Objetivo: Caracterizar clinicamente todos os pacientes com pneumomediastino espontâneo (PME) admitidos em uma enfermaria de pneumologia para adultos em Lisboa, Portugal. Métodos: Estudo descritivo retrospectivo no qual foram analisados todos os pacientes adultos (≥ 18 anos de idade) com diagnóstico de PME entre janeiro de 2004 e setembro de 2015. Resultados: Pelo menos um fator predisponente foi identificado na maioria (isto é, em 88,9%) dos 18 pacientes que apresentaram PME durante o período de estudo. No tocante a fatores precipitantes, crises de tosse ocorreram em 50,0% dos pacientes. Outros fatores precipitantes foram um aumento repentino do consumo de tabaco, uso de drogas inalatórias, inalação ocupacional de vapores de vernizes, exercício intenso e vômitos. As queixas mais comuns foram dispneia (em 83,3%) e dor torácica (em 77,8%). Outras queixas foram tosse, cervicalgia, disfagia e odinofagia. Constatou-se a presença de enfisema subcutâneo na maioria dos pacientes. O diagnóstico de PME baseou-se na radiografia de tórax em 61,1% dos pacientes. Conclusões: Embora seja uma doença rara, o PME deve ser levado em conta no diagnóstico diferencial de dor torácica e dispneia. O PME pode surgir sem um evento desencadeante e sem achados conclusivos na radiografia de tórax, que é geralmente suficiente para o diagnóstico.

Keywords: Enfisema mediastínico; Enfisema subcutâneo; Dispneia.

Objective: To describe the trends in tumor histology, gender and age among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with lung resection. The histology of lung cancer has changed in developed countries, and there is still little information available on the topic for developing countries. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 1,030 patients with NSCLC treated with lung resection between 1986 and 2015 at a university hospital in southern Brazil. Differences in histology, stage, and type of surgery were analyzed by gender and for three periods (1986-1995, 1996-2005, and 2006-2015). Results: Most (64.5%) of the patients were males, and the main histological types were squamous cell carcinoma (in 40.6%) and adenocarcinoma (in 44.5%). The mean age at surgery during the first period was 56.4 years for women and 58.9 years for men, compared with 62.2 for women and 64.6 for men in the third period (p < 0.001). The proportion of females increased from 26.6% in the first period to 44.1% in the third. From the first to the third period, the proportion of patients with squamous cell carcinoma decreased from 49.6% to 34.8% overall (p < 0.001), decreasing to an even greater degree (from 38.9% to 23.2%) among men. Among the NSCLC patients in our sample, females with adenocarcinoma accounted for 11.9% in the first period and 24.0% in the third period (p < 0.001). Conclusions: As has been seen in developed countries, the rates of lung cancer in females in southern Brazil have been rising over the last three decades, although they have yet to surpass those observed for males in the region. The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma has decreased in males, approaching adenocarcinoma rates, whereas adenocarcinoma has significantly increased among women.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms; Epidemiology; Histology; Adenocarcinoma; Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung; Carcinoma, squamous cell.

Objective: To increase the knowledge base regarding pulmonology research in Brazil. Methods: A retrospective, observational study of the abstracts published in the Annals of the Brazilian Pulmonology and Phthisiology Conferences held from 1986 to 2004, quantifying the institutions of origin by geographic distribution and type, as well as categorizing the abstracts by study design and topic. Results: A total of 6467 abstracts were published. The institutions of origin were located, variously, in the Southeast (3870 abstracts), South (1309), Northeast (783), Central-West (267) and North (84). There were 94 abstracts originating from foreign institutions, especially from institutions in Portugal (56.3%) and the United States (13.8%). Most of the studies (5825) were conducted in public Brazilian institutions. There were 4234 clinical studies, 1994 case reports and 239 original research articles. A marked, progressive increase was observed in the number of clinical studies and case reports during the period evaluated. Overall, the most common themes were tuberculosis and other infections diseases (25.2%), following by oncology (11.6%), interstitial lung diseases (8.8%) and thoracic surgery (8.5%). Nevertheless, the number of abstracts on each topic varied widely from year to year. Conclusion: Public Brazilian institutions are the principal sources of pulmonology research in Brazil. Such research activity is concentrated in the southeastern part of the country. Case reports account for one-third of this activity. Although there was great variability in the subjects addressed, diseases that are highly prevalent in Brazil, such as tuberculosis and other infections diseases, were the most common topics.

