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Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020 Jul 2;7:CD003149. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the commonest severe monogenic disorders in the world, due to the inheritance of two abnormal haemoglobin (beta globin) genes. SCD can cause severe pain, significant end-organ damage, pulmonary complications, and premature death. Surgical interventions are more common in people with SCD, and occur at much younger ages than in the general population. Read More

Cardiol Young 2020 Jun 17:1-9. Epub 2020 Jun 17.

Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, Yüksek İhtisas Cardiovascular Hospital of Ankara City Hospital, The Ministry of Health of Turkey, University of Health Sciences of Turkey, Ankara, Turkey.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a novel betacoronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has led to an unexpected outbreak affecting people of all ages. The first data showed that COVID-19 could cause severe pulmonary disease, cardiac injury, and death in adults, especially the elderly and those with concomitant diseases. Currently, it was demonstrated that severe COVID-19 may also develop in neonatal age, although rarely. Read More

Surg Endosc 2020 Jul 1. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Department of Clinical Science and Education Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: Common bile duct stone (CBDS) is a common condition the rate of which increases with age. Decision to treat in particular elderly and frail patients with CBDS is often complex and requires careful assessment of the risk for treatment-related cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to compare the rate of postoperative cardiovascular events in CBDS patients treated with the following: ERCP only; cholecystectomy only; cholecystectomy followed by delayed ERCP; cholecystectomy together with ERCP; or ERCP followed by delayed cholecystectomy. Read More

Rev Bras Anestesiol 2020 Jun 10. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

Queens University, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address:

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many questions have come up regarding safe anesthesia management of patients with the disease. Regional anesthesia, whether peripheral nerve or neuraxial, is a safe alternative for managing patients with COVID-19, by choosing modalities that mitigate pulmonary function involvement. Adopting regional anesthesia mitigates adverse effects in the postoperative period and provides safety to pati ents and teams, as long as there is compliance with individual protection and interpersonal transmission care measures. Read More

Ter Arkh 2020 Jan 15;92(1):25-29. Epub 2020 Jan 15.

Federal State Budgetary Institution "Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Disease".

Aim: To evaluate the effects of preoperative cardiology consultation on the risk of perioperative cardiac complications in patients undergoing cancer surgery.

Materials And Methods: 74 patients with bronchial, lung, mediastinal and gastrointestinal cancer were referred to the cardiologist as a part of the preoperative management. Patients were assigned either to Group 1 (n=21), who required non - invasive testing or invasive coronary angiography (CAG), or to Group 2 (n=53), who did not have any indications to additional testing. Read More

Thorac Surg Clin 2020 Aug 17;30(3):347-358. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Section of General Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis Health, 2335 Stockton Boulevard, 6th Floor North Addition Office Building, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. Electronic address:

Prolonged air leak or alveolar-pleural fistula is common after lung resection and can usually be managed with continued pleural drainage until resolution. Further management options include blood patch administration, chemical pleurodesis, and 1-way endobronchial valve placement. Bronchopleural fistula is rare but is associated with high mortality, often caused by development of concomitant empyema. Read More

J Clin Med 2020 Jun 22;9(6). Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.

There have been significant advancements in the safe delivery of anesthesia as well as improvements in surgical technique; however, the perioperative period can still be high risk for the pediatric patient. Perioperative respiratory complications (PRCs) are some of the most common critical events that can occur in pediatric surgical patients and they can lead to increased length of hospitalization, worsened patient outcomes, and higher hospital and postoperative costs. It is important to determine the various factors that put pediatric patients at increased risk of PRCs. Read More

Zhonghua Zhong Liu Za Zhi 2020 Jun;42(6):491-494

Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.

To investigate the clinical characteristics and surgical management based on the clinical manifestation, pathological feature and the medical imaging finding of ciliated muconodular papillary tumor (CMPT). The data of clinical manifestation, pathological feature and the medical imaging finding of 15 patients with CMPT who received surgical treatment from January 2017 to April 2019 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. CMPT generally occurred in the elderly people. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Jun;99(25):e19732

Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China.

Introduction: Anesthesia management for high-risk elderly patients with hip fracture is challenging, it is significant to choose a more minimally invasive anesthesia technique for them than using conventional methods, like general anesthesia and neuraxial anesthesia.

