NCCP-ICS joint consensus-based clinical practice guidelines on medical thoracoscopy.

ABSTRACT: Medical Thoracoscopy (MT) is commonly performed by respiratory physicians for diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes. The aim of the study was to provide evidence-based information regarding all aspects of MT, both as a diagnostic tool and therapeutic aid for pulmonologists across India. The consensus-based guidelines were formulated based on a multistep process using a set of 31 questions. A systematic search of published randomized controlled clinical trials, open labelled studies, case reports and guidelines from electronic databases, like PubMed, EmBase and Cochrane, was performed. The modified grade system was used (1, 2, 3 or usual practice point) to classify the quality of available evidence. Then, a multitude of factors were taken into account, such as volume of evidence, applicability and practicality for implementation to the target population and then strength of recommendation was finalized. MT helps to improve diagnosis and patient management, with reduced risk of post procedure complications. Trainees should perform at least 20 medical thoracoscopy procedures. The diagnostic yield of both rigid and semirigid techniques is comparable. Sterile-graded talc is the ideal agent for chemical pleurodesis. The consensus statement will help pulmonologists to adopt best evidence-based practices during MT for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Pleural effusion guidelines from ICS and NCCP Section 1: Basic principles, laboratory tests and pleural procedures.

Pleural effusion is a common problem in our country, and most of these patients need invasive tests as they can't be evaluated by blood tests alone. The simplest of them is diagnostic pleural aspiration, and diagnostic techniques such as medical thoracoscopy are being performed more frequently than ever before. However, most physicians in India treat pleural effusion empirically, leading to delays in diagnosis, misdiagnosis and complications from wrong treatments. This situation must change, and the adoption of evidence-based protocols is urgently needed. Furthermore, the spectrum of pleural disease in India is different from that in the West, and yet Western guidelines and algorithms are used by Indian physicians. Therefore, India-specific consensus guidelines are needed. To fulfil this need, the Indian Chest Society and the National College of Chest Physicians; the premier societies for pulmonary physicians came together to create this National guideline. This document aims to provide evidence based recommendations on basic principles, initial assessment, diagnostic modalities and management of pleural effusions.

Tracheobronchopathia Osteochondroplastica - to Biopsy or not to Biopsy? A Relook at The Rare Disease.

BACKGROUND: Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TPO) is a rare idiopathic disease involving the tracheobronchial tree. It is mostly an incidental finding with non-specific clinical manifestations. It has typical bronchoscopic, radiological features and biopsy is usually considered non-essential. The study aimed to determine whether biopsy makes a difference in the management of patients. METHODS: All patients diagnosed with TPO in our institution over 15 years (2005 to 2020) were included in this study. Their medical records, chest computed tomography (CT), and bronchoscopy reports were retrospectively reviewed, and data were analysed. All the CT images were reviewed by a senior chest radiologist. RESULTS: From the 20,000 bronchoscopies and 260,000 CT thorax images obtained, 28 cases were diagnosed as TPO based on either bronchoscopy or radiology or both. Among the 19 cases diagnosed through bronchoscopy, 16 underwent a biopsy. In addition to TPO features, biopsy showed additional diagnoses in 6 cases. In 9 cases, TPO was not initially diagnosed by CT but by bronchoscopy. In 8 patients, TPO was diagnosed incidentally on CT performed for other reasons. On follow-up with the treatment of underlying/co-existing concomitant aetiologies, clinical improvement was noted in all patients. None of them progressed to respiratory failure or airway obstruction until the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Among patients who underwent bronchoscopic biopsy of TPO lesions, 38% had biopsy results showing an alternative aetiology, which led to changes in the treatment plan for all these patients. Hence, a bronchoscopic biopsy of TPO lesions should be performed to rule out other aetiologies.

Reversible platypnoea-orthodeoxia syndrome.

Platypnoea-orthodeoxia syndrome is characterised by dyspnoea and oxygen desaturation in the upright position usually caused by an extracardiac shunt and less often due to dynamic factors that accentuate an intracardiac right-to-left shunt. In our patient, the collapse of lower lobe of left lung secondary to bronchial stenosis due to endobronchial tuberculosis and resultant mediastinal shift was the factor that led to an otherwise unrecognised intracardiac right-to-left shunt leading to platypnoea-orthodeoxia. We postulate that there would have been an increased stretching and widening of a patent foramen ovale in the upright position due to gravity resulting in an increased shunt despite normal intracardiac pressures. Once the patency of the left main bronchus was restored by deploying a stent, the left lower lobe expanded, the mediastinum returned to its normal position and there was resultant resolution of the platypnoea-orthodeoxia. This interesting observation may be useful in managing similar scenarios in the future.

