Bula gigante secundaria a neumonía adquirida en la comunidad en niños / Giant Bulla Secondary to Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Children

Introducción: Los neumatoceles y las bulas pulmonares son lesiones que se observan en los niños casi siempre asociadas a neumonías infecciosas, aunque sus causas pueden ser diversas. La importancia clínica de estos procesos radica en el peligro de crecimiento progresivo, que puede comprometer las funciones respiratoria y cardiovascular. Objetivo: Describir las experiencias derivadas del proceso de diagnóstico por imágenes y del tratamiento invasivo de casos atendidos. Presentación de los casos: Desde finales de 2021 y durante un período de un año, se atendieron, en la unidad de cuidados intensivos pediátricos del Hospital Pediátrico Universitario de Cienfuegos, cinco niños con neumonías extensas, que desarrollaron bulas de gran tamaño varios días después del tratamiento antimicrobiano adecuado. Estas necesitaron drenaje y aspiración percutáneos debido a su magnitud y a la presencia de síntomas cardiovasculares. Conclusiones: Las bulas que aparecieron como complicación de la neumonía en el niño pueden presentarse con una frecuencia no despreciable, y hay que mantenerse atentos a su evolución, porque, a diferencia de los neumatoceles, pueden crecer progresivamente y comprometer las funciones respiratoria y cardiovascular. El drenaje percutáneo y aspiración continua por cinco días resultó un método seguro y eficaz para tratar estos procesos(AU)

Introduction: Pneumoatoceles and pulmonary bullae are lesions that are observed in children almost always associated with infectious pneumonia, although their causes may be diverse. The clinical importance of these processes lies in the danger of progressive growth, which can compromise respiratory and cardiovascular functions. Objective: To describe the experiences derived from the imaging process and the invasive treatment of treated cases. Presentation of the cases: Since the end of 2021 and for a period of one year, five children with extensive pneumonia were treated in the pediatric intensive care unit of the University Pediatric Hospital of Cienfuegos, who developed large bullae several days after appropriate antimicrobial treatment. The bullae required percutaneous drainage and aspiration due to their magnitude and the presence of cardiovascular symptoms. Conclusions: The bulla that appeared as a complication of pneumonia in the child can occur with a not negligible frequency, and it is necessary to be attentive to their evolution, because, unlike pneumoatoceles, can grow progressively and compromise respiratory and cardiovascular functions. Percutaneous drainage and continuous aspiration for five days was a safe and effective method to treat these processes(AU)

[The benefits of digital chest drainage in pleural decortication in thoracic empyema. Prospective, randomized, control trial]. / Beneficios del drenaje torácico digital en pleurodecorticación por empiema. Estudio prospectivo, comparativo aleatorizado.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged air leak after pleural decortication is one of the most frequent complications. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare the effects of prolonged air leak between the digital chest drainage (DCD) system and the classic drainage system in patients with empyema class IIB or III (American Thoracic Society classification) in pleural decortication patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 37 patients were enrolled in a prospective randomized control trial over one year, consisting of 2blinded groups, comparing prolonged air leak as a main outcome, the number of days until removal of chest drain, length of hospital stay and complications as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: The percentage of prolonged air leak was 11% in the DCD group and 5% in the classic group (P=0.581); the mean number of days of air leak was 2.5±1.8 and 2.4±2.2, respectively (P=0.966). The mean number of days until chest tube removal was 4.5±1.8 and 5.1±2.5 (P=0.41), the length of hospital stay was 7.8±3.7 and 8.9±4.0 (P=0.441) and the complication percentages were 4 (22%) and 7 (36%), respectively (P=0.227). DISCUSSION: In this study, no significant difference was observed when the DCD was compared with the classic system. This was the first randomized clinical trial for this indication; thus, future complementing studies are warranted.

Retiro de la sonda de pleurostomia con succión negativa continua versus instalación de sonda con sello de agua, en cirugía cardiovascular cerrada en niños / Withdrawal of chest tubes without water seal vs. negative continuous suction after closed cardiovascular surgery procedures in children

Objetivo: identificar la frecuencia y tipo de complicaciones, así como tiempo de estancia hospitalaria, en niños con cirugía cardiovascular a quienes se les dejó sonda de pleurostomía con sello de agua en el posoperatorio y a quienes se les retiró bajo succión continua al término de la toracotomía. Material y métodos: se realizó estudio descriptivo, comparativo y retrospectivo en el Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI. Se estudiaron 88 niños sin sonda (grupo I) y 42 con sonda de pleurostomía (grupo II), sometidos a cirugía cardiovascular cerrada. Resultados: la frecuencia de complicaciones fue de 27.3 y 59.5 % en los grupos I y II. El enfisema subcutáneo tuvo una frecuencia de 13.6 % en el grupo I y de 45.2 % en el II (p = 0.0001); el neumotórax de 13.6 versus 28.6 % (p = 0.04) y el quilotórax de 2.3 versus 2.4 % (p = 1.0). La mediana del tiempo de estancia hospitalaria fue de tres y seis días en los grupos I y II, respectivamente (p = 0.0001). Conclusiones: en algunos tipos de cirugía cardiovascular cerrada en niños, el retiro de la sonda al término de la pleurostomía previa succión negativa continua, puede disminuir la frecuencia de neumotórax y enfisema subcutáneo y la estancia intrahospitalaria, en comparación cuando se deja la sonda con sello de agua en el posoperatorio.

BACKGROUND: We undertook this study to compare the frequency and type of complications, as well as the length of hospital stay, in children who underwent closed cardiovascular surgery with chest tube drainage during the postsurgical period with children in whom the drainage was withdrawn with continuous suction, once thoracotomy was completed. METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive and analytic study was performed at the IMSS Hospital de Pediatria, located at the XXI Century National Medical Center in Mexico City. Eighty eight children who underwent closed cardiovascular surgery (Group I) without chest tubes and 42 with chest tubes (Group II) were studied. RESULTS: In Group I the frequency of complications was 27.3% and in group II 59.5%. Complications were as follows: subcutaneous emphysema was seen in 13.6% (n=12) of group I and in 45.2% (n=19) of group II (p=0.0001); pneumothorax in 13.6% (n=12) vs. 28.6% (n=12), p=0.04; and chylothorax in 2.3% (n=2) vs. 2.4% (n=1), p=1.0, respectively. The median time of hospital stay in group I was 3 days and in group II was 6 days (p=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In children, in some closed cardiovascular surgeries, withdrawal of chest tube drainage with negative suction when thoracotomy is completed may decrease the frequency of pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema and length of hospital stay, in comparison with patients in whom chest tube drainage is left during the postoperative period.