Adel K. Ayed

Foreign body aspiration in children: diagnosis and treatment

Abstract.A total of 235 children, aged between 7 months and 15 years had bronchoscopy on suspicion of foreign body aspiration. The histories of these patients were studied to examine the diagnostic value of symptoms, signs, and chest x-rays, and rate of negative bronchoscopy. The sensitivity of choking and coughing was high (82% and 80%), but the specificity was poor (37% and 34%). The sensitivity of a chest radiograph was 66%, the specificity was 51%. The sensitivity of asymmetric auscultation was 80% and specificity was 72%. The sensitivity and specificity of combination of symptoms, signs and abnormal chest radiograph was 61% and 83%, respectively. In 206 (87.7%) children a foreign body was identified and extracted. The remaining 29 patients (12.3%) had negative bronchoscopy. A wide variety of objects was recovered, the most common being seeds and peanuts. Foreign bodies were in the right and left main bronchus in 72 (35%), 50 (24.3%) cases, respectively, while in the remaining 84 cases, the foreign bodies were in other parts of the respiratory tree. In 204 (99%) patients with foreign body aspiration, the foreign bodies were removed successfully using a rigid bronchoscopy. Minor complications like subglottic edema and bronchospasm occurred in 4 children. In conclusion, rigid bronchoscopy is a safe procedure and the only tool that will give certainty about the correct diagnosis of foreign body aspiration in children. Asymmetric auscultation is more specific than history and chest radiograph. The combination of history, clinical signs and radiological signs are more specific than each one separately.

Suction versus water seal after thoracoscopy for primary spontaneous pneumothorax: prospective randomized study.

BACKGROUND The objectives of the study were to review our experience of video-assisted thoracoscopic apical pleurectomy and to evaluate whether suction or water seal is superior in the postoperative treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. METHODS One hundred consecutive patients undergoing thoracoscopy for primary spontaneous pneumothorax from January 1995 to December 1999 were prospectively randomly assigned after surgery to receive suction or water seal to their chest tubes after a brief period of suction. RESULTS There were 50 patients in each group. The two groups were evenly matched for age and operation performed. The method of management was stapling of an identified bleb or apex of the upper lobe and apical pleurectomy. Postoperative prolonged air leak longer than 5 days occurred in 8 patients (8%), 7 in the suction group and 1 in the water seal group (p = 0.03). The mean duration of chest tube days was lower in the water seal group (2.7 days) than in the suction group (3.8 days; p = 0.004). The mean hospital stay in the water seal group was 3.7 days and in the suction group it was 4.8 days (p = 0.004). Mean follow-up was 48 months (range, 30 to 60) for all patients. Pneumothorax recurred in 2 patients (2%). The recurrences occurred in the first year. CONCLUSIONS Video-assisted thoracoscopic apical pleurectomy is effective and safe for treating primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Placing chest tubes on water seal after a brief period of suction shortens the duration of chest tube placement and hence the hospital stay.

Inflammation and apoptosis in aortic tissues of aged type II diabetes: Amelioration with α-lipoic acid through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt- dependent mechanism

AIMS Endothelial dysfunction is a key triggering event in the development of cardiovascular diseases and the current study explored this phenomenon in the context of inflammation, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway during chronic diabetes. MAIN METHODS alpha-Lipoic acid (ALA) and wortmannin (WM) were chronically administered to aged Goto Kakizaki (GK) rats, a genetic model of non-obese type II diabetes. Key indices of inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress were assessed using western blotting, real-time PCR and immunofluoresence-based techniques. KEY FINDINGS A chronic inflammation (e.g., increased mRNA/protein levels of TNF-alpha, ICAM, fractalkine, CD-68, myeloperoxidase) in connection with increased caspase-based apoptotic cell death and heightened state of oxidative stress (HSOS)- appear to exist in diabetic cardiovascular tissues. An assessment of NF-kappaB dynamics in aged diabetic vessels revealed not only a marked increase in cytosolic phosphorylated levels of IkappaB-alpha, NIK, IKK but also an enhancement in nuclear localization of p65 concomitantly with augmented NF-kappaB-DNA binding activity. Most of the aforementioned cardiovascular-based diabetic abnormalities including reduced activities of PI3K and Akt kinase were ameliorated following chronic ALA therapy. WM, given to GK rats negated the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic actions of ALA. SIGNIFICANCE Our data highlight a unifying mechanism whereby HSOS through an induction of NF-kappaB activity together with an impairment in PI3K/Akt pathway favors pro-inflammatory/pro-apoptotic diabetic vascular milieu that culminate in the onset of endothelial dysfunction, a phenomenon which appears to be amenable to treatment with antioxidants and/or PI3/Akt mimetics (e.g., ALA).