Patients Concerns: Herein the patient suffered from the right intertrochanteric fracture, combined with heart failure, renal failure at the stage of uremia and pneumonia in her upper left lung DIAGNOSIS:: Because of right intertrochanteric fracture, internal fixation with proximal femoral intramedullary nail was scheduled for this patient INTERVENTIONS:: Ultrasound-guided "hourglass-pattern" fascia iliac block combined with sacral plexus and gluteal epithelial nerve block were performed to a high-risk elderly patient OUTCOMES:: The surgery in our report was successfully completed with our effective anesthesia technique and no perioperative complication occurred CONCLUSION:: Ultrasound-guided "hourglass-pattern" fascia iliac block combined with gluteal epithelial nerve block and sacral plexus block not only satisfied the anesthesia and provided effective postoperative analgesia of hip operation, but also has minimal invasion to high-risk elderly patients, and contributed to enhancing recovery after surgery. Read More

Case Rep Anesthesiol 2020 6;2020:8868037. Epub 2020 Jun 6.

Mayo Clinic, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.

Venous air embolism (VAE) is a well-described phenomenon that may have life-threatening cardiopulmonary and neurological consequences. Accidental administration of air during resuscitation while using a rapid infuser is rare. Furthermore, there is a paucity of published data describing the intraoperative management of VAE during emergent nonseated neurological surgery. Read More

Perioper Med (Lond) 2020 18;9:16. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas USA.

Post-operative pain management should ideally be optimized to ensure patient's mobilization and ability to partake in effective pulmonary exercises for patient's early recovery. Opioids have traditionally been the main mode for analgesia strategy in the perioperative period. However, the recent focus on opioid crisis in the USA has generated a robust discussion on rational use of opioids in the perioperative period and also raised the concept of "opioid-free anesthesia" in certain circles. Read More

J Am Coll Surg 2020 Jun 17. Epub 2020 Jun 17.

Operative Care Division, Section of Surgical Critical Care, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR; Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR. Electronic address:

Background: Current risk-adjusted models used to predict donor heart utilization and cardiac graft survival from organ donors after brain death (DBDs) do not include bedside critical care data. We sought to identify novel independent predictors of heart utilization and graft survival to better understand the relationship between donor management and transplant outcomes.

Study Design: Prospective observational study of DBDs managed from 2008 to 2013 by 10 organ procurement organizations. Read More

Chest 2020 Jun 16. Epub 2020 Jun 16.

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Background: The management of recurrent pleural effusions remains a challenging issue for clinicians. Advances in management have led to increased use of indwelling tunneled pleural catheters (IPC) due to their effectiveness and ease of outpatient placement. However, with the increase in IPC placement there have also been increasing reports of complications, including infections. Read More

Surg Today 2020 Jun 17. Epub 2020 Jun 17.

Department of Surgical Oncology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan.

Purpose: The anatomical site of resected lobes may influence postoperative cerebral infarction. The objective of the current study was to determine if left upper pulmonary lobectomy is a risk factor for postoperative cerebral infarction.

Methods: This was a retrospective case-control study in patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy from 2004 to 2013 in Japan. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2020 Jun 15. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Laboratories, University of California, Los Angeles; Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles. Electronic address:

Background: Despite advances in surgical technique and perioperative management, pneumonectomy remains associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of annual, institutional volume of anatomic lung resections on outcomes following elective pneumonectomy.

Methods: We evaluated all patients who underwent elective pneumonectomy from 2005 to 2014 in the National Inpatient Sample. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2020 Jun 11. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care, Seton Institute of Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.

Background: Respiratory distress is a frequent occurrence in neonates, typically caused by a variety of pulmonary conditions. Accurate diagnosis of the cause is vital to appropriately treat neonates and prevent long-term complications. Neck masses rarely cause respiratory distress in this setting but should be considered when clinical signs indicate. Read More

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2020 Jun 13. Epub 2020 Jun 13.

Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas.

Background: Despite successes in lung transplantation, with infection as the leading cause of death in the first year following lung transplantation, there remains a lag in survival compared with other solid organ transplants. Infections that occur early after transplantation may impact short- and long-term outcomes in pediatric lung transplant recipients (LTRs).

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of pediatric LTRs at a large quaternary-care hospital from January 2009 to March 2016 to evaluate both epidemiologic features of infection in the first 30 days post-transplantation and mortality outcomes. Read More

Perfusion 2020 Jun 10:267659120928682. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Introduction: Pulmonary endarterectomy requires cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, which may prolong the activated clotting time. We investigated whether activated clotting time-guided anticoagulation under these circumstances suppresses hemostatic activation.