Fat emboli-Related diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (FEDAH) an acronym to remember-Case series.

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a rare but potentially fatal complication of trauma or orthopaedic surgery, which presents predominantly with pulmonary symptoms. The rapid worsening respiratory failure in a previously normal orthopaedic surgery or trauma patients usually get evaluated for pulmonary embolism, fat-embolism-related acute respiratory distress or transfusion related acute lung injury. Orthopaedic surgeons and clinicians need to be aware of related entity termed 'Fat Embolism related Diffuse Alveolar Haemorrhage' (FEDAH). The clinical presentation in an orthopaedic surgery of trauma patient with FEDAH are haemoptysis, worsening type 1 respiratory failure and oxygen requirement, drop in haemoglobin levels with chest x-ray/computed tomography suggestive of Diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (DAH). Early bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) confirmation of DAH, presence of BAL haemosiderophages and lipid-laden macrophages are the pointers in the early diagnosis of FEDAH. It needs a high clinical suspicion and interdepartmental collaborative measures. Timely referral from orthopaedic surgeons, early bronchoscopy and treatment with steroids is key in diagnosis and management.

Evaluation of humoral immune deficiency in Indian patients with bilateral bronchiectasis with no apparent aetiology.

Background: Infections continue to be the leading aetiology of bronchiectasis in developing countries like India. Among non-infectious cases, the majority will have no identifiable cause despite extensive evaluation. Recently, immunodeficiency has been recognized as an important aetiology, but data on its prevalence remain rather sparse. Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of humoral immunodeficiency in a cohort of adults with bilateral bronchiectasis with no apparent aetiology. Methods: This is the single-site study from Christian Medical College (Vellore, India) of adults with HRCT-proven non-infectious bronchiectasis. Humoral immunity was assessed through quantitative analysis of immunoglobulins and IgG subclass levels. Results: Among 158 cases, immunoglobulin deficiency was found in 15%. Low IgM was the most predominate finding (7%), followed by common variable immunodeficiency (3%) and low IgA (2.5%). In addition, IgG subclass deficiency was found in 5%. In 53% of cases, no specific aetiology could be identified. Conclusion: Humoral immune deficiency is present in a significant proportion of patients with non-infectious bronchiectasis. Routine measurement of serum immunoglobulins should therefore be considered as part of the evaluation.

ICS/Ultra LABA in the Treatment of Obstructive Airway Diseases: A Consensus of Indian Experts.

Inhaled corticosteroid and ultra-long-acting beta-agonist (ICS/uLABA) combination is a recent advancement in the armamentarium against obstructive airways diseases (OADs). The combination of ICS/uLABA has several advantages, creating a favorable landscape for its utilization. Fluticasone furoate/vilanterol trifenatate (FF/Vi) is one such example of an ICS/uLABA. It offers several benefits from both drugs, such as a convenient once daily dosing schedule; high lipophilicity; high receptor affinity of fluticasone furoate along with high functional selectivity and a quick onset of action of vilanterol. However, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) as well as the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines do not clearly define the positioning of ICS/uLABA compared to conventional ICS/LABAs. There are a few areas of uncertainty especially around the appropriate reliever strategy with ICS/uLABA in Asthma. The current consensus was planned with a group of Indian pulmonology experts to provide more clarity on the potential use of FF/Vi in Asthma and COPD. The clinical statements highlighted in this consensus manuscript address crucial clinical questions revolving around the efficacy and safety of FF/Vi as compared to conventional ICS/LABAs and identify the ideal patient profile for its use. This consensus paper also sheds light upon the appropriate reliever to be used along with FF/Vi in Asthma and the utilization of FF/Vi-based triple therapy in OADs. Expert recommendations mentioned in this paper will serve as guidance to pulmonologists as well as consultant physicians who are involved in providing care to OAD patients and will help them weigh the various factors that need to be taken into account while prescribing ICS/uLABA combination.

Challenges in the management of slowly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria causing pulmonary disease: Perspectives from a high burden country.