Headscarf pin tracheobronchial aspiration: a distinct clinical entity

Foreign body (FB) aspiration is commonly seen in children and less commonly in the elderly. However, due to some social and cultural factors, a distinct group of tracheobronchial FB aspiration is increasingly recognized. We sought to assess our experience with such entity. A retrospective review of all cases with veil pin tracheobronchial FB aspiration in a single center over a 13-year period was carried out. There were 35 cases of headscarf tracheobronchial FB aspiration. All were females with mean age of 14 years. All patients experienced coughing and all had positive chest radiography findings. Commonest anatomical location was right main bronchus (32%) followed by left main bronchus (23%). Tracheal pins occurred in 17%. Rigid bronchoscopy was used more often than flexible bronchoscopy (83% vs. 17%, respectively). Repeat bronchoscopy was required in two cases (6%). Thoracotomy was required in one patient (3%). There were no complications or hospital deaths. Headscarf pin aspiration is seen in middle-aged women who inappropriately place the pins between their lips prior to securing their veils. Bronchoscopy is the treatment modality of choice and surgery is rarely required. Preventative educational strategies should be implemented to reduce such an avoidable risk.

Pulmonary resection for massive hemoptysis of benign etiology

OBJECTIVE To assess the outcome of pulmonary resection in the management of massive hemoptysis caused by benign lung diseases. METHODS A longitudinal cohort study of 53 consecutive patients who presented with hemoptysis and were treated with either emergency (group 1) or elective (group 2) pulmonary resection from January 1995 to December 1999. RESULTS Fifty-three patients were studied, 27 in group 1 and 26 in group 2. The mean age of the patients was 47.2 years (range, 29-70 years). Urgent examination with a combination of rigid and flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope localized the bleeding site in 45 patients (85%). Age>50 years, hypertension, hemoglobin on admission<10 g/dl, cause of hemoptysis, and a prior attack of hemoptysis were the predictors for the need of emergency surgery. The overall hospital mortality rate was 4% (2/53). Postoperative complications occurred in 13 patients (25%). Complications were more common in patients who received blood transfusion than non-transfused patients (9/23 and 4/30, respectively; P=0.03). Patients with tuberculosis as the cause of massive hemoptysis had more complications 5/8 in comparison to all other patients (P=0.02). The mean follow-up was 4.5 years (range, 3-6 years) for all patients who survived. Hemoptysis recurred in four patients (8%) and all from group 1 (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS Immediate pulmonary resection for massive hemoptysis is effective in case of life-threatening bleeding that is not controlled by conservative measures. Elderly patients with a prior history of hemoptysis and/or hypertension and bleeding due to a fungus ball, necrotizing pneumonia, tuberculosis or lung abscess should be considered for early operation in an attempt to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Risk Factors of Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Kuwait

Objectives: To determine the risk factors of spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) in Kuwait. Subjects and Methods: From January 2002 through December 2003, 254 consecutive cases with a diagnosis of SP were reviewed. Analyses of pneumothorax rates by age, sex, smoking, body mass index (BMI) and climatic conditions were evaluated. Results: Of the 254 patients, 242 (95%) were male and 12 (5%) were female; a larger proportion of 180 (88%) were Kuwaitis and 74 (12%) were expatriates. Two hundred and eight (82%) episodes were regarded as primary SP and 46 (18%) as secondary SP. The mean age was 24.5 ± 5.8 years for primary SP and 45.7 ± 14.5 years for secondary SP. One hundred and ninety-six (77%) individuals were current smokers. BMI in primary and secondary SP was 19.3 and 22.4, respectively (p < 0.001). There was no relationship between SP and climatic conditions (a rise or fall in temperature, humidity or atmospheric pressure). However, a slight increase in SP occurred in July, probably the hottest month in Kuwait. Conclusions: The data indicate that the most important risk factors of SP in Kuwait are smoking, low BMI and the male gender.

