Chest
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Data assessing outcomes of patients with solid tumors demonstrating septic shock using the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock are scarce. ⋯ The 28-day mortality rate of patients with solid tumors and septic shock was considerably high. Factors associated with worse survival included advanced oncologic disease, poor performance status, high lactate level, and concomitant acute respiratory failure. Early goals-of-care discussions should be considered for frail patients with septic shock and advanced metastatic disease without denying access to the appropriate level of care.
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Tumor spread through airspaces (STAS) is a recently determined pathologic phenomenon of lung cancer with significant prognostic impact. This study aimed to analyze the unexplored correlation between preoperative biopsy procedure and a higher risk of STAS and its impact on STAS-related outcomes in resected stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ⋯ Preoperative biopsy in stage I NSCLC neither was associated with an elevated risk of STAS nor influenced the prognosis related to STAS. Physicians can be less apprehensive about performing preoperative biopsy in relationship to STAS.
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Practice Guideline
Perioperative Management of Antithrombotic Therapy: An American College of Chest Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline Executive Summary.
The American College of Chest Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline on the Perioperative Management of Antithrombotic Therapy addresses 43 Patients-Interventions-Comparators-Outcomes (PICO) questions related to the perioperative management of patients who are receiving long-term oral anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy and require an elective surgery/procedure. This guideline is separated into four broad categories, encompassing the management of patients who are receiving: (1) a vitamin K antagonist (VKA), mainly warfarin; (2) if receiving a VKA, the use of perioperative heparin bridging, typically with a low-molecular-weight heparin; (3) a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC); and (4) an antiplatelet drug. ⋯ Substantial new evidence has emerged since the 2012 iteration of these guidelines, especially to inform best practices for the perioperative management of patients who are receiving a VKA and may require heparin bridging, for the perioperative management of patients who are receiving a DOAC, and for patients who are receiving one or more antiplatelet drugs. Despite this new knowledge, uncertainty remains as to best practices for the majority of perioperative management questions.
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It was recently established that patients who developed VTE are at increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared with the general population. However, whether the anticoagulation used for VTE influences the risk of MACE remains undescribed. ⋯ Treatment of VTE for > 3 months is associated with a reduced risk of MACE, as is treatment with DOACs vs VKAs. These findings, which may influence the choice of anticoagulation strategies for VTE, need confirmation by randomized clinical trials.
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Contralateral bullae/blebs are frequently found in patients who are scheduled to undergo ipsilateral video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). ⋯ Although contralateral bullae/blebs were common in patients who underwent ipsilateral VATS for PSP and were statistically significantly associated with future pneumothorax, the annual rate of pneumothorax was 4.0% in such patients, and it decreased over time. Therefore, a conservative approach on unruptured contralateral bullae/blebs is recommended.