Manejo perioperatorio en cirugía torácica / Perioperative management in thoracic surgery

La cirugía torácica ha experimentado importantes avances en los últimos años relacionados con las técnicas anestésicas y quirúrgicas y la prevención y el manejo de las complicaciones relacionadas con el procedimiento. Esto ha permitido mejorar los resultados clínicos de los pacientes sometidos a este tipo de intervención. A pesar de ello, los procedimientos de cirugía torácica, especialmente los relacionados con la resección pulmonar, no están exentos de riesgo, con una morbimortalidad asociada considerable. Los protocolos Fast track o Enhanced recovery after anesthesia, la cirugía mínimamente invasiva y el manejo anestésico intraoperatorio mejoran el pronóstico y la seguridad de los procesos de cirugía torácica. Los pacientes postoperados de cirugía torácica mayor requieren una vigilancia intensiva, especialmente las primeras 24-72 h del postoperatorio inmediato. El ingreso en la UCI se recomienda especialmente en los pacientes con comorbilidad, con reserva cardiopulmonar reducida, con resecciones pulmonares extensas y en los que requieren soporte por fallo de algún órgano con riesgo vital. Durante el periodo postoperatorio la monitorización intensiva cardiorrespiratoria, el manejo adecuado de los drenajes torácicos, el control agresivo del dolor (analgesia multimodal y técnicas anestésicas regionales), las náuseas y la rehabilitación multimodal son elementos claves para evitar eventos adversos. Entre las complicaciones médicas destacan la insuficiencia respiratoria, las arritmias, las infecciones respiratorias, las atelectasias y la enfermedad pulmonar tromboembólica. Las complicaciones quirúrgicas más frecuentes son el hemotórax, el quilotórax, la fístula broncopleural y la fuga aérea prolongada. El manejo multidisciplinar de estos pacientes durante todo el periodo perioperatorio es esencial para asegurar los mejores resultados quirúrgicos

Thoracic surgery has undergone significant advances in recent years related to anesthetic and surgical techniques and the prevention and management of complications related to the procedure. This has allowed improvements in patient clinical outcomes in surgeries of this kind. Despite the above, thoracic surgery, especially related to pulmonary resection, is not without risk, and is associated to considerable morbidity and mortality. Fast track or enhanced recovery after anesthesia protocols, minimally invasive surgery, and intraoperative anesthetic management improve the prognosis and safety of thoracic surgery. Patients in the postoperative period of major thoracic surgery require intensive surveillance, especially the first 24-72 hours after surgery. Admission to the ICU is especially recommended in those patients with comorbidities, a reduced cardiopulmonary reserve, extensive lung resections, and those requiring support due to life-threatening organ failure. During the postoperative period, intensive cardiorespiratory monitoring, proper management of thoracic drainage, aggressive pain control (multimodal analgesia and regional anesthetic techniques), nausea and multimodal rehabilitation are key elements for avoiding adverse events. Medical complications include respiratory failure, arrhythmias, respiratory infections, atelectasis and thromboembolic lung disease. The most frequent surgical complications are hemothorax, chylothorax, bronchopleural fistula and prolonged air leakage. The multidisciplinary management of these patients throughout the perioperative period is essential in order to ensure the best surgical outcomes

Perioperative management in thoracic surgery. / Manejo perioperatorio en cirugía torácica.

Thoracic surgery has undergone significant advances in recent years related to anesthetic and surgical techniques and the prevention and management of complications related to the procedure. This has allowed improvements in patient clinical outcomes in surgeries of this kind. Despite the above, thoracic surgery, especially related to pulmonary resection, is not without risk, and is associated to considerable morbidity and mortality. Fast track or enhanced recovery after anesthesia protocols, minimally invasive surgery, and intraoperative anesthetic management improve the prognosis and safety of thoracic surgery. Patients in the postoperative period of major thoracic surgery require intensive surveillance, especially the first 24-72hours after surgery. Admission to the ICU is especially recommended in those patients with comorbidities, a reduced cardiopulmonary reserve, extensive lung resections, and those requiring support due to life-threatening organ failure. During the postoperative period, intensive cardiorespiratory monitoring, proper management of thoracic drainage, aggressive pain control (multimodal analgesia and regional anesthetic techniques), nausea and multimodal rehabilitation are key elements for avoiding adverse events. Medical complications include respiratory failure, arrhythmias, respiratory infections, atelectasis and thromboembolic lung disease. The most frequent surgical complications are hemothorax, chylothorax, bronchopleural fistula and prolonged air leakage. The multidisciplinary management of these patients throughout the perioperative period is essential in order to ensure the best surgical outcomes.