PURPOSE: There is a dearth of data on epidemiology, diagnosis and management of slow growing non tuberculous mycobacteria(NTM) in India, despite being a TB endemic country. This study aims to describe the geographic distribution, risk factors, and the challenges in management of slow growing NTM causing pulmonary infections. METHODS: Over a period of 3 years, all slow growing NTM received from pulmonary specimens at a tertiary care centre were further studied from electronic hospital records to correlate non tuberculous mycobacteria species with demographics, geographic location, describe comorbidities including immunosuppression, radiologic findings and treatment regimes. RESULTS: M.intracellullare was found in the majority of isolates with significant geographic variation and M.simiae the second commonest found exclusively in southern states. Common comorbidities included a previous history of treatment for tuberculosis, structural lung disease as well as systemic risk factors. Disseminated disease only occurred in immunocompromised hosts as was expected, but at a high rate of 44%. Treatment completion and outcomes were difficult to attain in our population. CONCLUSION: The burden of NTM infection and its management in India remain a challenge. Ensuring it is made a notifiable disease may improve the current situation.

Clinical implications of high-risk mutations in drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB): An observational cohort study.

Genotype MTBDRsl [SL-LPA] was endorsed as a tool for early diagnosis of fluoroquinolones (FQ) and injectable second-line TB drugs (SLID) resistance in DR-TB. Correlation between specific genetic mutations using this tool and clinical outcome has not hitherto been studied in India. We conducted a observational cohort study to evaluate the predictive value of specific mutations for bad outcome. Our study identified 15 different types of gyrA mutations, commonest being A90V and D94G. Poor outcome was associated with mutations D94G and D94N/D94Y.Most XDR-TB patients harbored the high risk mutation of A1401G. Hence information of specific mutations using SL-LPA can help prognosticate and design appropriate treatment regimens.

Conventional flexible bronchoscopy during the COVID pandemic: A consensus statement from the Indian Association for Bronchology.

During the times of the ongoing COVID pandemic, aerosol-generating procedures such as bronchoscopy have the potential of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 to the healthcare workers. The decision to perform bronchoscopy during the COVID pandemic should be taken judiciously. Over the years, the indications for bronchoscopy in the clinical practice have expanded. Experts at the Indian Association for Bronchology perceived the need to develop a concise statement that would assist a bronchoscopist in performing bronchoscopy during the COVID pandemic safely. The current Indian Association for Bronchology Consensus Statement provides specific guidelines including triaging, indications, bronchoscopy area, use of personal protective equipment, patient preparation, sedation and anesthesia, patient monitoring, bronchoscopy technique, sample collection and handling, bronchoscope disinfection, and environmental disinfection concerning the coronavirus disease-2019 situation. The suggestions provided herewith should be adopted in addition to the national bronchoscopy guidelines that were published recently. This statement summarizes the essential aspects to be considered for the performance of bronchoscopy in COVID pandemic, to ensure safety for both for patients and healthcare personnel.

Pneumococcal serotypes causing non-invasive pneumonia in adults from a South Indian tertiary care hospital and the impact of the newer conjugate vaccines.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults. Ageing, chronic conditions and comorbidities are important risk factors for pneumococcal pneumonia. PURPOSE: There is lack of data on the pneumococcal serotypes causing non-invasive pneumonia in India. This study aims to determine the prevalent pneumococcal serotypes causing non-invasive pneumonia, the associated comorbidities, and the coverage of both the available pneumococcal vaccines in India and conjugate vaccines that are currently undergoing clinical trials. METHODS: A total of 280 subjects (aged >16 years) who had clinical symptoms correlating with radiological findings for non-invasive bacteremic pneumonia and microbiological evidence of S. pneumoniae between 2018 and 2020 were included. The clinical, demographic, radiological and microbiological findings were retrieved from the Hospital Information System (HIS). RESULT: The common serotypes in order of prevalence were 19F, 9V, 23F, 6B, 11A, 13, 34, 10A, 19A and 6A. The predominant non-vaccine serotypes were 13, 34, 35B, 31 and 16F. The associated radiological findings were pneumonic consolidation and multi-lobar involvement. Other coinfected bacterial pathogens included H. influenzae, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. CONCLUSION: The pneumococcal vaccines: PCV10/GSK, PCV10/SII, PCV13, PCV15, PCV20 and PPSV23 provide an overall serotype coverage of 36, 41, 47, 48, 61 and 69 %, respectively of S. pneumoniae causing non-invasive pneumonia in South India. Increasing catch-up vaccination using PCV10(SII) in pre-school children could have a more significant impact on reducing pneumococcal pneumonia in adults (>50 years) in terms of increased herd immunity at an affordable cost.

