Coming Full Cycle.

PURPOSE: This article illustrates a collaborative, full cycle diagnostic postoccupancy evaluation (POE) conducted in an emergency department (ED) to demonstrate methods of planning a POE, conducting research to capture meaningful data, and applying outcomes through the use of a design charrette. BACKGROUND: POEs often end with the reporting of findings rather than suggesting how this knowledge feeds forward. A design charrette presents an opportunity to engage with POE evidence and integrate research into practice. METHODS: Planning for the POE resulted in a multiphased, multimethodological study. Data collection and analysis utilized objective and subjective measures yielding both qualitative and quantitative data. The design charrette then served as an interactive method to assist design practitioners in both understanding and applying the research findings in the redesign of the entry/triage sequence of the ED. RESULTS: POE findings revealed four key issues impacting the ED experience. These include workflow, communication, privacy and confidentiality, and safety and security. In analyzing the use of the charrette to link POE findings to design application, it was determined that the charrette should include an all-inclusive, collaborative process, easily interpreted evidence, active participant engagement, and feasible outcomes grounded in research. CONCLUSION: Taking the POE process full cycle is a critical component in bridging the gap between research and its application to design. The charrette process offers a positive mark of completion to the POE and helps participants gain sensitivity to the importance of evidence-based decision-making.

Multifocal Endobronchial Fibromas Presenting as Unilobar Emphysema.

Tracheobronchial fibromas are very rare, locally-invasive tumors of the airways. Fewer than 30 cases have been reported within the English-speaking literature. Historically, these neoplasms have been diagnosed as isolated endobronchial masses, with affected patients presenting with wheezing, cough, stridor, hemoptysis, dyspnea, or pneumonia. We report the case of 39-year-old man with multiple, synchronous endobronchial fibromas causing unilobar emphysema. A computed tomographic scan and bronchoscopy with biopsy were performed preoperatively to diagnose these lesions in the orifices of the anterior segment and the lingula within the left upper lobe. The patient underwent successful video-assisted left upper lobectomy, without recurrence at 3 years. This is the first report of a synchronous presentation of multiple pulmonary endobronchial fibromas within the same patient and the first report of endobronchial fibroma presenting as unilobar air trapping. Recognition of the unusual presentation of this uncommon pathology can lead to timely intervention.

Guidelines for intensive care unit design.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a guideline to help guide healthcare professionals participate effectively in the design, construction, and occupancy of a new or renovated intensive care unit. PARTICIPANTS: A group of multidisciplinary professionals, designers, and architects with expertise in critical care, under the direction of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, met over several years, reviewed the available literature, and collated their expert opinions on recommendations for the optimal design of an intensive care unit. SCOPE: The design of a new or renovated intensive care unit is frequently a once- or twice-in-a-lifetime occurrence for most critical care professionals. Healthcare architects have experience in this process that most healthcare professionals do not. While there are regulatory documents, such as the Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, these represent minimal guidelines. The intent was to develop recommendations for a more optimal approach for a healing environment. DATA SOURCES AND SYNTHESIS: Relevant literature was accessed and reviewed, and expert opinion was sought from the committee members and outside experts. Evidence-based architecture is just in its beginning, which made the grading of literature difficult, and so it was not attempted. The previous designs of the winners of the American Institute of Architects, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and Society of Critical Care Medicine Intensive Care Unit Design Award were used as a reference. Collaboratively and meeting repeatedly, both in person and by teleconference, the task force met to construct these recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations for the design of intensive care units, expanding on regulatory guidelines and providing the best possible healing environment, and an efficient and cost-effective workplace.

Surgical management of endobronchial inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors.

