Miguel Felix, Emanuel Vanegas, Azza Sarfraz, Zouina Sarfraz, Genesis Camacho, Alanna Barrios-Ruiz, Jack Michel, Zeynep Yukselen, Arjola Agolli, Derly Madeleiny Andrade Molina, Pilar Cejudo, Karla Robles-Velasco, María José Farfán Bajaña, Juan Carlos Calderón, Arturo Cortes-Telles, Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda
{"title":"Knowledge and perceptions regarding pulmonary rehabilitation amongst Ecuadorian physicians following COVID-19 outbreak.","authors":"Miguel Felix, Emanuel Vanegas, Azza Sarfraz, Zouina Sarfraz, Genesis Camacho, Alanna Barrios-Ruiz, Jack Michel, Zeynep Yukselen, Arjola Agolli, Derly Madeleiny Andrade Molina, Pilar Cejudo, Karla Robles-Velasco, María José Farfán Bajaña, Juan Carlos Calderón, Arturo Cortes-Telles, Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda","doi":"10.5826/mrm.2024.919","DOIUrl":"10.5826/mrm.2024.919","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pulmonary rehabilitation is already an established technique for patients with chronic respiratory disease, aimed at improving breathlessness, exercise capacity, health status, and well-being. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and perceptions about pulmonary rehabilitation post-COVID-19 infection among Ecuadorian physicians.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a cross-sectional online survey-based study using a 27-item questionnaire to assess the knowledge about specific topics related to pulmonary rehabilitation. The sample comprised Ecuadorian physicians who were currently enrolled to an active medical practice that included care to COVID-19 patients. Descriptive statistics were applied for demographic variables of interest. A chi-square goodness of fit test was used to determine whether the observed frequencies of each of the answers per query were within or outside of the expected frequencies by chance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 295 participants answered the survey, out of which 57.3% were general practitioners. Most agreed that COVID-19 infected patients must be followed-up with some measurement of respiratory function (81.4%, p=0.000), but only 18.3% (n=54, p=0.000) were aware of specific guidelines related to rehabilitation. 93.6% (n=276, p=0.000) considered that pulmonary rehabilitation provides a benefit, of any kind, to patients with past COVID-19 infection.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Most physicians considered pulmonary rehabilitation beneficial following COVID-19. However, there is uncertainty on how to adequately follow up patients, complementary tests, and specific guidelines outlining rehabilitative interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":51135,"journal":{"name":"Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine","volume":"19 1","pages":"919"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10956887/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140186165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sarah Bonello, Yanika Farrugia, Theresa Mallia, Nicoletta Maniscalco, Martin Balzan
{"title":"Kyphoscoliosis complicating asthma with fixed airway obstruction.","authors":"Sarah Bonello, Yanika Farrugia, Theresa Mallia, Nicoletta Maniscalco, Martin Balzan","doi":"10.5826/mrm.2024.937","DOIUrl":"10.5826/mrm.2024.937","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Kyphoscoliosis is present in up to 2% of the juvenile population and can have deleterious effects on respiratory mechanics, leading to chronic respiratory failure later on in adult life.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>Hereby we describe a 53-year-old patient with severe uncontrolled asthma who presented with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. During her medical workup, she was noted to have several comorbidities leading to her respiratory failure. The patient had radiological evidence of bronchiectasis with recurrent episodes of infection, and a severe deformity of the spine due to Kyphoscoliosis. Probably the kyphotic component of this deformity had worsened due to a long history of oral steroid use leading to severe osteoporosis and consequent vertebral compression fractures reaching a Cobb angle of 73 degrees. This was probably caused by the patient's non-compliance with inhaler therapy and an excessive reliance on oral steroid use. Her respiratory failure was treated with domiciliary noninvasive positive pressure ventilation and 24-hour oxygen therapy and her symptoms improved.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A multidisciplinary approach across different specialities is necessary when managing such a patient with kyphoscoliosis, bronchiectasis, asthma with airflow limitation with respiratory failure.</p>","PeriodicalId":51135,"journal":{"name":"Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine","volume":"19 1","pages":"937"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10865733/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140040805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Francesca Polverino, Simone Sampaolo, Antonio Capuozzo, Marco Fasolino, Michele Aliberti, Ersilia Satta, Carlo Santoriello, Mario Polverino