Imprint Cytology of Thoracoscopic Pleural Biopsy Tissue for Early Etiological Diagnosis of Pleural Effusion: A Pilot Study From India.

Thoracoscopic pleural biopsy provides the highest diagnostic yield in both malignant and tubercular pleural effusions. However histopathologic report takes 3 to 5 days to provide the diagnosis, resulting in a delay of further management plans like pleurodesis or chest tube removal. Imprint cytology of biopsy tissue can provide early information about the etiological diagnosis. Thus, we conducted this pilot study in 66 patients of exudative pleural effusions undergoing medical thoracoscopy. One or 2 biopsy pieces obtained during medical thoracoscopy from pleural nodules were used to prepare imprint cytology slides in the thoracoscopy suite. In comparison to thoracoscopic pleural biopsy, the diagnostic yield of imprint cytology of pleural tissue was 92% (49 of 53 cases) in cases of malignant pleural effusion and 75% (9 of 12 cases) in cases of tuberculosis pleural effusions. Imprint cytology provided a definite idea about the type of diagnosis, about 2.5 days before the histopathology results. By providing early etiological diagnosis, it may also decrease the duration of hospital stay and health care expenditure. A large prospective trial has been planned in our center to confirm this hypothesis.

Screening for prevalence of current TB disease and latent TB infection in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients attending a diabetic clinic in an Indian tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes triples the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). This study was designed to determine the prevalence of past and current TB disease and Latent TB infection (LTBI) in type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) patients. DESIGN: This was a prospective descriptive study on all NIDDM patients attending a Diabetic clinic. Detailed history, included details of previous history of TB (Past TB)and symptoms of active TB and a thorough physical exam was also done. When clinical suspicion of TB was present, appropriate investigations were carried out to diagnose 'Current TB'. Subsequently, 200 consecutive patients who were negative for Past and Current TB were screened for Latent TB infection (LTBI) by tuberculin skin test. RESULTS: Of 1000 NIDDM patients enrolled, 43(4.3%) had Past TB. Of remaining 957 patients, 50 were evaluated for New TB on the basis of suggestive symptoms and 10(1%) patients were confirmed to have Current TB. Risk factors for Past or Current TB 'DM-TB' in comparison with 'DM Only' group were; male sex (72% VS 57%; P = 0.033), manual laborer (28% VS 15%; P = 0.012), smoking (26% VS 14%; P = 0.015), alcohol consumption (23% VS 9%; P<0.001)& being on treatment with Insulin (40% VS 20%; P<0.001). There was a protective effect with being a home maker (17% VS 37%; P = 0.034&overweightstatus (53% VS 71%; P = 0.004). Of the 200 patient without Past or Current TB, who were screened for LTBI, 96(48%) patients were found to have LTBI. Male sex was the only significant risk factor for LTBI (72% VS 59%; P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Past and Current TB was substantial in patients attending a Diabetic Clinic. Active symptom screening for TB in these clinics could lead to increase in case detection and earlier diagnosis.

The first month of the COVID-19 outbreak in 46 sub-Saharan African countries; a comparative analysis of growth rates

BackgroundThe COVID-19 outbreak in sub-Saharan African countries started after those in Asia, Europe and North America, on 28th February 2020. The susceptibility to infection of populations in that region has been debated. Outbreaks on the scale of those seen elsewhere would pose substantial challenges. There are reasons for concern that transmission may be high and difficult to control, rapidly exceeding capacity to meet the needs for hospitalization and critical care. MethodsWe obtained data on daily new confirmed cases for all 46 countries from the World Health Organization, and used these to model and visualize growth trajectories using an AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. We then estimated doubling times from growth rates estimated from Poisson regression models, and by back counting from the most recent observation. We also calculated the time from 1st to 50th case, and the time from 5th to 100th case. These indicators were compared with the same summary indicators of growth at the same stage of the outbreak in highly affected European countries. ResultsKenya was the only country with clear evidence of exponential growth. Nineteen countries had either reported no cases, were in the first few days of the outbreak, or had reported fewer than 10 cases over a period of two or more weeks. For the remaining 27 countries we identified four growth patterns: slow linear growth, more rapid linear growth, variable growth patterns over the course of the outbreak, and early signs of possible exponential growth. For those in the last three groups, doubling times ranged from 3 to 4 days, times from 1st to 50th case from 12 to 29 days, and from 5th to 100th case from eight to 15 days. These early indicators are comparable to those in European countries that have gone on to have substantial outbreaks, and time to 50th case was shorter suggesting lesser effectiveness of contact-tracing and quarantine in the early phase. ConclusionThe 46 sub-Saharan African countries, home to over one billion people, are at a tipping point with clear potential for the outbreak to follow a similar course as in HIC in the global north. Radical population-level physical distancing measures may be required, but their impact on poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable people and communities need mitigating. Health systems in the region need urgent technical and material support, with testing, personal protection, and hospital/ critical care.