Keywords: Biomedical research/statistics & numerical data; Respiratory tract diseases; Pulmonary disease (Speciality); Bibliometrics; Scientific and technical publications/statistics & numerical data; Brazil

Objective: To describe the results of a seven years experience using home oxygen therapy in children with hypoxemia and chronic lung disease. Patients and methods: This is a retrospective and descriptive study carried out at Hospital da Criança Santo Antônio - Porto Alegre-RS, Southern Brazil. The characteristics of the children on home oxygen therapy from January/93 to January/00 were analyzed. Results: Out of the 40 patients studied, 29 (72.5%) were males. At the beginning of home oxygen therapy, the age of the patients ranged from two months to 13 years and six months (mean: 24.8; median: 13), and 18 of them (45%) were less than one year old. The most frequent diseases were: obliterative bronchiolitis (31 cases; 77.5%); chronic obstructive lung disease with aspiration pneumonia (three cases); hypogammaglobulinaemia (two cases); suppurative lung disease (two cases), alveolar proteinosis (one case) and tuberculosis (one case). The length of the last hospitalization before home oxygen therapy was started ranged from nine to 240 days (mean: 63.7 days; median: 50 days). Most of the patients (30; 75%) received oxygen from a concentrator and the remainder from a cylinder. Mean oxygen therapy length ranged from 27 to 1,620 days (median: 392.5 days). There were five deaths from complications of the basic disease and one from accidental removal of the tracheostomy tube. Oxygen use could be discontinued in 19 patients - 15 with obliterative bronchiolitis, two with chronic aspiration pneumonia, one with tuberculosis and one with alveolar proteinosis. Conclusion: Although oxygen was needed for long periods, evolution was satisfactory in most children. Home oxygen for oxygen-dependent is an alternative treatment that allows an early discharge and a quick return to home life.

Keywords: Oxygen inahalation therapy. Anoxemia. Lung obstructive diseases. Home treatment.

Background: Tracheostomy is a procedure commonly required in the intensive care unit. In the last two decades, the use of the percutaneous method has increased in parallel with improvements in the technique. Objective: To describe our experience in employing the percutaneous method over the last 3.5 years. Methods: We created, retrospectively, a database of prospective tracheostomy data related to 78 patients evaluated between January 2000 and July 2003. We used the percutaneous tracheostomy techniques of either progressive dilatation (in 36 patients) or forceps dilatation (in 42 patients). Data are expressed as number of occurrences or median with interquartile ranges. Results: The mean age of the patients was 66 (range, 43-75), and the median APACHE II score was 16 (range, 12-21). The median time spent on mechanical ventilation prior to tracheostomy was 14 days (range, 10-17 days). Of the 78 patients studied, 18 (23%) died while in the intensive care unit. The most common cause of admission was acute central nervous system disturbance (in 45%). Most of the tracheostomies performed were indicated due to difficulty in weaning from mechanical ventilation (in 50%) or to Glasgow Coma scores consistently lower than 8 (in 49%). Bronchoscopy was used in all but 6 of the procedures. There were complications in 33% of the procedures. The most common complication was light bleeding, without need for transfusion. No patient died due to complications arising from the procedure. Conclusion: Percutaneous tracheostomy is reasonable and safe when performed in an intensive care unit.

Keywords: Tracheostomy/methods. Respiration, Artificial/methods. Respiratory insufficiency/therapy. Respiratory insufficiency/complications.

Objective: To evaluate the behavior of oxygen saturation curves throughout the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in patients with COPD. Methods: We included 85 patients, all of whom underwent spirometry and were classified as having moderate COPD (modCOPD, n = 30) or severe COPD (sevCOPD, n = 55). All of the patients performed a 6MWT, in a 27-m corridor with continuous SpO2 and HR monitoring by telemetry. We studied the SpO2 curves in order to determine the time to a 4% decrease in SpO2, the time to the minimum SpO2 (Tmin), and the post-6MWT time to return to the initial SpO2, the last designated recovery time (RT). For each of those curves, we calculated the slope. Results: The mean age in the modCOPD and sevCOPD groups was 66  10 years and 62  11 years, respectively. At baseline, SpO2 was > 94% in all of the patients; none received supplemental oxygen during the 6MWT; and none of the tests were interrupted. The six-minute walk distance did not differ significantly between the groups. The SpO2 values were lowest in the sevCOPD group. There was no difference between the groups regarding RT. In 71% and 63% of the sevCOPD and modCOPD group patients, respectively, a ≥ 4% decrease in SpO2 occurred within the first minute. We found that FEV1% correlated significantly with the SpO2 (r = −0.398; p < 0.001), Tmin (r = −0.449; p < 0.001), and minimum SpO2 (r = 0.356; p < 0.005). Conclusions: In the sevCOPD group, in comparison with the modCOPD group, SpO2 was lower and the Tmin was greater, suggesting a worse prognosis in the former.

Keywords: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Exercise test; Blood gas monitoring, transcutaneous.

Objective: To report an initial experience with a digital drainage system during the postoperative period of pediatric thoracic surgery. Methods: This was a prospective observational study involving consecutive patients, ≤ 14 years of age, treated at a pediatric thoracic surgery outpatient clinic, for whom pulmonary resection (lobectomy or segmentectomy via muscle-sparing thoracotomy) was indicated. The parameters evaluated were air leak (as quantified with the digital system), biosafety, duration of drainage, length of hospital stay, and complications. The digital system was used in 11 children (mean age, 5.9 ± 3.3 years). The mean length of hospital stay was 4.9 ± 2.6 days, the mean duration of drainage was 2.5 ± 0.7 days, and the mean drainage volume was 270.4 ± 166.7 mL. The mean maximum air leak flow was 92.78 ± 95.83 mL/min (range, 18-338 mL/min). Two patients developed postoperative complications (atelectasis and pneumonia, respectively). The use of this digital system facilitated the decision-making process during the postoperative period, reducing the risk of errors in the interpretation and management of air leaks.