Methods: Individual heparin sensitivity was determined by the heparin dose-response test, and anticoagulation was monitored by the activated clotting time and heparin concentration. Read More

J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 2020 Jun 17;81(3):237-243. Epub 2019 May 17.

Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, United States.

 Transsphenoidal surgery creates a skull base defect that may cause postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage or pneumocephalus. This study reviewed the institutional experience of a pituitary center in managing patients who use positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) devices for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after transsphenoidal surgery, which risks disturbing the skull base repair.  Retrospective review. Read More

J Clin Anesth 2020 Jun 1;66:109929. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States of America.

J Int Med Res 2020 Jun;48(6):300060520925941

Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Objective: To investigate the impact of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) on the postoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods: A total of 200 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgery between January 2015 and November 2018 were enrolled in the study. They were divided into a traditional treatment group (n=100) and an ERAS group (n=100). Read More

Indian J Anaesth 2020 Apr 28;64(4):322-324. Epub 2020 Mar 28.

Department of Anaesthesiology and Paediatric Cardiac Sciences, Sir H. N. Reliance Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

DiGeorge syndrome is afflicted with multiple congenital anomalies such as conotruncal and craniofacial anomaly, immune system dysfunction and hypoplasia/aplasia of parathyroid glands. Laparoscopy is a preferred surgical approach over open orchidopexy due to better visualisation of impalpable testis avoiding long incision, minimal tissue damage and a faster recovery. We report a case of DiGeorge syndrome with corrected tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia in a 1-year-old male child posted for laparoscopic orchidopexy. Read More

Clin Transplant 2020 Jun 2:e13996. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA.

Background: Current protocols for the perioperative care of lung transplant (LTX) recipients lack rigorous evidence and are often empiric, based upon institutional preferences. We surveyed LTX anesthesiologists to determine the most common practices.

Methods: We developed a survey of 40 questions regarding perioperative care of LTX recipients using Qualtrics software. Read More

J Vasc Surg 2020 May 29. Epub 2020 May 29.

Department of Vascular Surgery, Sorbonne Université, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France.

Objective: Arterial involvement in Behçet disease (BD) is rare, and its surgical management is a major concern because of its high recurrence rate. This study evaluated the influence of the surgical technique, device, and immunosuppressive treatment used on the postoperative recurrence in patients with non-pulmonary arterial BD.

Methods: A single-center, retrospective study was conducted of 23 patients meeting the international criteria for BD who underwent surgery for arterial involvement between May 1996 and September 2015. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 May;99(22):e20166

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.

Rationale: Currently, COVID-19 has made a significant impact on many countries in the world. However, there have been no reported cases of pulmonary lobectomy with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection. We are the first to report such a case. Read More

Heart Lung 2020 May 28. Epub 2020 May 28.

Division of Cardiovascular Emergencies, University of Napoli "Federico II", Italy. Electronic address:

Background: Pregnancy usually represents a risk factor for aortic dissection or thrombotic events, but therapeutic options are very scarce because the foetus limits the common approaches especially in the early stages of pregnancy.

Case Presentation: We present a challenging case of a young woman in her 16th week of gestation with an history of multiple abortions associated with autoimmune thrombophilia. A strictly designed perioperative management protocol was required to remove a huge right endoventricular mass, due to her decision to not terminate the pregnancy. Read More

Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Rep 2020 Jan 22;9(1):e21-e23. Epub 2020 May 22.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Robert Bosch Hospital, Stuttgart, Germany.

 Patients presenting with several cardiothoracic conditions that need to be addressed surgically require individual decision making as evidence remains inconclusive and combined surgical procedures carry an elevated perioperative risk.  We present the case and management of a 73-year-old male with myocardial infarction due to three-vessel disease and left main stem stenosis, calcified aortic aneurysm, and right-sided non-small cell lung carcinoma.  High-risk combined surgery should be indicated with scrutiny after individual consideration by an experienced heart team. Read More

J Pediatr Surg Case Rep 2020 Jul 18;58:101495. Epub 2020 May 18.

Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, USA.

