Tocilizumab in HIV patient with severe COVID-19: case report.

BACKGROUND: A 73-year-old male patient who had a history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection for over 20 years was diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he remained for 25 days, due to a severe condition. Intubation, hemodialysis, and tracheostomy were necessary to maintain homeostasis. In addition to regular treatment with etravirine, dolutegravir, darunavir, and ritonavir for highly active antiretroviral therapy, the patient received tocilizumab, which showed a great recovery in the patient's condition. CONCLUSION: The patient had several risk factors, such as male gender, age > 70 years, and arterial hypertension. The use of tocilizumab was of great importance in the patient's recovery since the drug increased his immune response, which is deficient, due to HIV infection.

Treatment of thoracic wounds with adapted vacuum therapy.

This is a report of seven cases of infected thoracic wounds treated with an adapted low-cost vacuum therapy in the Thoracic Surgery Unit of Santa Marcelina Hospital. The vacuum system used was designed and adapted to our hospital due to financial limitations on the acquisition of commercial kits. The vacuum-assisted closure kit used in this study consisted of chlorhexidine sponges (which are usually used for antisepsis of the surgical team), a 16F nasogastric tube, and two sterile adhesive films (OPSITE) for surgical field reinforcement. The mean duration of vacuum therapy was 13.4 days (range, 10-20 days), with an average of three dressing changes (range, 1-5). After treatment with vacuum-assisted closure, three wounds (3/7) were closed with simple primary sutures, one of the lesions (1/7) was closed by muscle flap rotation, and three wounds (3/7) healed by second intention. This adapted vacuum therapy was safe and easy to apply in our institution, including its use in patients with thoracostomies.

Traqueostomia percutânea: técnica ideal? / Percutaneous Tracheosthomy: ideal technique?

A traqueostomia percutânea tem substituído a traqueostomia convencional em muitas Unidades de Terapia Intensiva, devido à facilidade e segurança do método realizado à beira do leito, dispensando o transporte do paciente da Unidade de Terapia Intensiva para o Centro Cirúrgico. Alguns autores sugerem que a dissecção limitada resulta em menor dano tecidual, diminui o risco de sangramento e infecção de ferida operatória. Esta revisão visa analisar e sintetizar estudos prospectivos e randomizados, revisões sistemáticas e meta-análises, comparando a traqueostomia percutânea e traqueostomia convencional em pacientes adultos em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva.

OBJECTIVES: The percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy has become the technique of choice in the Intensive Care Unit, due safety and facilities to be performed at bedside, wich may overcome the risks associated with transport of critically ill patients to the Operating Room. Proponents of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy suggest that the limited dissection results in less tissue damage, lowers the risk of bleeding and wound infection. The aim of this study is to review the techniques of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy through a critical analysis of it's indications, contra-indications and complications, as well to compare percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy to surgical tracheostomy. This manuscript analysis and synthesizes randomized prospective studies, meta-analysis and systematic reviews, comparing both techniques in adult critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

Leiomiossarcoma primário de alto grau do pulmão / High-grade primary pulmonary leiomyosarcoma

Primary sarcomas of the lung are rare and account for 0.5% of all primary lung tumors. There were approximately 300 cases described in the literature as of 2006. All histologic types of sarcoma were described, and the most common intrathoracic types reported were angiosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, hemangiopericytoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. The biological behavior of these tumors is not well-known due to their low frequency. Leiomyosarcomas represent one of the most common subtypes encountered in the lungs, and usually occur during the sixth decade, with male predominance. Although the frequency of metastatic disease is not related to tumor size, prognosis was reported to be poorer in high-grade tumors. In comparison with other sarcomas, survival after complete resection of pulmonary leiomyosarcoma was reported as longer. We report on a patient with primary leiomyosarcoma originating from the bronchus with complete resection and long-term follow-up.

Os sarcomas primários do pulmão são raros e representam aproximadamente 0,5% de todas as neoplasias pulmonares. Havia aproximadamente 300 casos descritos na literatura até 2006. Todos os tipos histológicos foram relatados, sendo que os sarcomas intratorácicos mais comuns são o angiossarcoma, leiomiossarcoma, fibrossarcoma, hemangiopericitoma e rabdomiossarcoma. Devido à sua baixa frequência, o comportamento biológico desses tumores não é bem conhecido. O leiomiossarcoma é um dos subtipos mais encontrados no pulmão, e normalmente ocorre na sexta década de vida com predominância nos homens. Embora a frequência de doença metastática não esteja relacionada ao tamanho do tumor, o prognóstico é pior nos tumores de alto grau. Quando comparados a outros sarcomas, a sobrevida após a ressecção completa dos leiomiossarcomas de pulmão é mais prolongada. Relatamos o caso de um paciente com leiomiossarcoma primário de pulmão de origem brônquica tratado com ressecção completa e seguimento de longo prazo.