Hernia pulmonar intercostal espontánea secundaria a cuadro de tos / Spontaneous intercostal lung hernia secondary to coughing spell

Las hernias pulmonares son entidades infrecuentes y se relacionan sobre todo con traumatismos torácicos o cirugías previas. Las hernias pulmonares espontáneas son todavía más infrecuentes. Se describen dos casos de hernia pulmonar intercostal espontánea, su evaluación y tratamiento en todas sus modalidades, desde el manejo conservador en hernias de pequeño tamaño sin gran repercusión clínica hasta la corrección quirúrgica, bien con cierre primario de la pared torácica o uso de mallas sintéticas, en hernias de mayor tamaño o que presentaron signos de posible complicación (AU)

Lung hernias are rare entities and are primarily related to chest trauma or previous surgery. Spontaneous lung hernias are even more uncommon. We describe three cases of pontaneous intercostal pulmonary hernia, its evaluation and treatment in all its forms, from the conservative management in small hernias without significant clinical impact, to surgical treatment, either with primary closure of the chest wall or using synthetic mesh in larger hernias or in presence of signs of possible complications (AU)

Metástasis endoluminales de la vía aérea en pacientes con melanoma maligno. Diagnóstico y tratamiento endoscópico / Endoluminal metastases of the airway in patients with malignant melanoma. Diagnosis and endoscopic treatment

Las metástasis endoluminales de la vía aérea por melanoma son bastante infrecuentes. Presentamos una serie de seis casos de metástasis en tráquea y árbol bronquial por melanoma maligno. De éstos, en cuatro casos se realizó una resección endoscópica y aplicación de láser por producir una obstrucción significativa de la vía aérea con síntomas asociados (AU)

Airway endoluminal Metastasis of malignant melanoma are rare. We present a group of six cases of metastatic malignant melanoma in trachea and bronchial tube, four of them required endoscopic resection and laser therapy to treat secondary symptomatic severe airway obstruction (AU)

[A national survey of medical students about the specialty of Intensive Medicine and intensive care units]. / Encuesta del conocimiento de la especialidad de Medicina Intensiva y el funcionamiento de una unidad de cuidados intensivos por los estudiantes de medicina.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the degree of knowledge about intensive medicine and interest in this specialty among medical students in Spain. DESIGN: A survey with closed questions. SETTING: Complutense University of Madrid, Autonomous University of Madrid, University of Salamanca, Autonomous University of Barcelona, University of Granada, and University of Alcalá de Henares. PARTICIPANTS: Medical students from the above-mentioned universities. RESULTS: A total of 377 medical students (mean age: 21.3+/-1.9 years) were included. Women made up 75.3% of the sample; 37.7% of the students surveyed were in their third year (of six total), and the rest were distributed equally among the other five years with the exception of the first year (1.6%). Most students (85.1%) stated that they studied medicine because they had a vocation for the profession, whereas 7.7% stated that they studied medicine because of the influence of their families. A total of 45.7% said they were making good grades and 16.7% needed to repeat some subjects. Students' knowledge of ICUs came from different sources: television (35%), personal experience (25.2%), and friends and/or family (35%); 16.4% had no knowledge of the ICU. ICUs were associated with intensivists in 86.5%. Most students said that ICUs treat patients with multiple trauma (85.4%), postoperative patients (68.4%), coronary patients (62.3%), respiratory patients (61.5%), and neurological patients (50.7%). The techniques that students considered were frequently employed in ICUs included mechanical ventilation (89.4%), orotracheal intubation (83.8%), intravenous sedation (71.1%), central venous lines (70.8%), intravenous analgesia (69.8%), nasogastric catheterization (63.9%), antibiotics (62.3%), total parenteral nutrition (56%), and tracheostomy (53.5%); less frequently mentioned were peripheral venous line placement (52.5%), temporary pacemaker placement (40.1%), arterial line placement (40.6%), Swan-Ganz catheterization (38.6%), intramuscular relaxation (32.4%), thoracocentesis (31,3%), continuous hemofiltration (28.9%), lumbar puncture (28.6%), and permanent pacemaker placement (19.7%). Students believe that intensivists participate in maintaining organ donors (70.6%) but little in detecting organ donors (40%) or in asking families for permission to extract organs (40.1%). Finally, 52% said that they will consider intensive medicine when specializing. CONCLUSION: Although some aspects of intensive medicine are not well known among medical students, the general level of knowledge about intensive medicine is acceptable and more than half of the medical students surveyed will consider it when deciding on a specialty.