We present the case of a child diagnosed with COVID-19 soon after open-heart surgery who required an urgent second surgery. The patient suffered from severe COVID-19 disease. The utility of preoperative COVID-19 testing, determination of recovery by an array of inflammatory markers and perioperative management are described. Read More

Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2020 May 23. Epub 2020 May 23.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Lung Cancer Centre, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

This study aimed to describe perioperative care after anatomical lung resection in the Netherlands, before publication of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery/European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ERAS/ESTS) guidelines in 2019. An online survey was sent to all 43 Dutch lung surgical centers in December 2017, addressing topics in the 4 phases of perioperative care (preoperative, admission, perioperative, postoperative). Respondents were requested to report care that would be delivered to a standardized patient without perioperative complications. Read More

Mol Pain 2020 Jan-Dec;16:1744806920927276

Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.

The evolution of therapeutics for and management of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection has shifted it from predominately manifesting as a severe, acute disease with high mortality to a chronic, controlled infection with a near typical life expectancy. However, despite extensive use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the prevalence of chronic widespread pain in people with HIV remains high even in those with a low viral load and high CD4 count. Chronic widespread pain is a common comorbidity of HIV infection and is associated with decreased quality of life and a high rate of disability. Read More

Semin Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2020 May 26:1089253220920480. Epub 2020 May 26.

Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA.

Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) with pulmonary atresia (ToF-PA) is a complex congenital heart defect at the extreme end of the spectrum of ToF, with no antegrade flow into the pulmonary arteries. Patients differ with regard to the sources of pulmonary blood flow. In the milder spectrum of disease, there are confluent branch pulmonary arteries fed by ductus arteriosus. Read More

J Knee Surg 2020 May 25. Epub 2020 May 25.

Sydney Orthopaedic Research Institute, Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia.

Despite multiple studies, there remains a debate on the safety of bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA) in the average age patient, with a paucity of data on the outcome of BTKA in an elderly population. This study included 89 patients aged 80 years and older undergoing sequential BTKA over 14 years were identified in a prospectively collected database. Two matched comparison groups were created: patients under 80 undergoing sequential BTKA and patients over 80 undergoing unilateral TKA (UTKA). Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2020 Apr 11. Epub 2020 Apr 11.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Heart Center Clinical and Translational Research Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.

Objective: The study objective was to characterize and analyze outcomes in patients with tetralogy of Fallot and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries who had undergone surgery elsewhere before referral (prereferral surgery).

Methods: Patients with tetralogy of Fallot and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries who underwent surgery between 2001 and 2019 at our center were reviewed. Prereferral surgery and unoperated patients were compared, as were subsets of prereferral surgery patients who had undergone different types of prior procedures. Read More

Can J Anaesth 2020 May 21. Epub 2020 May 21.

Department of Surgery, Sherbrooke University, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.

Pulmonary complications are the most common clinical manifestations of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). From recent clinical observation, two phenotypes have emerged: a low elastance or L-type and a high elastance or H-type. Clinical presentation, pathophysiology, pulmonary mechanics, radiological and ultrasound findings of these two phenotypes are different. Read More

Lancet Respir Med 2020 06 18;8(6):644-646. Epub 2020 May 18.

Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2020 Mar 2. Epub 2020 Mar 2.

Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address:

Objective: The present study investigated the incidence of and risk factors for emergence agitation (EA) in adult patients after thoracoscopic lung surgery.

Design: A retrospective case-control study.

Setting: Single-center university hospital. Read More

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2020 07 10;34(7):1727-1732. Epub 2020 Apr 10.

Anesthesia and Surgery Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.

The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading globally. COVID-19 has an effect on the systemic state, cardiopulmonary function and primary disease of patients undergoing surgery. COVID-19's high contagiousness makes anesthesia and intraoperative management more difficult. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2020 Feb 4. Epub 2020 Feb 4.

Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children`s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) have increased risk for mortality, sudden cardiac death, and ventricular tachycardia (VT). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to offer an updated analysis of risk factors following significant changes in surgical and perioperative management.

Methods: A meta-analysis based on the published literature between 2008 and 2018 was conducted. Read More

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2020 Apr 11. Epub 2020 Apr 11.

Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy.

