ABSTRACT
Whipple disease is a rare multisystemic infectious process caused by Tropheryma whipplei. Classical clinical manifestations include chronic diarrhea, malabsorption, weight loss, and arthralgias. Cases of endocarditis and isolated involvement of the central nervous system have also been reported. Isolated vascular complications are not common with this disease. Vascular manifestations are mainly described as systemic embolization from underlying endocarditis. We report two consecutive cases of mycotic pseudoaneurysms resulting from Whipple disease treated with successful vascular reconstruction using autologous vein grafting.
ABSTRACT
Background: Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) segmentectomy is gaining worldwide acceptance, but experience in North America is still limited. We report a North American multicenter comparison of uniportal vs. multiportal VATS segmentectomy. Methods: We performed an institutional review board-exempt retrospective chart review on prospectively collected databases at two North American centers, from January 2012 to December 2020. We included all VATS segmentectomy patients and excluded emergent cases (n=1), patients with incomplete records (n=2), and segmentectomy performed in conjunction with another type of lung resection (n=1). We recorded patient demographics, perioperative data, 30-day postoperative complications and compared outcomes between cohorts. We provided descriptive statistics for each group. We calculated propensity score matching and paired patients 1:1. We defined P values less than 0.05 as statistically significant. Results: We performed a total of 423 VATS segmentectomies, 181 uniportal (42.7%) vs. 242 multiportal (57.2%). Indications for surgery were primary lung cancer (n=339), metastatic (n=41), benign disease (n=40), and other (n=3). We staged 85.1% of patients preoperatively with positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. Propensity score matching generated 156 patients on each group. Operating time was significantly lower in the uniportal group compared to multiportal (130 vs. 161 min respectively, P<0.001). We found no difference in estimated blood loss, Clavien-Dindo class III-IV complications, conversion to thoracotomy, R0 resection rate, nodal upstaging, hospital length of stay, 30-day readmission or mortality. Conclusions: Our experience from two North American centers indicates that, in experienced hands, postoperative outcomes after uniportal and multiportal VATS segmentectomy are comparable.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) as defined by the Berlin definition has an approximate mortality rate of 40% and no curative treatment. Mutliple therapies have been studied to reduce mortality but only neuromuscular blocking agents show potential benefits on mortality and other complications of ARDS. OBJECTIVE: This review aimed to investigate the efficacy of neuromuscular blockers in ARDS METHODS: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central and Web of Science were queried on October 1st, 2021. Randomized clinical trials comparing neuromuscular blockers to any comparator in treating ARDS were included. Primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes were ventilator-free days, intensive care (ICU) length of stay (LOS) and complications. Results between sedation levels were examined with a Bayesian Network for Meta-analysis method. RESULTS: We included 6 trials compiling a total of 1557 patients. Neuromuscular blockers compared to any comparator in treating ARDS showed a reduction in mortality (RR 0.79 [95% CI, 0.62 to 0.99]). No difference in ventilator-free days (MD 0.68 [95% CI, -0.50 to 1.85]) or ICU LOS (MD 0.77 [95% CI, -2.99 to 4.54]) were found. A Bayesian Network Meta-analysis yielded no difference in mortality when using light sedation compared to heavy sedation in ARDS. (OR 0.58 [95% CrI, 0.07 to 4.46].) CONCLUSION: Neuromuscular blockers safely reduce mortality. Light sedation potentially has a similar impact on mortality as heavy sedation that carries some burden. A non-inferiority trial comparing both sedation levels may be warranted considering the added value of light sedation.