{"title":"Diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by respiratory function test.","authors":"Francesca Polverino, Simone Sampaolo, Antonio Capuozzo, Marco Fasolino, Michele Aliberti, Ersilia Satta, Carlo Santoriello, Mario Polverino","doi":"10.4081/mrm.2023.941","DOIUrl":"10.4081/mrm.2023.941","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The diagnostic criterion for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) based on the findings of concomitant clinical and electrophysiological evidence of upper and lower motor neuron involvement may remain unsatisfied for months and in some patients, even for years in the early stage of the disease. Since respiratory involvement is an onset symptom of ALS in only 1-3% of patients, pulmonary assessment has never been considered useful in the early diagnosis of ALS. However, studies on pulmonary function are lacking, especially in those early stages where neurologic tests are also inconclusive. In contrast to the scarcity of data in the early stages, as the disease progresses, it is increasingly enriched by a rich set of symptoms and positive respiratory tests until respiratory failure occurs, which represents the main cause of death in ALS. Hereby we analyze the main pulmonary function tests (PFT) in the various stages of the disease, up to the recent evidence for the possibility of an early diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":51135,"journal":{"name":"Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine","volume":"18 1","pages":"941"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10782889/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139698907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stefano Nardini, Ulisse Corbanese, A. Visconti, Jacopo Dalle Mule, C. Sanguinetti, F. De Benedetto
{"title":"Improving the management of patients with chronic cardiac and respiratory diseases by extending pulse-oximeter uses: the dynamic pulse-oximetry","authors":"Stefano Nardini, Ulisse Corbanese, A. Visconti, Jacopo Dalle Mule, C. Sanguinetti, F. De Benedetto","doi":"10.4081/mrm.2023.922","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/mrm.2023.922","url":null,"abstract":"Respiratory and cardio-vascular chronic diseases are among the most common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide, accounting for a significant portion of health-care costs in terms of mortality and disability. Their prevalence is expected to rise further in the coming years as the population ages. The current model of care for diagnosing and monitoring NCDs is out of date because it results in late medical interventions and/or an unfavourable cost-effectiveness balance based on reported symptoms and subsequent inpatient tests and treatments. Health projects and programs are being implemented in an attempt to move the time of an NCD's diagnosis, as well as its monitoring and follow-up, out of hospital settings and as close to real life as possible, with the goal of benefiting both patients' quality of life and health system budgets. Following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, this implementation received additional impetus. Pulse-oximeters (POs) are currently used in a variety of clinical settings, but they can also aid in the telemonitoring of certain patients. POs that can measure activities as well as pulse rate and oxygen saturation as proxies of cardio-vascular and respiratory function are now being introduced to the market. To obtain these data, the devices must be absolutely reliable, that is, accurate and precise, and capable of recording for a long enough period of time to allow for diagnosis. This paper is a review of current pulse-oximetry (POy) use, with the goal of investigating how its current use can be expanded to manage not only cardio-respiratory NCDs, but also acute emergencies with telemonitoring when hospitalization is not required but the patients' situation is uncertain. Newly designed devices, both \"consumer\" and \"professional,\" will be scrutinized, particularly those capable of continuously recording vital parameters on a 24-hour basis and coupling them with daily activities, a practice known as dynamic pulse-oximetry.","PeriodicalId":51135,"journal":{"name":"Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine","volume":"39 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138955852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L. Bellussi, Francesco Maria Passali, Desiderio Passali
{"title":"Local allergic rhinitis: considerations","authors":"L. Bellussi, Francesco Maria Passali, Desiderio Passali","doi":"10.4081/mrm.2023.939","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/mrm.2023.939","url":null,"abstract":"The term \"local allergic rhinitis\" has gained popularity as a clinical entity in recent years. Despite the apparent contradiction in the definitions of \"nasal\" and \"local,\" we offer insights based on our extensive experience in the field. Local allergic rhinitis has been recognized and treated for many years, so it is not a new discovery. The nasal provocation test, which was introduced in the 1980s, was critical in identifying allergic rhinitis cases with suggestive symptoms but negative allergy tests. Our reflections aim to contribute to a precise terminological decision that is consistent with various points of view.","PeriodicalId":51135,"journal":{"name":"Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine","volume":"112 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138959569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The study of trends in mortality of respiratory system cancers in Babol, North of Iran (2013-2021)","authors":"Seyed-Hossein Hosseini-Berneti, Mohsen Karami, Fatemeh Bayani, Mehdi Moghaddasi, Ozra Babazade, Pouyan Ebrahimi, Hossein-Ali Nikbakht","doi":"10.4081/mrm.2023.929","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/mrm.2023.929","url":null,"abstract":"Background: In Iran, cancers are known as the second leading cause of death, among which respiratory system cancers are particularly important because lung cancer is the second most common cause of death in this country. This study aimed to estimate the crude and age-standardized mortality and its trends during 9 years in the northern city of Iran, Babol.