High-grade primary pulmonary leiomyosarcoma.

Primary sarcomas of the lung are rare and account for 0.5% of all primary lung tumors. There were approximately 300 cases described in the literature as of 2006. All histologic types of sarcoma were described, and the most common intrathoracic types reported were angiosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, hemangiopericytoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. The biological behavior of these tumors is not well-known due to their low frequency. Leiomyosarcomas represent one of the most common subtypes encountered in the lungs, and usually occur during the sixth decade, with male predominance. Although the frequency of metastatic disease is not related to tumor size, prognosis was reported to be poorer in high-grade tumors. In comparison with other sarcomas, survival after complete resection of pulmonary leiomyosarcoma was reported as longer. We report on a patient with primary leiomyosarcoma originating from the bronchus with complete resection and long-term follow-up.

[Percutaneous tracheosthomy: ideal technique?]. / Traqueostomia percutânea: técnica ideal?

OBJECTIVES: The percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy has become the technique of choice in the Intensive Care Unit, due safety and facilities to be performed at bedside, wich may overcome the risks associated with transport of critically ill patients to the Operating Room. Proponents of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy suggest that the limited dissection results in less tissue damage, lowers the risk of bleeding and wound infection. The aim of this study is to review the techniques of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy through a critical analysis of it's indications, contra-indications and complications, as well to compare percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy to surgical tracheostomy. This manuscript analysis and synthesizes randomized prospective studies, meta-analysis and systematic reviews, comparing both techniques in adult critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

Pulmonary metastasectomy from soft tissue sarcomas.

INTRODUCTION: Isolated pulmonary metastases from soft tissue sarcomas occur in 20-50% of these(the issue is about metastases, not lung cancer )patients, and 70% of these patients will present disease limited only to the lungs. Surgical resection is well accepted as a standard approach to treat metastases from soft tissue sarcomas isolated in the lungs, and many studies investigating this technique have reported an overall 5-year survival ranging from 30-40%. The most consistent predictor of survival in these patients is complete resection. The aim of the present study was to determine the demographics and clinical treatment-related variables associated with long-term (90-month) overall survival in patients with lung metastases undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy from soft tissue sarcomas. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients admitted in the Thoracic Surgery Department with lung metastases who underwent thoracotomy for resection following treatment of the primary tumor. Data regarding primary tumor features, demographics, treatment, and outcome were collected. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-two thoracotomies and 273 nodules were resected from 77 patients with previously treated soft tissue sarcomas. The median follow-up time of all patients was 36.7 months (range: 10-138 months). The postoperative complication rate was 9.1%, and the 30-day mortality rate was 0%. The 90-month overall survival rate for all patients was 34.7%. Multivariate analysis identified the following independent prognostic factors for overall survival: the number of metastases resected, the disease-free interval, and the number of complete resections. CONCLUSION: These results confirm that lung metastasectomy is a safe and potentially curative procedure for patients with treated primary tumors. A select group of patients can achieve long-term survival after lung resection.

Lung volume reduction surgery: an overview.

This study intends to review the literature on the efficacy, safety and feasibility of lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in patients with advanced emphysema. Studies on LVRS from January 1995 to December 2009 were included by using Pubmed (MEDLINE) and Cochrane Library literature in English. Search words such as lung volume reduction surgery or lung reduction surgery, pneumoplasty or reduction pneumoplasty, COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and surgery, were used. We also compared medical therapy and surgical technique. Studies consisting of randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials (randomized and nonrandomized), reviews and case series were analyzed. Questions regarding validity of the early clinical reports, incomplete follow-up bias, selection criteria and survival, confounded the interpretation of clinical data on LVRS. Patients with upper, lower and diffuse distribution of emphysema were included; we also analyzed as key points perioperative morbidity and mortality and lung function measurement as FEV1. Bullous emphysema was excluded from this review. Surgical approach included median sternotomy, unilateral or bilateral thoracotomy, and videothoracoscopy with stapled or laser ablation. Results of prospective randomized trials between medical management and LVRS are essential before final assessment can be established.

