Early Hospital Discharge on Day Two Post Robotic Lobectomy with Telehealth Home Monitoring: A Pilot Study.

Despite the adoption of enhanced recovery programs, the reported postoperative length of stay after robotic surgery is 4 days even in highly specialized centers. We report preliminary results of a pilot study for a new protocol of early discharge (on day 2) with telehealth home monitoring after robotic lobectomy for lung cancer. All patients with a caregiver were discharged on postoperative day 2 with a telemonitoring device if they satisfied specific discharge criteria. Teleconsultations were scheduled once in the afternoon of post-operative day 2, twice on postoperative day 3, and then once a day until the chest tube removal. Post-discharge vital signs were recorded by patients at least four times daily through the device and were available for consultation by two surgeons through phone application. In case of sudden variation of vital signs or occurrence of adverse events, a direct telephone line was available for patients as well as a protected re-hospitalization path. Primary outcome was the safety evaluated by the occurrence of post-discharge complications and readmissions. Secondary outcome was the evaluation of resources optimization (hospitalization days) maintaining the standard of care. During the study period, twelve patients satisfied all preoperative clinical criteria to be enrolled in our protocol. Two of twelve enrolled patients were successively excluded because they did not satisfy discharge criteria on postoperative day 2. During telehealth home monitoring a total of 27/427 vital-sign measurements violated the threshold in seven patients. Among the threshold violations, only 1 out of 27 was a critical violation and was managed at home. No postoperative complication occurred neither readmission was needed. A mean number of three hospitalization days was avoided and an estimated economic benefit of about EUR 500 for a single patient was obtained if compared with patients submitted to VATS lobectomy in the same period. These preliminary results confirm that adoption of telemonitoring allows, in selected patients, a safe discharge on postoperative day 2 after robotic surgery for early-stage NSCLC. A potential economic benefit could derive from this protocol if this data will be confirmed in larger sample.

Case Report: COVID-19 Pneumonia Following Left Pneumonectomy for Lung Cancer Complicated by Empyema and Bronchopleural Fistula.

Background: Venous and arterial thromboembolism is commonly reported in critically ill COVID-19 patients, although there are still no definitive statistical data regarding its incidence. Case presentation: we report a case of a patient who fell ill with Covid during hospitalization for a pneumonectomy complicated by empyema and bronchopleural fistula. The patient, despite being cured of COVID, died after 14 days for pulmonary thromboembolism. Conclusion: Our case strengthens the suggestion of adequate thromboprophylaxis in all hospitalized COVID patients and of increasing prophylaxis in critically ill patients even in the absence of randomized studies.

Impact of active cancer on COVID-19 survival: a matched-analysis on 557 consecutive patients at an Academic Hospital in Lombardy, Italy.

BACKGROUND: The impact of active cancer in COVID-19 patients is poorly defined; however, most studies showed a poorer outcome in cancer patients compared to the general population. METHODS: We analysed clinical data from 557 consecutive COVID-19 patients. Uni-multivariable analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors of COVID-19 survival; propensity score matching was used to estimate the impact of cancer. RESULTS: Of 557 consecutive COVID-19 patients, 46 had active cancer (8%). Comorbidities included diabetes (n = 137, 25%), hypertension (n = 284, 51%), coronary artery disease (n = 114, 20%) and dyslipidaemia (n = 122, 22%). Oncologic patients were older (mean age 71 vs 65, p = 0.012), more often smokers (20% vs 8%, p = 0.009), with higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (13.3 vs 8.2, p = 0.046). Fatality rate was 50% (CI 95%: 34.9;65.1) in cancer patients and 20.2% (CI 95%: 16.8;23.9) in the non-oncologic population. Multivariable analysis showed active cancer (HRactive: 2.26, p = 0.001), age (HRage>65years: 1.08, p < 0.001), as well as lactate dehydrogenase (HRLDH>248mU/mL: 2.42, p = 0.007), PaO2/FiO2 (HRcontinuous: 1.00, p < 0.001), procalcitonin (HRPCT>0.5ng/mL: 2.21, p < 0.001), coronary artery disease (HRyes: 1.67, p = 0.010), cigarette smoking (HRyes: 1.65, p = 0.041) to be independent statistically significant predictors of outcome. Propensity score matching showed a 1.92× risk of death in active cancer patients compared to non-oncologic patients (p = 0.013), adjusted for ICU-related bias. We observed a median OS of 14 days for cancer patients vs 35 days for other patients. CONCLUSION: A near-doubled death rate between cancer and non-cancer COVID-19 patients was reported. Active cancer has a negative impact on clinical outcome regardless of pre-existing clinical comorbidities.

Bronchoalveolar lavage in suspected COVID-19 cases with a negative nasopharyngeal swab: a retrospective cross-sectional study in a high-impact Northern Italy area.

COVID-19 diagnosis relies on molecular testing for SARS-CoV-2 via nasopharyngeal swab in the presence of suggestive clinical, radiological and laboratory findings. Since bronchoalveolar lavage liquid (BAL) collected during fibrobronchoscopy may increase test sensitivity compared to nasopharyngeal swabs, it was performed during the 2020 pandemic in clinically or radiologically suspected cases. Our aim was to determine whether clinical features, chest computed tomography (CT) findings or laboratory tests may predict patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 at BAL after a negative nasopharyngeal swab. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study with multivariable analysis of suspected patients who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 at BAL after at least one negative nasopharyngeal swab. Univariable logistic regression for odds ratio and multivariate models was calculated to determine clinical, radiological and laboratory predictors. 32/198 (16%) patients had BAL positive for SARS-CoV-2, while 65/198 tested positive for other pathogens at BAL. Of the 32 patients positive for COVID, 4 had a coinfection at BAL, being thus positive both for COVID as well as for another pathogen while the remaining 105 patients were negative for COVID and other pathogens at BAL. COVID-19 patients had more often highly suggestive CT findings, higher number of involved lobes, more often ground glass opacity of more than 50% of lung parenchyma, and less frequently other radiologically suspected infections. At multivariate model, temperature also predicted BAL positivity. The procedure was well tolerated-with only one desaturation episode-while no healthcare worker was infected. In conclusion, when nasopharyngeal swabs are negative but there is clinical or imaging suspicion of COVID-19, BAL represents a complementary diagnostic tool, particularly in conjunction with suggestive/more extensive lung involvement at CT scan. The procedure did not carry increased risks for patients nor for operators, while allowing to free hospital resources, avoiding unnecessary isolations.

Pulmonary Lobectomy After COVID-19.

Concomitant coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a major risk factor for complications in any type of surgical procedure, especially in thoracic surgery, were the primary organ involved, the lung, is manipulated to perform parenchymal resection. However, it is not clear whether previous infection from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may lead to increased morbidity and mortality for subsequent procedures once radiologic resolution is achieved. We report a young patient with lung cancer who successfully underwent a right upper lobectomy for primary adenocarcinoma by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with no complication in the early postoperative phase.