BACKGROUND: Endobronchial myofibroblastic tumors are neoplasms composed of clonal populations of smooth muscle cells and a variable lymphocytic inflammatory component. They represent a challenge with respect to diagnosis, classification, and surgical resection due to their infrequent occurrence. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our experience with patients who had myofibroblastic tumors in the major airways over a 15-year period, in order to understand the incidence, natural biology, treatment, and long-term outcome of individuals with this type of neoplasm in an endobronchial location. RESULTS: Between 1995 and 2010, 11 patients (9 female, 2 male) underwent surgical resection of a myofibroblastic tumor arising within the tracheobronchial tree. The mean age was 39.6 years (range, 22.3 to 53.6 years). All patients were symptomatic, with cough and dyspnea as the most common presenting complaints. Rigid bronchoscopy with endobronchial biopsy was utilized to establish the diagnosis in 9 of 11 patients. Laser-mechanical debulking was performed to relieve airway obstruction prior to operation in 10 of 11 patients. Because of wide submucosal infiltration of the neoplasms, surgical resection for complete removal was required for all individuals. Tracheal resection was performed in 3 patients, carinal resection in 1 patient, mainstem bronchial resection in 2 patients, sleeve resection in 3 patients, bilobectomy in 1 patient, and right lower lobectomy in 1 patient. Resection with tumor-free margins was accomplished in all patients. Mean tumor size was 2.3 cm (range, 1.5 to 3.5 cm). There were no operative deaths, with all patients alive and disease-free at a mean of 6.1 ± 3.7 years. CONCLUSIONS: Complete surgical resection of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors presenting in a major airway is safe and leads to excellent survival for patients with this uncommon disease.

Airway stenoses after lung transplantation: incidence, management, and outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Airway stenoses have been a significant cause of morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation. We reviewed our 11-year experience with dilatation and silicone stent treatment of airway strictures after lung transplantation. We adopted this approach after managing the complications of nitinol/wire mesh stents, including stent fracture, granulation tissue overgrowth, and difficulty with removal. METHODS: Between January of 1996 and December of 2007, 240 patients underwent lung transplantation (132 single lung, 108 double lung; 121 male, 119 female; mean age 49.4 +/- 12.9 years). Twenty patients (8.3%) developed >50% stenosis in 22 airways over 35 to 135 days following surgery. Short and long-segment strictures were managed with rigid bronchoscopy, mechanical/laser debridement, balloon dilatation, and silicone stent placement. Mean follow-up was 4.9 +/- 3.5 years after stent removal. RESULTS: The mean time to diagnosis of airway stenosis was 81.5 +/- 26.9 days. Pulmonary aspergillosis and pseudomonal infection, age less than 45 years, and early rejection correlated with airway stenosis; however, ischemic time, side of transplant, and preoperative disease did not. Airway patency and symptom improvement were achieved in 18 of 20 patients. Sixteen patients were able to have their stents removed at a mean of 362.3 +/- 126.4 days with permanent resolution of airway stenosis. Overall survival was similar for patients with and without airway stenosis. CONCLUSION: Airway stenosis after lung transplantation can be successfully managed with bronchoscopic dilatation and temporary silicone stent placement. With time, most short and long airway stenoses resolve with atraumatic stenting of the affected areas. Removal of stents with permanent airway patency is achievable in most lung transplant recipients with airway stenosis.

Endotracheal castleman disease: A case report.

Castleman disease (CD) is an uncommon benign lymphoid hyperplasia with several clinical and morphologic variants associated with distinct outcomes. Pulmonary CD has been reported as a rare extranodal manifestation in the literature. However, CD presenting as an obstructive mass in the airway has not been documented. We report a case of localized hyaline-vascular CD presenting as an endotracheal lesion. The patient was a 50-year-old woman with Marfan syndrome. The lesion caused near-complete airway obstruction with respiratory insufficiency. The patient underwent laser resection, and the diagnosis of CD was supported by comprehensive studies including histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular methods.

Granulocytic sarcoma of the tracheobronchial tree: bronchoscopic and pathologic correlation.