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all the recorded deaths due to respiratory system cancers in Babol during the years 2013-2021 on the Classification of Causes of Deaths and Death Registration System of Babol University of Medical Sciences were taken into consideration, and the population estimate was based on the latest census. Finally, the crude and age-standardized rates of mortality and trends of cancer incidents were calculated.Results: In general, 393 deaths with an overall mean age of 67.8±3.9 years have happened due to respiratory system cancers. The crude and standardized rates of respiratory system cancers increased from 6.5 and 5.5 per hundred thousand people in 2013 to 9.1 and 7.8 per hundred thousand people in 2021, respectively. With each decade in age, their trends increased significantly in men (p=0.024) and remained constant in women (p=0.262). In examining the trend of respiratory system cancers, we found an increasing trend for lung cancer and a constant trend for larynx and oropharynx cancers. There was also a decreasing trend for hypopharyngeal cancer.Conclusions: The age-standardized rate and trend of respiratory system cancers are increasing. Therefore, it is important to prevent their prevalence by reducing the risk factors and increasing the general awareness of risks and timely diagnosis.","PeriodicalId":51135,"journal":{"name":"Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine","volume":" 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138995298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michele Vitacca, Mara Paneroni, Nicolino Ambrosino
{"title":"Rehabilitation complexity scale and reimbursement of in-hospital pulmonary rehabilitation.","authors":"Michele Vitacca, Mara Paneroni, Nicolino Ambrosino","doi":"10.4081/mrm.2023.936","DOIUrl":"10.4081/mrm.2023.936","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The use of case-based reimbursement for medical rehabilitation is greatly discussed. The investigators explored the relationship between disability and reimbursement opportunities in individuals with respiratory diseases undergoing in-hospital pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), considering the correlation (if any) between the Rehabilitation Complexity Scale (RCS-E v13) scores used at admission and the actual reimbursement.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study is part of a larger prospective multicenter study conducted by eight Pulmonary Rehabilitation Units in Italy. Here, investigators considered only data from the Lombardy Region. On January 30<sup>th</sup> or February 28<sup>th</sup>, 2023, participants were allocated according to the main DRG into 4 groups [tracheostomized/ventilated (TX/V), chronic respiratory failure (CRF), COPD, and miscellaneous group]. We recorded anthropometrics, diagnosis, international outcome measures, and calculated admission and discharge RCS-E v13 scores and hospital stay reimbursement according to the healthcare system (HS).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three hundred and sixteen participants were evaluated. Patients were elderly, in the majority of cases with CRF, presenting comorbidities, disability, dyspnea, and reduced effort tolerance. At admission, RCS-E v13 showed an average moderate value of complexity. The median (IQR) HS reimbursement/stay was different among groups. RCSE v13 evaluated at admission was weakly (r=0.3471), but significantly related to the HS reimbursement/stay (p<0.0001) mainly due to TX/V and miscellaneous subgroups, while no relationship was found for COPD and CRF patients. After PR, all outcome measures improved significantly in all groups (p<0.001 for all). Higher RCS-E v13 scores at admission did not correspond to a proper amount of reimbursement, being this latter under- or over-estimated if compared to needs assessed by RCS-E v13. RCS-E v13 at discharge decreased for all subgroups (range from -6 to -11) reaching a low value of complexity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The RCS-E v13 disability score does not fully mirror the HS reimbursement for patients undergoing inhospital PR.</p>","PeriodicalId":51135,"journal":{"name":"Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine","volume":"18 1","pages":"936"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10726991/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139059053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Víctor Gonzalez-Uribe, Ricardo Martinez-Tenopala, Alejandra Osorio-Martínez, Jimena Prieto-Gomez, Agustin Lammoglia Kirsch, Christian R Alcocer-Arreguin, Zaira Selene Mojica-Gonzalez
{"title":"Expression of HIF-1α in pediatric asthmatic patients.","authors":"Víctor Gonzalez-Uribe, Ricardo Martinez-Tenopala, Alejandra Osorio-Martínez, Jimena Prieto-Gomez, Agustin Lammoglia Kirsch, Christian R Alcocer-Arreguin, Zaira Selene Mojica-Gonzalez","doi":"10.4081/mrm.2023.927","DOIUrl":"10.4081/mrm.2023.927","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Several studies have suggested that HIF-1α regulates eosinophil activity and induces epithelial inflammation <i>via</i> NF-κB activation in the pathophysiology of asthma. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression of the transcription factors HIF-1α and nuclear HIF in mononuclear cells obtained from peripheral blood samples of healthy pediatric patients, asthmatic patients, and asthmatic exacerbations, regardless of disease severity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>HIF-1 levels were measured using immunocytochemistry in 133 patients aged 6 to 17 years in this crosssectional and comparative study. A microscope was used to examine glass slides, and positive cells were counted in four fields per slide using an image analyzer.