Encuesta del conocimiento de la especialidad de Medicina Intensiva y el funcionamiento de una unidad de cuidados intensivos por los estudiantes de medicina / A national survey of medical students about the specialty of Intensive Medicine and intensive care units

Objetivos: Determinar el grado de conocimiento y de aceptación que existe sobre la especialidad de Medicina Intensiva (MI) entre los estudiantes de medicina. Diseño: Encuesta con preguntas cerradas. Ámbito: Universidades Autónoma de Madrid, de Salamanca, Autónoma de Barcelona, de Granada y de Alcalá de Henares. Participantes: Estudiantes de medicina de estas universidades. Resultados: Se incluyen 377 estudiantes de medicina. La edad media es de 21,3±1,9 años. El 75,3% son mujeres. El 37,7% son de tercer año y el resto se distribuye de forma similar (salvo el primer año: 1,6%). El 85,1% estudia medicina por vocación y el 7,7% por influencia familiar. El 16,7% tiene asignaturas pendientes. Conocen las unidades de cuidados intensivos (UCI) por diferentes medios: televisión (35%), vivencia personal (25,2%) y referencia de conocidos (35%); un 16,4% no tiene conocimiento. Las UCI se asocian en un 86,5% con los intensivistas. La mayoría cree que en la UCI se tratan pacientes politraumatizados (85,4%), postoperatorios (68,4%), coronarios (62,3%), respiratorios (61,5%) y neurológicos (50,7%). En las técnicas empleadas en la UCI, consideran frecuente la ventilación mecánica (89,4%), la intubación orotraqueal (83,8%), la sedación i.v. (71,1%), las vías venosas centrales (70,8%), la analgesia i.v. (69,8%), el sondaje nasogástrico (63,9%), los antibióticos (62,3%), la nutrición parenteral total (56%) y la traqueostomía (53,5%); con menos frecuencia, la canalización de vía venosa periférica (52,5%), el marcapasos transitorio (40,1%), la canalización arterial (40,6%), el catéter Swan-Ganz (38,6%), la relajación intramuscular (32,4%), la toracocentesis (31,3%), la hemofiltración continua (28,9%), la punción lumbar (28,6%) y el marcapasos permanente (19,7%). En relación con la donación, piensan que el intensivista participa en el mantenimiento del donante (70,6%), pero poco en la detección (40%) y en la solicitud del permiso familiar (40,1%). El 52% se plantea la especialidad de MI como una opción para realizar en el futuro. Conclusión: Aunque existen aspectos de la especialidad de MI poco conocidos, globalmente podemos considerar que el grado de conocimiento es aceptable y más de la mitad se plantean elegirla como opción (AU)

Objectives: To determine the degree of knowledge about intensive medicine and interest in this specialty among medical students in Spain. Design: A survey with closed questions. Setting: Complutense University of Madrid, Autonomous University of Madrid, University of Salamanca, Autonomous University of Barcelona, University of Granada, and University of Alcalá de Henares. Participants: Medical students from the above-mentioned universities. Results: A total of 377 medical students (mean age: 21.3±1.9 years) were included. Women made up 75.3% of the sample; 37.7% of the students surveyed were in their third year (of six total), and the rest were distributed equally among the other five years with the exception of the first year (1.6%). Most students (85.1%) stated that they studied medicine because they had a vocation for the profession, whereas 7.7% stated that they studied medicine because of the influence of their families. A total of 45.7% said they were making good grades and 16.7% needed to repeat some subjects. Students' knowledge of ICUs came from different sources: television (35%), personal experience (25.2%), and friends and/or family (35%); 16.4% had no knowledge of the ICU. ICUs were associated with intensivists in 86.5%. Most students said that ICUs treat patients with multiple trauma (85.4%), postoperative patients (68.4%), coronary patients (62.3%), respiratory patients (61.5%), and neurological patients (50.7%). The techniques that students considered were frequently employed in ICUs included mechanical ventilation (89.4%), orotracheal intubation (83.8%), intravenous sedation (71.1%), central venous lines (70.8%), intravenous analgesia (69.8%), nasogastric catheterization (63.9%), antibiotics (62.3%), total parenteral nutrition (56%), and tracheostomy (53.5%); less frequently mentioned were peripheral venous line placement (52.5%), temporary pacemaker placement (40.1%), arterial line placement (40.6%), Swan-Ganz catheterization (38.6%), intramuscular relaxation (32.4%), thoracocentesis (31,3%), continuous hemofiltration (28.9%), lumbar puncture (28.6%), and permanent pacemaker placement (19.7%). Students believe that intensivists participate in maintaining organ donors (70.6%) but little in detecting organ donors (40%) or in asking families for permission to extract organs (40.1%). Finally, 52% said that they will consider intensive medicine when specializing. Conclusion: Although some aspects of intensive medicine are not well known among medical students, the general level of knowledge about intensive medicine is acceptable and more than half of the medical students surveyed will consider it when deciding on a specialty (AU)