Lung volume reduction surgery: an overview / Cirurgia redutora de volume pulmonar: uma revisão

This study intends to review the literature on the efficacy, safety and feasibility of lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in patients with advanced emphysema. Studies on LVRS from January 1995 to December 2009 were included by using Pubmed (MEDLINE) and Cochrane Library literature in English. Search words such as lung volume reduction surgery or lung reduction surgery, pneumoplasty or reduction pneumoplasty, COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and surgery, were used. We also compared medical therapy and surgical technique. Studies consisting of randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials (randomized and nonrandomized), reviews and case series were analyzed. Questions regarding validity of the early clinical reports, incomplete follow-up bias, selection criteria and survival, confounded the interpretation of clinical data on LVRS. Patients with upper, lower and diffuse distribution of emphysema were included; we also analyzed as key points perioperative morbidity and mortality and lung function measurement as FEV1. Bullous emphysema was excluded from this review. Surgical approach included median sternotomy, unilateral or bilateral thoracotomy, and videothoracoscopy with stapled or laser ablation. Results of prospective randomized trials between medical management and LVRS are essential before final assessment can be established.

O objetivo deste estudo é revisar a literatura acerca da eficácia, segurança e viabilidade da cirurgia redutora de volume pulmonar (CRVP) em pacientes com enfisema pulmonar avançado. Estudos de CRVP de janeiro de 1995 a dezembro de 2009 foram incluídos através de pesquisa na Pubmed (MEDLINE) e Cochrane Library, na literatura inglesa. Palavras de busca tais como lung volume reduction surgery ou lung reduction surgery, pneumoplasty ou reduction pneumoplasty, COPD ou chronic obstructive pulmonary disease e surgery foram utilizadas. Também realizamos comparação entre terapia médica e cirúrgica. Os estudos analisados consistiram de randomizados controlados, estudos clínicos controlados, (randomizados e não randomizados), revisões e séries de casos. As questões acerca da validade através dos relatos iniciais, seguimentos incompletos, critérios de seleção indefinidos e análises de sobrevida confundiram a interpretação dos dados clínicos provenientes da CRVP. Pacientes com enfisema de predomínio em lobos superiores, inferiores e difuso, foram incluídos; também analisamos pontos chave, tais como morbidade e mortalidade peri-operatórias, assim como a medida da função pulmonar através do VEF 1. Enfisema do tipo bolhoso foi excluído desta revisão. Foram incluídas para análise também vias de acesso cirúrgico como esternotomia mediana, toracotomias unilateral ou bilateral e videotoracoscopia unilateral ou bilateral com grampeamento ou ablação por laser. Os resultados dos estudos prospectivos randomizados entre o tratamento clínico e a CRVP são essenciais para que alguma conclusão possa ser definitiva.

Pulmonary metastasectomy from soft tissue sarcomas

INTRODUCTION: Isolated pulmonary metastases from soft tissue sarcomas occur in 20-50 percent of these(the issue is about metastases, not lung cancer )patients, and 70 percent of these patients will present disease limited only to the lungs. Surgical resection is well accepted as a standard approach to treat metastases from soft tissue sarcomas isolated in the lungs, and many studies investigating this technique have reported an overall 5-year survival ranging from 30-40 percent. The most consistent predictor of survival in these patients is complete resection. The aim of the present study was to determine the demographics and clinical treatment-related variables associated with long-term (90-month) overall survival in patients with lung metastases undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy from soft tissue sarcomas. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients admitted in the Thoracic Surgery Department with lung metastases who underwent thoracotomy for resection following treatment of the primary tumor. Data regarding primary tumor features, demographics, treatment, and outcome were collected. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-two thoracotomies and 273 nodules were resected from 77 patients with previously treated soft tissue sarcomas. The median follow-up time of all patients was 36.7 months (range: 10-138 months). The postoperative complication rate was 9.1 percent, and the 30-day mortality rate was 0 percent. The 90-month overall survival rate for all patients was 34.7 percent. Multivariate analysis identified the following independent prognostic factors for overall survival: the number of metastases resected, the disease-free interval, and the number of complete resections. CONCLUSION: These results confirm that lung metastasectomy is a safe and potentially curative procedure for patients with treated primary tumors. A select group of patients can achieve long-term survival after lung resection.