Spinal ultrasound – Identification of the normal structures

The incomplete ossification of the spinal processes allows the ultrasonographic evaluation of the spinal cord and the adjacent structures in neonates and small infants. The paper describes the ultrasonographic examination of the spinal structures and the normal appearance of the spinal cord, the structures within the spinal canal, and the bony and muscular adjacent structures. Sagittal and axial sections at cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral levels are described. There are also mentioned findings in the M mode and Doppler examinations

The Association of Minimally Invasive Surgical Approaches and Mortality in Patients with Malignant Pleuropericarditis—A 10 Year Retrospective Observational Study

Background and Objectives: Malignant neoplasms are common causes of acute pleuropericardial effusion. Pleuropericarditis denotes poor patient prognosis, is associated with shortened average survival time, and represents a surgical emergency. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the impact of two minimally invasive surgical approaches, the type of cancer, and other clinical variables on the mortality of 338 patients with pleuropericarditis admitted to an emergency hospital in Romania between 2009 and 2020. All patients underwent minimally invasive surgeries to prevent the recurrence of the disease and to increase their life expectancy. Log-rank tests were used to check for survival probability differences by surgical approach. We also applied univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models to assess the effect of each covariate. Results: No significant differences were found in the 2-year overall survival rate between patients who underwent the two types of surgery. The multivariate Cox proportional regression model adjusted for relevant covariates showed that age, having lung cancer, and a diagnosis of pericarditis and right pleural effusion increased the mortality risk. The surgical approach was not associated with mortality in these patients. Conclusion: These findings open up avenues for future research to advance the understanding of survival among patients with pleuropericarditis

Súlyos krónikus obstruktív tüdőbetegségben szenvedő betegek tüdőfunkciója és társbetegségei a marosvásárhelyi Tüdőgyógyászati Klinikán

Bevezetés: A krónikus obstruktív tüdőbetegség (COPD) gyakori krónikus gyulladásos betegség, nagy mortalitással. Célkitűzés: A vizsgálat célja a COPD-ben szenvedő betegek paraméterei – életkor, nemi megoszlás, kockázati ténye- zők (dohányzás, foglalkozási expozíció), a COPD súlyossága, testtömegindex, tüdőfunkció, társbetegségek és szö- vődmények – közötti összefüggések feltárása volt dohányzó és foglalkozási ártalomnak kitett betegeknél. Módszer: 209 beteg adatait elemeztük, akiket 2019-ben a marosvásárhelyi Tüdőgyógyászati Klinikára COPD-exacer- batio miatt vettek fel. Eredmények: A tápláltsági állapot alapján 4 csoportba soroltuk a betegeket: 50 alultáplált, 53 normál testsúlyú, 53 túlsúlyos, valamint 53 elhízott páciens. A férfi : nő arány 2,48 volt. Az esetek 67%-a aktív, keresőkorban levő páciens, 55,98%-a 55–65 év közötti volt. A betegek 10,5%-a volt 75 év feletti. A páciensek jelentős része (76,55%) dohányzott, a férfiak 91,9%-a és a nők 33,8%-a. A foglalkozási ártalom az esetek 30,62%-ában a dohányzással társult. A nem dohányzóknál a foglalkozási expozíció volt a fő tényező a COPD patogenezisében (81,6%). A „biomassza-tüzelőanyagoknak” vagy a passzív dohányzásnak való expozíció is főleg a nem dohányzó nőknél volt megfigyelhető (78,9%). A FEV1 átlagértékei alacsonyabbak voltak a túlsúlyos, elhízott és alultáplált betegekben, mint a normál testsúlyúaknál. Az elhízott és túlsúlyos COPD-s betegek körében gyakrabban fordult elő ischaemiás szívbetegség (41,5%, illetve 43,4%), mint a normál súlyú, illetve sovány betegeknél (24%, illetve 20%). Megbeszélés: Adataink rávilágítanak a károsodott tüdőfunkció súlyosságára mind a cachexiás, mind az elhízott bete- geknél, és alátámasztják a testmozgás, a táplálkozás-ellenőrzés, a légzőfunkciók szűrése és az általános rehabilitáció szükségességét a COPD-s betegek tüdőkapacitásának javítása érdekében. Következtetés: A COPD multidiszciplináris megközelítése mind diagnosztikai módszerként, mind a COPD-társbetegségek helyes kezeléséhez szükséges

Use of Lung Ultrasound in Reducing Radiation Exposure in Neonates with Respiratory Distress: A Quality Management Project

