Balasubramanian, Prasanth

Abstract Introduction Patients presenting with daytime somnolence need to be evaluated for common etiologies including sleep-related breathing disorders, shift work disorder, insufficient sleep, insomnia and disorders of hypersomnolence. Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is one of the most common causes of daytime sleepiness. We postulate that treatment of SDB may actually worsen symptoms, if associated with poor sleep due to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. Methods N/A Results A 49-year-old female presented to our clinic with increased daytime somnolence. She was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) at an outside center 3 years ago and was started on auto PAP therapy with pressure settings at 6-10 cmH2O. She had 100% usage, 95th percentile pressure of 9 cm H2O, and a residual Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) of 1.1. The patient reported excessive daytime sleepiness, with an Epworth Sleepiness Scale of 16, requiring a daily 3-hour nap. Further sleep history revealed that she had multiple nocturnal awakenings due to discomfort with PAP therapy, including mask related issues causing sleep disruption. Several mask adjustments did not result in any sleep improvement. We decided to re-evaluate her with an in-lab polysomnography. Diagnostic data revealed an overall AHI of 1.6, supine AHI of 12.0, and lateral AHI of 1.5. Mean oxygen saturation was 94.6% with a nadir of 89.0%. The patient was advised to discontinue PAP therapy, and to sleep on her sides, which led to improvement in her sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. Conclusion Positional OSA, defined by greater than 50% increase in AHI in supine position compared to non-supine position, with or without AHI less than 5 in non-supine position, is seen in up to 50-60% of patients with OSA. In addition, intolerance to CPAP has been noted in 29-83% of patients. We need to be clinically aware of the potential effect of PAP devices, or oral appliances, on sleep disruption among intolerant patients. Among this group, conservative therapies like positional therapy or weight loss may be more effective for symptom management, especially for mild SDB. Support (if any)

AbstractBackground and ObjectiveShape‐sensing robotic‐assisted bronchoscopy (ssRAB) has expanded as an important diagnostic tool for peripheral pulmonary nodules (PPNs), with diagnostic yields ranging from 60% to 88%. However, sampling and diagnosing PPN less than 2 cm in size has historically been challenging. Mobile cone‐beam computed tomography (mCBCT) has been recently integrated into ssRAB to improve diagnostic accuracy, but its added value remains uncertain. We aim to describe the role of mCBCT and determine if it provides any diagnostic advantage.MethodsA multicentre, retrospective study on the use of ssRAB and mCBCT in two tertiary care institutions: Mayo Clinic Florida and Massachusetts General Hospital. The primary outcome was diagnostic yield and sensitivity for malignancy of ssRAB complemented with mCBCT, compared to ssRAB with the standard 2D fluoroscopy.ResultsA total of 192 nodules were biopsied from 173 patients. mCBCT was used in 117 (60.9%) nodules. The overall diagnostic yield was 85.4%. Diagnostic yield between subgroups with and without mCBCT was 83.8% and 88% (p = 0.417), respectively. The mCBCT group had fewer solid nodules (65.8% vs. 81.3%, p = 0.020) and a higher number of ground‐glass nodules (10.3% vs. 1.3%, p = 0.016).ConclusionOverall, diagnostic yield between subgroups with and without mCBCT was similar. The complementary use of mCBCT to ssRAB allows proceduralists to target more complex and subsolid PPNs with a diagnostic yield comparable to simple solid PPNs while maintaining an excellent safety profile.

Abstract Background: Corticosteroid treatment is an effective and common therapeutic strategy for various inflammatory lung pathologies and may be an effective treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis of current literature was to investigate the clinical outcomes associated with corticosteroid treatment of COVID-19. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, medRxiv, Web of Science, and Scopus databases through March 10, 2021 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effects of corticosteroid therapies for COVID-19 treatment. Outcomes of interest were mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, serious adverse events (SAEs), and superinfection. Results: A total of 7737 patients from 8 RCTs were included in the quantitative meta-analysis, of which 2795 (36.1%) patients received corticosteroids plus standard of care (SOC) while 4942 (63.9%) patients received placebo and/or SOC alone. The odds of mortality were significantly lower in patients that received corticosteroids as compared to SOC (odds ratio [OR] = 0.85 [95% CI: 0.76; 0.95], P = .003). Corticosteroid treatment reduced the odds of a need for mechanical ventilation as compared to SOC (OR = 0.76 [95% CI: 0.59; 0.97], P = .030). There was no significant difference between the corticosteroid and SOC groups with regards to SAEs and superinfections. Conclusion: Corticosteroid treatment can reduce the odds for mortality and the need for mechanical ventilation in severe COVID-19 patients.