Keywords: Drainage; Thoracic surgery; Pediatrics.

Objective: To identify the predictive factors of oxygen desaturation during the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods: Prospective cross-sectional study involving clinically stable patients with CF aged ≥ 10 years. The patients were submitted to nutritional evaluations, oral glucose tolerance tests, pulmonary function tests, chest X-rays and 6MWTs. Results: The study included 88 patients (43 females and 45 males; mean age, 19.9 ± 7.2 years; mean FEV1, 65.4 ± 28.4%). We observed oxygen desaturation in 13 patients (OD+ group) and no oxygen desaturation in 75 (OD− group). In comparison with OD− group patients, OD+ group patients presented higher mean age (p = 0.004), worse clinical score (p < 0.001), worse radiological score (p < 0.001), higher incidence of glucose intolerance (p = 0.004), lower incidence of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus infection (p < 0.001), higher incidence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection (p = 0.016), higher incidence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection (p = 0.008), lower mean resting SpO2 (p < 0.001) and lower mean FEV1 (p < 0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, oxygen desaturation during the 6MWT correlated with resting SpO2 (OR = 0.305, p < 0.001) and FEV1 (OR = 0.882, p = 0.025). The parameters maximizing the predictive value for oxygen desaturation were resting SpO2 < 96% and FEV1 < 40%. In this sample, 15% of the patients with CF aged ≥ 10 years presented oxygen desaturation during the 6MWT. Conclusions: Resting SpO2 < 96% and FEV1 < 40% can predict oxygen desaturation during the 6MWT.

Keywords: Cystic fibrosis; Respiratory function tests; Exercise tolerance.

Objective: To evaluate clinical outcomes and factors associated with mortality, focusing on secondary infections, in critically ill patients with COVID-19 in three Brazilian hospitals during the first pandemic wave. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study involving adult patients with COVID-19 admitted to one of the participating ICUs between March and August of 2020. We analyzed clinical features, comorbidities, source of SARS-CoV-2 infection, laboratory data, microbiology data, complications, and causes of death. We assessed factors associated with in-hospital mortality using logistic regression models. Results: We included 645 patients with a mean age of 61.4 years. Of those, 387 (60.0%) were male, 12.9% (83/643) had undergone solid organ transplant, and almost 10% (59/641) had nosocomial COVID-19 infection. During ICU stay, 359/644 patients (55.7%) required invasive mechanical ventilation, 225 (34.9%) needed renal replacement therapy, 337 (52.2%) received vasopressors, and 216 (33.5%) had hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), mainly caused by multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria. HAIs were independently associated with a higher risk of death. The major causes of death were refractory shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome but not ARDS, as previously reported in the literature. Conclusions: In this study, most of our cohort required invasive mechanical ventilation and almost one third had HAIs, which were independently associated with a higher risk of death. Other factors related to death were Charlson Comorbidity Index, SOFA score at admission, and clinical complications during ICU stay. Nosocomial COVID-19 infection was not associated with death. The main immediate causes of death were refractory shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.

Keywords: COVID-19/mortality; Sepsis; Multiple organ failure.

This will be my last editorial as the editor of the Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia (JBP, Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology).

Objective: Although lean body mass (LBM) has been associated with mortality in patients with COPD, its influence on functional limitation is not clear. The objective of this study was to analyze the cardiopulmonary variables in COPD patients with or without LBM depletion, prior to and after the six-minute walk test (6MWT). Methods: We evaluated COPD patients, 32 with LBM depletion and 36 without. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, spirometry, evaluation of body mass composition and 6MWT, as well as completing questionnaires related to quality of life and perception of dyspnea. Results: No significant differences in the severity of airway obstruction, perception of dyspnea and quality of life scores were found between the groups. The distance covered on the 6MWT was similar in COPD patients with and without LBM depletion (470.3 ± 68.5 m vs. 448.2 ± 89.2 m). However, patients with LBM depletion presented significantly greater differences between baseline and final values in terms of heart rate and Borg scale index for lower limb fatigue. There was a significant positive correlation between distance covered on the 6MWT and FEV1 (r = 0.381, p = 0.01).Conclusions: In the patients studied, functional exercise tolerance and quality of life were unaffected by LBM depletion. However, the patients with LBM depletion presented more pronounced lower limb fatigue during the 6MWT, which underscores the importance of the evaluation and treatment of systemic manifestations in COPD patients.

Keywords: Body mass index; Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Exercise tolerance.