ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aims of this investigation were to explore primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) in pediatric patients and to evaluate the clinical manifestations and outcomes of the PSP. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients diagnosed with PSP between January 2004 and December 2009 was retrospectively studied. The clinical data on demographics, diagnostic imaging, therapeutic approach, and outcomes were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The sex ratio of 78 PSP patients was 7.7:1 (male:female=69:9), and the age distribution concentrated between 15 years and 18 years (66 patients, 84.6%). The most common presenting symptom was chest pain (69 patients, 88.5%). The average body mass index was 18.2±1.6 (n=66). Autumn was the more likely attack season for PSP in this study (p=0.005). Twenty-eight patients (35.9%) had tension pneumothorax. Only nine (11.5%) patients had a past history of cigarette smoking. All 21 outpatients received supportive treatment. Out of 57 inpatients, 10 (17.5%) received oxygen therapy, 39 (68.4%) received closed-tube drainage, and 6 (10.5%) received video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Apical bleb and subpleural bullae formation were common pathological findings (21 patients, 91.3%). Twenty-four (42.1%) patients experienced a second attack, and six (10.5%) patients had a third attack. CONCLUSION: Pediatric PSP occurred mainly in boys of the late teenage group with lower body mass index. Autumn was the most likely attack season. There was only a small portion of the patients who smoked. There was no evidence to find a correlation between smoking and pediatric PSP attacks. Length of stay was shorter in supportive treatment and closed-tube drainage patients than that in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery-treated patients. The outcomes were satisfactory.
Subject(s)
Pneumothorax/diagnosis , Adolescent , Body Mass Index , Female , Humans , Length of Stay , Male , Pneumothorax/epidemiology , Pneumothorax/surgery , Pneumothorax/therapy , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Smoking/epidemiology , Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of 3-h paclitaxel infusion (Genaxol) combined with cisplatin as the first line chemotherapy for patients with advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and quality of life of the combination of paclitaxel (Genaxol) and cisplatin on Chinese patients. METHODS: Forty-five patients with histology confirmed NSCLC, who met the selection criteria were enrolled in this study between June 1999 and May 2000. They were all at an advanced stage, i.e. stage IIIB with pleural effusion, or stage IV. Paclitaxel (Genaxol) at a dose of 175 mg/m(2) and cisplatin at a dose of 75 mg/m(2) were administered every 3 weeks. RESULTS: Of the 45 eligible patients, one had a CR and 19 achieved a PR. The overall response was 44.4% (95% CI: 29.3-59.5%). Eleven (24.4%) patients were in stable disease. The median time to disease progression for all patients was 5.5 months (95% CI: 4.0-7.0 months). The median survival was 11.1 months (95% CI: 6.6-15.6 months), the 1-year survival probability was 46.5%. Major non-hematology toxicities were asthenia, paresthesias, nausea, and vomiting. Hematological toxicity results showed 18 (40%) patients experienced grade 3/4 neutropenia but there was no febrile neutropenia, three (6.6%) patients experienced Grade 3 anemia, and one (2.2%) patient experienced Grade 3 thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSIONS: The combined paclitaxel and cisplatin regimen is safe and effective in the treatment of NSCLC but the quality of life is disappointed.