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HIF-1α and nuclear HIF levels were significantly higher in asthma patients and even higher in patients experiencing asthma attacks (p<0.0001, 95% CI). There was no significant difference in the percentage of HIF-1α expression between groups with intermittent asthma and those with mild persistent asthma, nor between patients with asthma and those experiencing asthma exacerbations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>When compared to healthy individuals, the expression of nuclear HIF and HIF-1α is increased in peripheral mononuclear cells in asthma patients and even more so in asthma exacerbations. This suggests that HIF-1α is important in the pathogenesis of this disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":51135,"journal":{"name":"Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine","volume":"18 1","pages":"927"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10715186/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139059052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tulio Caldonazo, Ricardo E. Treml, Felipe S.L. Vianna, Panagiotis Tasoudis, Hristo Kirov, Murat Mukharyamov, Torsten Doenst, João M. Silva Jr
{"title":"Outcomes comparison between the first and the subsequent SARS-CoV-2 waves – a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Tulio Caldonazo, Ricardo E. Treml, Felipe S.L. Vianna, Panagiotis Tasoudis, Hristo Kirov, Murat Mukharyamov, Torsten Doenst, João M. Silva Jr","doi":"10.4081/mrm.2023.933","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/mrm.2023.933","url":null,"abstract":"Background: In the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, health care professionals dealing with COVID-19 had to rely exclusively on general supportive measures since specific treatments were unknown. The subsequent waves could be faced with new diagnostic and therapeutic tools (e.g., anti-viral medications and vaccines). We performed a meta-analysis and systematic review to compare clinical endpoints between the first and subsequent waves. Methods: Three databases were assessed. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, ICU length of stay (LOS), acute renal failure, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) implantation, mechanical ventilation time, hospital LOS, systemic thromboembolism, myocarditis and ventilator associated pneumonia. Results: A total of 25 studies with 126,153 patients were included. There was no significant difference for the primary endpoint (OR=0.94, 95% CI 0.83-1.07, p=0.35). The first wave group presented higher rates of ICU LOS (SMD= 0.23, 95% CI 0.11-0.35, p<0.01), acute renal failure (OR=1.71, 95% CI 1.36-2.15, p<0.01) and ECMO implantation (OR=1.64, 95% CI 1.06-2.52, p=0.03). The other endpoints did not show significant differences.Conclusions: The analysis suggests that the first wave group, when compared with the subsequent waves group, presented higher rates of ICU LOS, acute renal failure and ECMO implantation, without significant difference in in-hospital or ICU mortality, mechanical ventilation time, hospital LOS, systemic thromboembolism, myocarditis or ventilator-associated pneumonia.","PeriodicalId":51135,"journal":{"name":"Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135936139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Multidisciplinary treatment of thoracic fistulous empyema caused by pulmonary infection: a retrospective study","authors":"Yasoo Sugiura, Hiroyuki Fujimoto, Toshinori Hashizume","doi":"10.4081/mrm.2023.926","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/mrm.2023.926","url":null,"abstract":"Background: In cases of thoracic empyema, the presence of a fistula is known to be difficult to treat and associated with a poor prognosis. Few reports have described the management of fistulous empyema caused by lung parenchymal infection. The aim of this study was to describe the outcomes of multidisciplinary management of fistulous empyema caused by pneumonia or lung abscess due to common bacteria and mycobacteria.Methods: Among 108 cases of empyema surgically treated at Kanagawa Hospital over a 10-year period, 14 patients with fistulous empyema due to common bacteria (CBFE) or fistulous empyema due to mycobacteria (MFE) were analyzed. Fistulous empyema due to pneumonectomy was excluded.Results: Eight of the 9 patients with CBFE and 4 of the 5 patients with MFE were male. Patients with CBFE were more likely to be >65 years of age (p=0.052) and to have a poor performance status (p=0.078). The time from onset to first surgical treatment was significantly longer in MFE (median, 5 months; p=0.004). Five patients with CBFE and two patients with MFE underwent open window thoracostomy, while three patients with CBFE and four patients with MFE underwent endobronchial occlusion. Six patients (66%) with CBFE and 3 patients (60%) with MFE achieved fistula closure. Of the patients who underwent EBO, fistula closure was achieved in 3 (100%) of the patients with CBFE and in 2 (50%) of the patients with MFE. Fistula closure was not achieved in any case with non-tuberculous mycobacteria.Conclusions: Fistulous empyema caused by common bacteria or Mycobacterium tuberculosis could be cured by surgical treatment and endobronchial intervention with adequate antimicrobial therapy, but fistulous empyema caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria proved to be intractable. The challenge in the treatment of fistulous empyema due to non-tuberculous mycobacteria is the achievement of bacterial negativity.","PeriodicalId":51135,"journal":{"name":"Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine","volume":"42 2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135853688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}