Simulation-based Assessment to Measure Proficiency in Mechanical Ventilation among Residents.

Background: Mechanical ventilation (MV) skills are essential for clinicians caring for critically ill patients, yet few training programs use structured curricula and appropriate assessments. Objective structured clinical exams (OSCEs) have been used to assess clinical competency in many areas, but there are no OSCE models focused on MV. Objective: To develop and validate a simulation-based assessment (SBA) with an OSCE structure to assess baseline MV competence among residents and identify knowledge gaps. Methods: We developed an SBA using a lung simulator and a mechanical ventilator, and an OSCE structure, with six clinical scenarios in MV. We included internal medicine residents at the beginning of their rotation in the respiratory intensive care unit (ICU) of a university-affiliated hospital. A subset of residents was also evaluated with a validated multiple-choice exam (MCE) at the beginning and at the end of the ICU rotation. Scores on both assessments were normalized to range from 0 to 10. We used Cronbach's α coefficient to assess reliability and Spearman correlation to estimate the correlation between the SBA and the MCE. Results: We included 80 residents, of whom 42 also completed the MCE examinations. The final version of the SBA had 32 items, and the Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.81). The average SBA score was 6.2 ± 1.3, and performance was variable across items, with 80% correctly adjusting initial ventilatory settings and only 12% correctly identifying asynchrony. The MCE had 24 questions, and the average score was 7.6 ± 2.4 at the beginning of the rotation and 8.2 ± 2.3 at the end of the rotation (increase of 0.6 points; 95% CI, 0.30-0.90; P < 0.001). There was moderate correlation between the SBA and the MCE (rho = 0.41; P = 0.002). Conclusion: We developed and validated an objective structured assessment on MV using a pulmonary simulator and a mechanical ventilator addressing the main competencies in MV. The performance of residents in the SBA at the beginning of an ICU rotation was lower than the performance in MCE, highlighting the need for greater emphasis on practical skills in MV during residency.

Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor expression in lung cancer.

CONTEXT: Gastrin-releasing peptide receptors (GRPRs) activate mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway primarily through epidermal growth factor receptor activation and are under investigation as a molecular target because they are overexpressed in several solid tumors. OBJECTIVE: To determine GRPR expression in both non-small cell lung carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma, comparing results with clinical stages and demographic data. DESIGN: We analyzed the immunohistochemical expression of GRPR in 200 non-small cell lung carcinoma and 38 small cell lung carcinoma archival cases from 2004 to 2008. RESULTS: Non-small cell lung carcinoma cases tended to be higher GRPR expressers at a rate of 62.5% (weak, moderate, and strong expression in 41.5%, 13.5%, and 7.5%, respectively), compared with 52.62% in small cell lung carcinoma cases (weak, moderate, and strong expression in 34.21%, 15.78%, and 2.63%, respectively; P = .30). In non-small cell lung carcinoma there was a trend for higher percentages of strong expression in adenocarcinoma cases (10%; P = .67), and in patients with advanced stages (III and IV; 9.43% and 6.9%; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate GRPR tissue expression in a large population of patients with lung cancer. Although GRPR expression was similar in small cell and non-small cell carcinoma, the expression was more pronounced in an advanced-stage lung cancer, particularly in adenocarcinoma cases, and may represent a potential target for the development of new treatment approaches in this population.

Tratamento endoscopico das estenoses funcionais das vias aereas / Bronchoscopic management of functional airway obstruction

O objetivo do presente estudo foi caracterizar a traqueobroncomalacia (TBM) e excessive dynamic airway collapse (EDAC, colapso dinâmico excessivo das vias aereas). Embora a TBM e o EDAC, caracterizados por uma redução de 50% ou mais da luz, sejam descritos com frequencia crescente na forma de relatos de casos clinicos, faltam dados sistematizados que permitam o pronto diagnostico e a distinção entre TBM e EDAC. As tecnicas endoscopicas tem papel fundamental no diagnostico e podem ser uma alternativa para o tratamento de TBM e EDAC. É evidente a necessidade de estudos mais aprofundados acerca de TBM e EDAC que permitam o pronto reconhecimento e o tratamento adequado dessas entidades e das doenças subjacentes, contribuindo para uma melhora na qualidade de vida dos pacientes.

The objective of this review was to characterize tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) and excessive dynamic airway collapse (EDAC). There have been clinical case reports of TBM and EDAC, both of which are characterized by a ¡Ý 50% reduction in the crosssectional area of the tracheobronchial lumen, and the number of such reports is increasing. However, there are no systematicdata that would facilitate prompt diagnosis and allow distinctions to be drawn between TBM and EDAC. Endoscopic techniques play a key role in the diagnosis of both conditions and might represent an alternative means of treating patients with TBM or EDAC.There is a clear need for further studies of TBM and EDAC in order to develop strategies for the prompt recognition andproper treatment of these entities, as well as of the underlying diseases. The use of such strategies could lead to an improvement in the quality of life of patients within this population.

Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor content in human glioma and normal brain.

The gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) has been put forward as a therapeutic target in brain tumors. Here we evaluated GRPR presence in glioma specimens from patients as well as in normal human brain samples. Sections of paraffin-embedded brain tumors and non-neoplastic control brain tissue were analyzed with immunohistochemistry for GRPR content. Digital image analysis revealed that 100% of glioma samples were GRPR-positive, with a mean index of 4972 pixels. In normal brain tissue, GRPR was detected in neurons, but not glial cells. This study is the first to confirm the presence of GRPR in human glioma specimens and normal human neurons.