Granulocytic sarcoma (GS) is an extramedullary, solid tumor composed of immature granulocytic cells, which occurs in association with myeloproliferative or leukemic disorders. GS can precede, accompany, or complicate the presence of hematologic malignancy in the blood or bone marrow. The anatomic distribution commonly includes bone, nerve, lymph node, and skin, but may involve a variety of soft tissues. Pulmonary involvement is uncommon but may invade the parenchyma, pleura, mediastinum, and airways. We report a rare case of endobronchial granulocytic sarcoma with bronchoscopic and pathologic correlation.

Tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma: a clinicopathologic study of 14 cases.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinicopathologic features of primary tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), and to examine kit protein (CD117) expression, and a possible correlation between the histologic grade and Ki-67 positivity. DESIGN: Retrospective 10-year study (from 1992 to 2001). SETTING: Referral center for interventional pulmonology. PATIENTS: Fourteen patients referred to our institution for laser resection of tracheal or endobronchial tumors. INTERVENTIONS: Twelve patients were treated primarily by laser resection via bronchoscopy with subsequent radiation therapy. The remaining two patients had tracheal resection with postoperative radiation and radiation therapy alone. RESULTS: Fourteen patients (5 men and 9 women) had an average age of 44 years at diagnosis (age range, 29 to 57 years). Five of 14 patients were smokers (average smoking history, 28.5 pack-years), 8 were nonsmokers, and the smoking history was unknown in 1 patient. Major symptoms at presentation included cough (57.1%), dyspnea (71.4%), and hoarseness (14.3%). Two patients (14.3%) presented with respiratory failure. Eleven patients (78.6%) had one or more recurrences, and 4 patients (28.6%) had metastases, primarily to the lungs. The average time to either recurrence or metastasis was 4.6 years after the initial diagnosis. Five patients (35.7%), all of whom had recurrences and/or metastasis during the course of their disease, died of their disease (average time, 8.2 years). Thirteen of 13 cases stained for CD117 were positive in the tumor cell cytoplasm with membranous accentuation. Our cases included 8 grade I tumors, 4 grade II tumors, and 2 grade III tumors, which did not correlate with the degree of Ki-67 positivity. CONCLUSIONS: Tracheobronchial ACCs in our study were more common in women and nonsmokers who presented with nonspecific respiratory symptoms and followed a clinical course generally comparable to that of tumors in the salivary glands. CD117 expression was present in all cases tested, and Ki-67 stain results did not correlate with the tumor grade.

Cerebral microembolization during radiofrequency ablation of lung malignancies.

Three patients underwent radiofrequency (RF) ablation for treatment of malignant lung tumors. During three of the four RF ablation sessions, duplex ultrasound was used to intermittently sample the carotid arteries for the presence of emboli; microemboli were detected in all three patients. Embolization occurred within 1 minute of "roll-off." The rate of embolization ranged from 2 to 50 per minute. No new neurologic defects were found on examination. No cognitive, memory, or behavioral changes were noted by any of the three patients or their spouses. Microemboli to the cerebral circulation occurred during RF ablation of lung tumors. The clinical significance of these emboli is unknown.

Nonneoplastic lesions of the tracheobronchial wall: radiologic findings with bronchoscopic correlation.

Nonneoplastic diseases of the central airways are uncommon but can be categorized as either focal or diffuse, although there is some overlap. Focal diseases include postintubation stenosis, postinfectious stenosis, posttransplantation stenosis, and various systemic diseases that may involve the airways and lead to focal stenosis (eg, Crohn disease, sarcoidosis, Behçet syndrome). Diffuse diseases of the central airways include Wegener granulomatosis, relapsing polychondritis, tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica, amyloidosis, papillomatosis, and rhinoscleroma. Conventional radiography is often the first step in the evaluation of suspected central airway disease and may be adequate in itself to identify the abnormality. However, computed tomography (CT) improves both the detection and characterization of central airway disease. Bronchoscopy remains the primary procedure for the diagnostic work-up of these disease entities. Nevertheless, a thorough radiologic evaluation with radiography and CT may demonstrate specific imaging findings (eg, calcification) that can help narrow the differential diagnosis and aid in the planning of bronchoscopy or therapeutic intervention.