Estridor en neonatos con encefalopatía hipóxico-isquémica sometidos a tratamiento con hipotermia cerebral selectiva o corporal total / Stridor in neonates with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy subject to selective cerebral or whole body hypothermia

INTRODUCCIÓN: El tratamiento con hipotermia ha mejorado el pronóstico de los neonatos con asfixia perinatal. Ampliamente utilizado, este tratamiento ha probado ser seguro sin efectos adversos graves. No descrito en los estudios multicéntricos iniciales, el estridor se ha reportado recientemente como un efecto secundario de este tratamiento. El objetivo de este artículo es revisar la incidencia de estridor respiratorio entre los neonatos con encefalopatía hipóxico-isquémica (EHI) sometidos a tratamiento con hipotermia en nuestra unidad. MÉTODOS: Estudio retrospectivo revisando las historias de todos los pacientes sometidos a hipotermia en nuestra unidad. RESULTADOS: Siete de 75 (9,3%) pacientes presentaron estridor; 3 recibieron hipotermia corporal total, 3 cerebral selectiva y un caso recibió ambas técnicas. Todos los casos requirieron aumento del soporte respiratorio. CONCLUSIÓN: Diferentes mecanismos pueden estar implicados con la aparición de estridor en los pacientes con EHI sometidos a hipotermia, en nuestra serie de casos no encontramos relación ni con el método de hipotermia activa empleado ni con la fase del tratamiento. Para intentar comprender mejor este posible efecto adverso de la hipotermia es necesario desarrollar estudios prospectivos que incluyan laringoscopia

INTRODUCTION: Hypothermia treatment has improved the prognosis of asphyxiated neonates. Widely used, it has demonstrated to be safe without severe side effects. The aim of this article is to review the incidence of stridor amongst asphyxiated newborns treated with hypothermia in our unit. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of our patients. RESULTS: Stridor was presented in 7/75 (9.3%) of patients during hypothermia. Three received whole body hypothermia, 3 selective cerebral, and in one case both techniques were used. All cases required increased respiratory support. CONCLUSIONS: Different mechanisms may be responsible for the appearance of stridor in patients with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). In our series the incidence of stridor was similar for the two hypothermia devices. To better understand these possible side effects of hypothermia, further prospective studies (which should include laryngoscopy) are needed

High dose rate intraluminal radiotherapy for carcinoma of the bronchus: outcome of treatment of 406 patients.

In April 1988 the Christie Hospital started using the microSelectron-HDR machine to deliver intraluminal radiotherapy (ILT) to inoperable bronchial carcinomas causing symptoms due to endobronchial disease. Results of treatment in the first 406 patients with primary non-small-cell carcinoma are presented. Three main categories of patient were defined. Category 1 consisted of 324 patients (79.8%) who were previously unirradiated and received a single fraction of ILT as their primary treatment, mostly to a dose of 1500 cGy (76%) or 2000 cGy (23%) at 1 cm from the centre of the iridium-192 treatment source. The percentage of these patients whose symptoms or signs were improved at 6 weeks following ILT were as follows: stridor 92%, haemoptysis 88%, cough 62%, dyspnoea, 60%, pain, 50% and pulmonary collapse, 46%. Approximately two-thirds of these patients (67.3%) derived long lasting palliation and required no further treatment during their lifetime. The other third of patients needed subsequent treatment at some stage because of recurrence of their symptoms and in this situation external beam radiotherapy (EB) or a repeat ILT treatment was effectively utilised. Category 2 consisted of 65 patients (16%) who had previously received EB but required ILT when their tumour recurred. At 6 weeks post-ILT levels of symptom palliation were broadly similar to those obtained if ILT was used in previously unirradiated individuals, although the improvement was not so well sustained with time and only 7% showed improvement in pulmonary collapse at 6 weeks. Category 3 consisted of 17 patients (4.2%) in whom ILT was used concurrently with EB as a combined initial treatment. Similar levels of palliation were seen when compared with patients who received a single ILT treatment only. Overall, ILT was well tolerated in terms of early and late morbidity. In conclusion, the efficiency of a single ILT treatment in palliating symptoms due to endobronchial tumour in previously unirradiated individuals is comparable with that reported in series where treatment for advanced lung cancer combines a prolonged course of EB concurrently with several ILT treatments.