Robustness of the Line Probe Assay for the Rapid Diagnosis and Characterization of Mutations in Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

Introduction: Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDRTB) is a public health concern. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of Genotype® MTBDRsl for detection of resistance to fluoroquinolones (FQs) and second-line injectable drugs (SLIDs) and characterized mutations seen. Materials and Methods: MTBDRsl was carried out either directly on sputum samples or indirectly on culture isolates (n = 100) from known multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) patients from July 2015 to September 2017. Diagnostic accuracy for the detection of resistance to FQs and SLIDs was calculated in comparison with conventional culture-based drug susceptibility testing. Mutations at the gyrA and rrs loci, as well as discrepant phenotypic and genotypic results, were studied. A subset of isolates underwent pyrosequencing. Results: Out of 100 MDRTB samples/isolates tested, 59% were pre-XDRTB and 7% were XDRTB. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of resistance to FQs were 96.6% [95% confidence interval (CI): 88.3-99.6] and 80% [95% CI: 64.4-90.9] and those for SLIDs were 70% [95% CI: 34.8-93.3] and 100% [95% CI: 95.9-100]. The most frequent mutations were the absence of wild type 3 with corresponding mutation 3c (20/66) at the gyrA locus, and absence of wild type 1 and corresponding mutation 1 (6/7) at the rrs locus. The absence of a wt2 band with a corresponding mutation at the gyrA locus was seen in four of eight patients with discrepant genotypic and phenotypic results for FQ resistance. All isolates tested by pyrosequencing (n = 5) were concordant with the line probe assay for FQ resistance with identical mutations (D94G) and four of five isolates were concordant with SLIDs with identical mutations (A1401G). Conclusion: The MTBDRsl is a useful test for accurate diagnosis of XDRTB and may help to tailor therapy.

Bronchoscopic lung cryobiopsy: An Indian association for bronchology position statement.

BACKGROUND: Bronchoscopic lung cryobiopsy (BLC) is a novel technique for obtaining lung tissue for the diagnosis of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases. The procedure is performed using several different variations of technique, resulting in an inconsistent diagnostic yield and a variable risk of complications. There is an unmet need for standardization of the technical aspects of BLC. METHODOLOGY: This is a position statement framed by a group comprising experts from the fields of pulmonary medicine, thoracic surgery, pathology, and radiology under the aegis of the Indian Association for Bronchology. Sixteen questions on various technical aspects of BLC were framed. A literature search was conducted using PubMed and EMBASE databases. The expert group discussed the available evidence relevant to each question through e-mail and a face-to-face meeting, and arrived at a consensus. RESULTS: The experts agreed that patients should be carefully selected for BLC after weighing the risks and benefits of the procedure. Where appropriate, consideration should be given to perform alternate procedures such as conventional transbronchial biopsy or subject the patient directly to a surgical lung biopsy. The procedure is best performed after placement of an artificial airway under sedation/general anesthesia. Fluoroscopic guidance and occlusion balloon should be utilized for positioning the cryoprobe to reduce the risk of pneumothorax and bleeding, respectively. At least four tissue specimens (with at least two of adequate size, i.e., ≥5 mm) should be obtained during the procedure from different lobes or different segments of a lobe. The histopathological findings of BLC should be interpreted by an experienced pulmonary pathologist. The final diagnosis should be made after a multidisciplinary discussion. Finally, there is a need for structured training for performing BLC. CONCLUSION: This position statement is an attempt to provide practical recommendations for the performance of BLC in DPLDs.

