Frequency of bile duct confluence variations in subjects with pancreas divisum: an analysis of MRCP findings

PURPOSE:We aimed to evaluate the frequency of bile duct branching pattern variations at the hepatic confluence in patients with pancreas divisum (PD).METHODS:A search was performed through the hospital database using the keyword “pancreas divisum” to identify patients. The magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) images of 137 patients who were diagnosed with PD between August 2011 and November 2016 were retrospectively analyzed for the presence of bile duct variations. A control group of 137 patients without PD was established among patients investigated during the same period. Variations of the biliary tract were grouped into seven types according to the McSweeney et al. classification.RESULTS:Biliary tract variations were detected in 103 of a total of 274 patients. Fifty-eight PD patients (42.3%) and 45 control patients (32.8%) had bile duct variation at the hepatic confluence level. The patients with PD were more likely to have biliary tract variation compared with the control group; however, it was not statistically significant (P = 0.105). The most common variation in PD patients was type 3a variation (16.8%).CONCLUSION:MRCP studies showed atypical bile duct confluence pattern in nearly half of both PD patients and controls. There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of anatomic variations at bile duct confluence in patients with PD versus those without PD. Derivation of these structures from different outpouchings in early embryological life may explain this insignificant difference

Prediction of degree of carotid stenosis with the transluminal attenuation difference ratio

PURPOSEWe aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of transluminal attenuation difference (TAD) in predicting the severity of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis.METHODSThe study cohort consisted of 48 patients with 70%) stenosis compared with control arteries and low-moderate stenosis. A TAD ratio cutoff of 4.5 predicted 70%–99% stenosis with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 93%. The inter- and intraobserver agreements in TAD measurements were almost perfect (ICC, 0.89–0.86).CONCLUSIONAssessment of TAD ratio predicts the degree of stenosis in concordance with NASCET system

Crowning achievement: a case of dental aspiration

Aspiration of foreign bodies during dental procedures is a rare but potentially serious complication. We present a case of a 75-year-old man who aspirated a dental crown requiring flexible bronchoscopic retrieval. We discuss the risk factors for aspiration, the radiographic features of diagnosis, and the techniques for management and retrieval

ATS Core Curriculum 2021. Adult Sleep Medicine: Sleep Apnea.

The American Thoracic Society Sleep Core Curriculum updates clinicians on important sleep topics, presented during the annual meeting, and appearing in summary here. This year's sleep core theme is sleep-disordered breathing and its management. Topics range from pathophysiological mechanisms for the association of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and metabolic syndrome, surgical modalities of OSA treatment, comorbid insomnia and OSA, central sleep apnea, and sleep practices during a pandemic. OSA has been associated with metabolic syndrome, independent of the role of obesity, and the pathophysiology suggests a role for sleep fragmentation and intermittent hypoxia in observed metabolic outcomes. In specific patient populations, surgical treatment modalities for OSA have demonstrated large reductions in objective disease severity compared with no treatment and may facilitate adherence to positive airway pressure treatment. Patient-centered approaches to comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea include evaluating for both OSA and insomnia simultaneously and using shared-decision making to determine the order and timing of positive airway pressure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. The pathophysiology of central sleep apnea is complex and may be due to the loss of drive to breathe or instability in the regulatory pathways that control ventilation. Pandemic-era sleep practices have evolved rapidly to balance safety and sustainability of care for patients with sleep-disordered breathing

ATS Core Curriculum 2021. Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine: Pulmonary Infections.

The following is a concise review of the Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine Core reviewing pediatric pulmonary infections, diagnostic assays, and imaging techniques presented at the 2021 American Thoracic Society Core Curriculum. Molecular methods have revolutionized microbiology. We highlight the need to collect appropriate samples for detection of specific pathogens or for panels and understand the limitations of the assays. Considerable progress has been made in imaging modalities for detecting pediatric pulmonary infections. Specifically, lung ultrasound and lung magnetic resonance imaging are promising radiation-free diagnostic tools, with results comparable with their radiation-exposing counterparts, for the evaluation and management of pulmonary infections. Clinicians caring for children with pulmonary disease should ensure that patients at risk for nontuberculous mycobacteria disease are identified and receive appropriate nontuberculous mycobacteria screening, monitoring, and treatment. Children with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) typically present with mild symptoms, but some may develop severe disease. Treatment is mainly supportive care, and most patients make a full recovery. Anticipatory guidance and appropriate counseling from pediatricians on social distancing and diagnostic testing remain vital to curbing the pandemic. The pediatric immunocompromised patient is at risk for invasive and opportunistic pulmonary infections. Prompt recognition of predisposing risk factors, combined with knowledge of clinical characteristics of microbial pathogens, can assist in the diagnosis and treatment of specific bacterial, viral, or fungal diseases

ATS Core Curriculum 2021. Adult Pulmonary Medicine: Thoracic Oncology.