The novel coronavirus has caused a pandemic around the world. Management of patients with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection who have to undergo thoracic surgery will be a challenge for the anesthesiologists. The thoracic subspecialty committee of European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology (EACTA) has conducted a survey of opinion in order to create recommendations for the anesthetic approach to these challenging patients. Read More

J Crit Care 2020 Aug 17;58:89-95. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy. Electronic address:

Purpose: Perioperative myocardial dysfunction occurs frequently in cardiac surgery, and is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality. Levosimendan has been suggested to reduce mortality of patients with perioperative myocardial dysfunction. However, long-term outcome data on its efficacy in cardiac surgery are lacking. Read More

J Thorac Dis 2020 Apr;12(4):1366-1373

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China.

Background: Pneumonectomy is a procedure that possesses several side effects, but is sometimes necessary in the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The benefits of pneumonectomy have yet to be clearly outlined.

Methods: Data of 100 cases were extracted from the medical records of patients that underwent a pneumonectomy for NSCLC from January 2007 to December 2016. Read More

Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 2020 Apr;47(4):582-586

Dept. of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital.

Clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of perioperative chemotherapy. The results of trials on preoperative chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy have not clearly shown an improved prognosis, although potential benefits have been noted in selected cases. As for adjuvant treatment, cisplatin-containing regimens have been shown to have prognostic benefit in cases of stage Ⅱ and ⅢA(N2)disease. Read More

J Formos Med Assoc 2020 Jun 6;119 Suppl 1:S76-S83. Epub 2020 May 6.

Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Thoracic Medicine Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin County, Taiwan. Electronic address:

The prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM-LD) has increased in Western and Asian nations in recent decades. While surgery may improve the outcome of more complex cases, many inconsistencies exist in the current literature regarding the management, growing emergence, and challenges of drug-resistant forms of NTM-LD, the indications and timing of surgical treatment, and perioperative multimodal therapy of NTM-LD. Moreover, data regarding the comparative treatments, risk factors of pulmonary resection for NTM-LD, and the long-term outcomes of microbiological recurrence are limited. Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2020 Apr 3. Epub 2020 Apr 3.

Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Miami, Miami, Fla. Electronic address:

Objective: To evaluate differences in postoperative pain control and opioids requirement in thoracic surgical patients following implementation of an Enhanced Recovery after Thoracic Surgery protocol with a comprehensive postoperative pain management strategy.

Material And Methods: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing pulmonary resections by robotic thoracoscopy or thoracotomy from January 1, 2017, to January 31, 2019, was conducted. Multimodal pain management strategy (opioid-sparing analgesics, infiltration of liposomal bupivacaine to intercostal spaces and surgical sites, and elimination of thoracic epidural analgesia use in thoracotomy patients) was implemented as part of Enhanced Recovery after Thoracic Surgery on February 1, 2018. Read More

Cancer Metastasis Rev 2020 06;39(2):337-340

Department of Entomology and Nematology, and UCD Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.

Severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is characterized by pulmonary hyper-inflammation and potentially life-threatening "cytokine storms". Controlling the local and systemic inflammatory response in COVID-19 may be as important as anti-viral therapies. Endogenous lipid autacoid mediators, referred to as eicosanoids, play a critical role in the induction of inflammation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Read More

Anesth Analg 2020 May 4. Epub 2020 May 4.

Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Background: Catecholamine inotropes are frequently used after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) but may have undesirable effects. The aim was to identify whether the routine use of inhaled pulmonary vasodilators might reduce the requirement for inotrope drugs after cardiac surgery.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of sequential patients undergoing cardiac surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital performed by a single surgeon and anesthesia care team, within 14 months before and after routine implementation of inhaled pulmonary vasodilators, August 2017. Read More

Clin Pathol 2020 Jan-Dec;13:2632010X20916741. Epub 2020 Apr 23.

Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia.

Background: The term goiter is used to describe any abnormal growth of the thyroid gland, which can be diffuse or nodular, and can be associated with normal, diminished, or increased thyroid function. Multinodular goiter is a common disease whose prevalence increases at age 50. Clinical manifestations can be due to thyroid function impairment or related to size and location of the gland with compressive symptoms. Read More

J Thorac Oncol 2020 Jul 28;15(7):1137-1146. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Atlanta, Georgia.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently accelerating. Patients with locally advanced NSCLC (LA-NSCLC) may require treatment in locations where resources are limited, and the prevalence of infection is high. Patients with LA-NSCLC frequently present with comorbidities that increase the risk of severe morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. Read More