Journal of thoracic disease
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Simultaneous improvement in respiratory maintenance and bleeding control increases survival of patients with life-threatening hemoptysis. Endobronchial blockade is an effective method and is preferred for emergency hemostasis. However, when the volume of hemoptysis is high, emergency hemostasis and airway maintenance are impossible due to flooding of blood into the airway. We used extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to overcome these limitations in a patient with massive hemoptysis due to severe blunt trauma and succeeded in saving the life by inducing a near-total airway obstruction.
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We reported the case of a 70-year-old man who was admitted to neurologic wards for recurrent syncope for 3 years. Unfortunately, just 2 hours after his admission, he suddenly collapsed and failed to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after a 100-minute standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Fortunately, he was timely suspected to have pulmonary embolism (PE) based on his sedentary lifestyle, elevated D-dimer and markedly enlarged right ventricle chamber on bedside echocardiography. After a rescue thrombolytic alteplase therapy, he was successfully resuscitated and good neurological recovery was achieved.
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Chemical pleurodesis can be palliative for recurrent, symptomatic pleural effusions in patients who are not candidate for a thoracic surgical procedure. We hypothesized that effective pleurodesis could be accomplished with a rapid method of pleurodesis as effective as the standard method. ⋯ Rapid pleurodesis with talc slurry is safe and effective and it can be performed in an outpatient basis.
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The mortality rate of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is still high despite the use of protective ventilatory strategies. We sought to examine the pharmacological effects of glutamine (GLN) in a two-hit model of endotoxin-induced inflammation followed by ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). We hypothesized that the administration of GLN ameliorates the VILI. ⋯ The administration of GLN given immediately prior to MV may be beneficial in the context of reducing VILI.
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Primary malignant pericardial mesothelioma (PMPM) is an extremely rare, highly lethal and often misdiagnosed tumor. We report a 60-year-old woman complaining of dry cough, shortness of breath and exertional dyspnea due to a large pericardial effusion. The pericardial fluid volume declined after pericardiocentesis; analysis of the fluid revealed malignant cells and was negative for tuberculosis. ⋯ The patient's symptoms marginally improved after partial pericardiectomy, and a diagnosis of pericardial mesothelioma was made on pathology. However, her symptoms continued to aggravate, and she died 8 months after presentation. Pericardial mesothelioma should be discovered earlier to treat patients who develop repeatedly pericardial effusion after pericardiocentesis and pericardial tamponade or those develop constrictive pericarditis.