Background and Objectives: Our quality management project aims to decrease by 20% the number of neonates with respiratory distress undergoing chest radiographs as part of their diagnosis and monitoring. Materials and Methods: This quality management project was developed at Life Memorial Hospital, Bucharest, between 2021 and 2023. Overall, 125 patients were included in the study. The project consisted of a training phase, then an implementation phase, and the final results were measured one year after the end of the implementation phase. The imaging protocol consisted of the performance of lung ultrasounds in all the patients on CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) or mechanical ventilation (first ultrasound at about 90 min after delivery) and the performance of chest radiographs after endotracheal intubation in any case of deterioration of the status of the patient or if such a decision was taken by the clinician. The baseline characteristics of the population were noted and compared between years 2021, 2022, and 2023. The primary outcome measures were represented by the number of X-rays performed in ventilated patients per year (including the patients on CPAP, SIMV (synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation), IPPV (intermittent positive pressure ventilation), HFOV (high-frequency oscillatory ventilation), the number of X-rays performed per patient on CPAP/year, the number of chest X-rays performed per mechanically ventilated patient/year and the mean radiation dose/patient/year. There was no randomization of the patients for the intervention. The results were compared between the year before the project was introduced and the 2 years across which the project was implemented. Results: The frequency of cases in which no chest X-ray was performed was significantly higher in 2023 compared to 2022 (58.1% vs. 35.8%; p = 0.03) or 2021 (58.1% vs. 34.5%; p = 0.05) (a decrease of 22.3% in 2023 compared with 2022 and of 23.6% in 2023 compared with 2021). The frequency of cases with one chest X-ray was significantly lower in 2023 compared to 2022 (16.3% vs. 35.8%; p = 0.032) or 2021 (16.3% vs. 44.8%; p = 0.008). The mean radiation dose decreased from 5.89 Gy × cm2 in 2021 to 3.76 Gy × cm2 in 2023 (36% reduction). However, there was an increase in the number of ventilated patients with more than one X-ray (11 in 2023 versus 6 in 2021). We also noted a slight annual increase in the mean number of X-rays per patient receiving CPAP followed by mechanical ventilation (from 1.80 in 2021 to 2.33 in 2022 and then 2.50 in 2023), and there was a similar trend in the patients that received only mechanical ventilation without a statistically significant difference in these cases. Conclusions: The quality management project accomplished its goal by obtaining a statistically significant increase in the number of ventilated patients in which chest radiographs were not performed and also resulted in a more than 30% decrease in the radiation dose per ventilated patient. This task was accomplished mainly by increasing the number of patients on CPAP and the use only of lung ultrasound in the patients on CPAP and simple cases

Non-Pharmacological Intervention for Personalizing Sleep Quality through Gentle Rocking Motion

Introduction: Achieving restorative sleep is crucial for overall well-being, yet sleep difficulties affect a substantial portion of the adult population. Sleep disturbances are associated with diminished quality of life, physical complaints, cognitive impairment, and emotional regulation challenges. Objective: This study explores the influence of an innovative experimental bed designed to generate rocking motions on sleep parameters. Methods: A prospective observational study enrolled 60 adult participants, assessing their sleep on a regular stationary bed and the Inoveris bed, providing gentle rocking movements. Polysomnography was conducted, recording electroencephalography, electrooculogram, electromyogram, respiratory effort, and other parameters. Results: The rocking bed significantly increased total sleep time (TST) and reduced N1 sleep stage duration (p p = 0.01), indicative of a faster shift from wakefulness to deeper sleep. Additionally, rocking led to a higher percentage of N1 sleep stages (p = 0.01) and a significant increase in N3 sleep stage duration (p = 0.004). While some results lacked statistical significance, notable trends in the rocking bed group have clinical relevance, consistently improving sleep parameters, including increased TST. The rocking bed also showed a trend towards higher sleep efficiency (SE) and sleep duration percentage, hinting at a potential overall enhancement in sleep quality. Conclusion: This study contributes valuable insights into the potential benefits of rocking motions on sleep architecture. Despite variations in outcomes across studies, our results underscore the potential of rocking beds as a non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing sleep quality. Notable improvements in total sleep time (TST), N1 sleep stage reduction, and accelerated transitions to deeper sleep stages highlight the clinical relevance of rocking interventions. Further research, collaboration, and addressing the identified limitations will advance our understanding of the therapeutic applications of rocking motions in sleep science

Laboratory Diagnostics Accuracy for COVID-19 versus Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Lung Disease Patients with Multimorbidity

The laboratory tests and identification of risk factors such as comorbidities are essential in the management, treatment and prognosis of patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Performing rigorous monitoring among patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome and early identification of risk factors associated with poor prognosis are crucial in improving patient outcomes. In the present study, 182 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and PCI during 2020–2022 were included. A clinical and epidemiological evaluation was performed for each patient. Laboratory tests at admission included complete blood count, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and biochemical tests. Receiver operating curve (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated to compare the diagnostic performance of each parameter. Regarding comorbidities, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity were the most frequent ones. In the case of chronic lung diseases, asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) were the most frequent. Pleurisy was found especially in patients with PCI Variations in serum LDH values were observed, especially in severe forms of COVID-19 in 2020, with a mean value of 481.44 U/L, compared to patients with PCI, whose mean values (122 U/L) were within the biological range of reference. High neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values quantified in this study were especially associated with moderate and severe forms of COVID-19 and also PCI. The Spearman correlation coefficient was determined to measure the correlations between the clinical parameters of all investigated subjects. A value of p p p = 0.05) in patients with PCI and arterial hypertension. Regarding comorbidities, it has been observed that obesity, arterial hypertension and cardiovascular diseases represent risk factors in COVID-19/PCI, associated especially with the severe forms of the disease