Thoracoscopic pleural biopsy improves yield of Xpert MTB/RIF for diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) accounts for ~15% of all TB patients, and TB pleural effusion is the second most common site of EPTB. The diagnosis of pleural TB is challenging due to the pauci-bacillary nature of the disease. Histopathology of thoracoscopically obtained pleural biopsy provides the highest diagnostic yield. The Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Xpert) is a PCR test that can identify both Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and rifampicin resistance. Currently, there is a lack of clarity regarding the value of Xpert on pleural tissue. We report our experience of using Xpert on thoracoscopic pleural biopsy samples. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent thoracoscopy in our institution over a 1-year period. Relevant clinical details; indications; and results of tests on pleural tissue and fluid, including histopathology, mycobacterial cultures and Xpert, were extracted. RESULTS: Of the 156 patients who underwent thoracoscopy, 73 (47%) had TB, 66 (42%) malignancy and 17 (11%) other conditions. Histopathology was diagnostic in all the 73 TB patients (100%). The yields of the microbiological tests against histopathology on thoracoscopic biopsy sample and pleural fluid were: pleural tissue Xpert 45%, pleural tissue culture 39%, pleural fluid culture 17% and pleural fluid Xpert 14%. Pleural tissue provided higher yields than fluid in both Xpert and culture (P < 0.05). Pleural tissue Xpert provided a higher yield than culture and substantially improved yield compared with closed pleural biopsy as we previously reported. CONCLUSION: Thoracoscopic pleural biopsy results in increased sensitivity on Xpert testing.

Familial interstitial pulmonary fibrosis in two different families in India: A case series.

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD), Occasionally, IPF occurs in families. Familial interstitial lung disease has been reported worldwide, limited information is available on the disease among Indian patients. CASE PRESENTATION: A 59-year-old woman presented with a 2-year history of progressive dyspnoea. Based on clinical and radiological features, our patient was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Several family members of her first and second generations had died from respiratory failure. Her sister also diagnosed as IPF based on typical High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) finding though she was asymptomatic and came for screening. In addition, another male patient also had similar history and diagnosed as familial IPF based on HRCT and genetic testing in spite of significant occupational exposure. Genetic study revealed SFTPA1 gene was associated with susceptibility to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Our report illustrates that asymptomatic screening of family member can uncover such a serious disease in patients with familial interstitial fibrosis. Otherwise, clinical, radiological, and histological features are indistinguishable from those of sporadic cases. Furthermore, our work highlights the importance of compiling a thorough family history in individuals presenting with cough and dyspnoea, particularly in younger patients identified with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Medical thoracoscopic removal of a metal needle from the pleural space.

Medical thoracoscopy is an excellent diagnostic and therapeutic tool for management of pleural diseases. There have been case reports of removal of foreign bodies from pleural spaces with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery under general anaesthesia by thoracic surgeons. We present a case of successful removal of an 8 cm long metal needle from the pleural space with single port medical semirigid thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia by a chest physician. Removal of a foreign body from the pleural space is one more indication for medical thoracoscopy, however, an experienced chest physician and proper case selection are very important for safety and a successful outcome of this procedure.

High annual risk of tuberculosis infection among nursing students in South India: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Nurses in developing countries are frequently exposed to infectious tuberculosis (TB) patients, and have a high prevalence of TB infection. To estimate the incidence of new TB infection, we recruited a cohort of young nursing trainees at the Christian Medical College in Southern India. Annual tuberculin skin testing (TST) was conducted to assess the annual risk of TB infection (ARTI) in this cohort. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 436 nursing students completed baseline two-step TST testing in 2007 and 217 were TST-negative and therefore eligible for repeat testing in 2008. 181 subjects completed a detailed questionnaire on exposure to tuberculosis from workplace and social contacts. A physician verified the questionnaire and clinical log book and screened the subjects for symptoms of active TB. The majority of nursing students (96.7%) were females, almost 84% were under 22 years of age, and 80% had BCG scars. Among those students who underwent repeat testing in 2008, 14 had TST conversions using the ATS/CDC/IDSA conversion definition of 10 mm or greater increase over baseline. The ARTI was therefore estimated as 7.8% (95%CI: 4.3-12.8%). This was significantly higher than the national average ARTI of 1.5%. Sputum collection and caring for pulmonary TB patients were both high risk activities that were associated with TST conversions in this young nursing cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed a high ARTI among young nursing trainees, substantially higher than that seen in the general Indian population. Indian healthcare providers and the Indian Revised National TB Control Programme will need to implement internationally recommended TB infection control interventions to protect its health care workforce.