevent it.