CHEST 2006 ABSTRACT BRIEFS
EMBARGO: Each Abstract is Embargoed Until the Day/Time Listed Below Title
Surgery Surgical Glue Yields Fewer Complications and Less Cost
(Monday, October 23, 2006, 4:30 PM EST)
Thoracic surgery complications and hospital charges are shown to reduce significantly with the use of fibrin glue, shows a new study by Italian researchers. The glue is used to prevent common postoperative complications of thoracic surgery, such as air leaks and bleeding. In this case-control study, 150 patients underwent surgery for primary or metastatic lung disease. Half of the patients were treated with fibrin glue on air leak zones or lacerations (group one), and half were treated with standard techniques, such as electrocauterization and sutures (group two). Results showed that air leak duration and drain time were significantly less in group one. Also, group one had one case of prolonged air leak complication, compared with 12 cases in group two. The median hospital stay was three days longer for those in group two, and patients in group one had an overall cost savings of 28 percent.
New Surgery For Asthma Improves Symptoms
(Tuesday, October 24, 2006, 12:30 PM EST)
A new surgical procedure that reduces the amount of a person’s airway smooth muscle has the potential to decrease asthma symptoms caused by bronchoconstricition, according to a new study. Researchers from Canada conducted a randomized, multicenter study to examine the effect of bronchial thermoplasty on patients with moderate-to-severe, persistent asthma. A total of 108 subjects were enrolled and received standard medical management and bronchial thermoplasty. Subjects’ asthma were evaluated at weeks 12, 26, and 52. Compared with a control group, patients in the bronchial thermosplasty group showed an average 50 percent reduction in mild exacerbation rates after one year. Also, patients in this group who were taking inhaled corticosteroids showed significant improvement in their asthma status.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea May Increase Complications After Heart Surgery
(Wednesday, October 25, 2006, 2:30 PM EST)
New research from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation suggests that cardiac surgery patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are at a higher risk for developing postoperative complications. Researchers compared the incidence of cardiac surgery complications in 37 patients with OSA, identified through the cardiac surgery database, with another database sample absent of OSA. Patients, who underwent open-heart surgery within two years of an OSA diagnosis, were assumed to have had OSA at the time of surgery. Researchers found that the patients with OSA exhibited a higher incidence of encephalopathy, postoperative infection, and increased length of intensive care unit stays. It is suggested that this risk is underestimated due to lack of OSA incidence awareness and that patients may need to be screened for OSA prior to cardiac surgery.
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