The American Thoracic Society Core Curriculum updates clinicians annually in adult and pediatric pulmonary disease, medical critical care, and sleep medicine at the annual international conference. The 2021 Pulmonary Core Curriculum focuses on lung cancer and include risks and prevention, screening, nodules, therapeutics and associated pulmonary toxicities, and malignant pleural effusions. Although tobacco smoking remains the primary risk factor for developing lung cancer, exposure to other environmental and occupational substances, including asbestos, radon, and burned biomass, contribute to the global burden of disease. Randomized studies have demonstrated that routine screening of high-risk smokers with low-dose chest computed tomography results in detection at an earlier stage and reduction in lung cancer mortality. On the basis of these trials and other lung cancer risk tools, screening recommendations have been developed. When evaluating lung nodules, clinical and radiographic features are used to estimate the probability of cancer. Management guidelines take into account the nodule size and cancer risk estimates to provide recommendations at evaluation. Newer lung cancer therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and molecular therapies, cause pulmonary toxicity more frequently than conventional chemotherapy. Treatment-related toxicity should be suspected in patients receiving these medications who present with respiratory symptoms. Evaluation is aimed at excluding other etiologies, and treatment is based on the severity of symptoms. Malignant pleural effusions can be debilitating. The diagnosis is made by using simple pleural drainage and/or pleural biopsies. Management depends on the clinical scenario and the patient's preferences and includes the use of serial thoracentesis, a tunneled pleural catheter, or pleurodesis

Evaluation of abdominal computed tomography findings in patients with COVID-19: a multicenter study

PURPOSE To evaluate the frequency of abdominal computed tomography (CT) findings in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and interrogate the relationship between abdominal CT findings and patient demographic features, clinical findings, and laboratory test results as well as the CT atherosclerosis score in the abdominal aorta. METHODS This study was designed as a multicenter retrospective study. The abdominal CT findings of 1.181 patients with positive abdominal symptoms from 26 tertiary medical centers with a positive polymerase chain-reaction test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 were reviewed. The frequency of ischemic and non-ischemic CT findings as well as the association between CT findings, clinical features, and abdominal aortic calcific atherosclerosis score (AA-CAS) were recorded. RESULTS Ischemic and non-ischemic abdominal CT findings were detected in 240 (20.3%) and 328 (27.7%) patients, respectively. In 147 patients (12.4%), intra-abdominal malignancy was present. The most frequent ischemic abdominal CT findings were bowel wall thickening (n = 120; 10.2%) and perivascular infiltration (n = 40; 3.4%). As for non-ischemic findings, colitis (n = 91; 7.7%) and small bowel inflammation (n = 73; 6.2%) constituted the most frequent disease processes. The duration of hospital stay was found to be higher in patients with abdominal CT findings than in patients without any positive findings (13.8 ± 13 vs. 10.4 ± 12.8 days, P < 0.001). The frequency of abdominal CT findings was significantly higher in patients who did not survive the infection than in patients who were discharged after recovery (41.7% vs. 27.4%, P < 0.001). Increased AA-CAS was found to be associated with a higher risk of ischemic conditions in abdominal CT examinations. CONCLUSION Abdominal symptoms in patients with COVID-19 are usually associated with positive CT findings. The presence of ischemic findings on CT correlates with poor COVID-19 outcomes. A high AA-CAS is associated with abdominal ischemic findings in patients with COVID-19

Wellness and Coping of Physicians Who Worked in ICUs During the Pandemic: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional North American Survey*

ObjectivesFew surveys have focused on physician moral distress, burnout, and professional fulfilment. We assessed physician wellness and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignCross-sectional survey using four validated instruments.SettingSixty-two sites in Canada and the United States.SubjectsAttending physicians (adult, pediatric; intensivist, nonintensivist) who worked in North American ICUs.InterventionNone.Measurements and main resultsWe analysed 431 questionnaires (43.3% response rate) from 25 states and eight provinces. Respondents were predominantly male (229 [55.6%]) and in practice for 11.8 ± 9.8 years. Compared with prepandemic, respondents reported significant intrapandemic increases in days worked/mo, ICU bed occupancy, and self-reported moral distress (240 [56.9%]) and burnout (259 [63.8%]). Of the 10 top-ranked items that incited moral distress, most pertained to regulatory/organizational ( n = 6) or local/institutional ( n = 2) issues or both ( n = 2). Average moral distress (95.6 ± 66.9), professional fulfilment (6.5 ± 2.1), and burnout scores (3.6 ± 2.0) were moderate with 227 physicians (54.6%) meeting burnout criteria. A significant dose-response existed between COVID-19 patient volume and moral distress scores. Physicians who worked more days/mo and more scheduled in-house nightshifts, especially combined with more unscheduled in-house nightshifts, experienced significantly more moral distress. One in five physicians used at least one maladaptive coping strategy. We identified four coping profiles (active/social, avoidant, mixed/ambivalent, infrequent) that were associated with significant differences across all wellness measures.ConclusionsDespite moderate intrapandemic moral distress and burnout, physicians experienced moderate professional fulfilment. However, one in five physicians used at least one maladaptive coping strategy. We highlight potentially modifiable factors at individual, institutional, and regulatory levels to enhance physician wellness