Diagnosis and treatment of isolated tuberculous mediastinal lymphadenopathy in adults

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy and mediastinoscopy in adults with isolated mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis and to assess the effect of antituberculous treatment. DESIGN Prospective longitudinal cohort study of 34 patients with mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis followed for 6 to 19 months after completion of treatment. SETTING Tertiary care hospital, Kuwait. PATIENTS 34 consecutive patients who presented with isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy from 1996 to 1998. INTERVENTIONS Bronchoscopy and cervical mediastinoscopy for all patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy and mediastinoscopy, and the outcome of treatment in patients with tuberculous lymphadenopathy. RESULTS The mean age was 35 years (range 15-58). The most common symptoms were cough, fever, and weight loss. The chest radiographs and computed tomograms showed abnormal mediastinal shadows with no evidence of parenchymal disease. All patients had right sided paratracheal lymphadenopathy. Tuberculin skin test gave a weal of >15 mm in 17 patients (50%). Sputum smears and cultures failed to grow acid-fast bacilli in any patient. Seven patients had an endobronchial abnormality and samples taken at bronchoscopy gave a definite diagnosis in 3 (9%). Paratracheal lymph node biopsy and culture by mediastinoscopy diagnosed tuberculosis in all cases. All patients were treated by a six month course of rifampicin and isoniazid supplemented initially by pyrazinamide for two months. Twenty-eight patients had a good response and the remaining patients were treated for a further 3 months. CONCLUSIONS Bronchoscopy has a low diagnostic yield in mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenopathy in the absence of a parenchymal lesion. Mediastinoscopy is a safe but invasive procedure and provides a tissue diagnosis in most cases. Six months treatment with rifampicin and isoniazid supplemented initially by pyrazinamide is adequate treatment for most adults with tuberculous mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

Video-Assisted Thoracoscopy versus Thoracotomy for Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: Video-assisted thoracic surgery has been evaluated to replace thoracotomy for recurrent or persistent spontaneous pneumothorax. This study aimed to compare the clinical results and long-term follow-up of both procedures in treating primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Methods: In a prospective comparison, all 60 patients aged 14–57 years with recurrent or persistent primary spontaneous pneumothorax seen at the Chest Diseases Hospital in Kuwait were randomly allocated to treatment by video-assisted surgery or thoracotomy. Subsequently various factors were analysed and compared in both groups, and the follow-up of both procedures was 3 years. Results: The mean and standard deviation (SD) operating time was longer in the thoracotomy group (95.3 ± 16.4 min) than in those undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopy (77.5 ± 13.7 min; p < 0.0001). The mean ± SD amount of analgesics (Demerol) used in the first 12 h postoperatively was 67.16 ± 27.1 mg in the video-assisted thoracoscopy group and 148.3 ± 24.5 mg in the thoracotomy group (p < 0.0001). The mean 24-hour chest tube drainage was less in the video-assisted thoracoscopy group than in the thoracotomy group (82 vs. 347.1 ml; p < 0.0001). The mean duration of intercostal chest tube was 4.1 days in the thoracoscopy group and 5 days in the thoracotomy group (p = 0.18). The length of hospital stay was shorter in the thoracoscopy group than in the thoracotomy group (6.5 vs. 10.7 days; p < 0.0001). After a follow-up of 3 years, the number of recurrences was 3 in the thoracoscopy group and none in the thoracotomy group. Conclusion: Video-assisted thoracoscopy has many clinical advantages over thoracotomy for recurrent or persistent primary spontaneous pneumothorax; but it results in a higher recurrence rate. The future role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in this disease remains to be determined by a larger study.

Factors responsible for asthma and rhinitis among Kuwaiti schoolchildren.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of asthma among schoolchildren and to determine the level house dust mites in Kuwaiti homes and its role in asthma and rhinitis. Subjects and Method: The International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Children questionnaire was distributed to schoolchildren in the age group of 5–7 years, after random sampling from all the five governorates of Kuwait. The questionnaires were completed and initiated by parents with the help of the investigator and parents. House dust was collected from the bedroom floor of 549 houses in the same geographical areas where the schoolchildren were sampled, extracted and assayed for mite Der p 1 by ELISA method. Results: The estimated prevalence of asthma was 22.4% and that of rhinitis was 23%. House dust collected from the bedroom floor was found to contain low levels of Der p 1. There was no significant difference (p = 0.969) in the level of Der p 1 between areas in Kuwait. The highest levels of Der p 1 ranged from 0.02 to 0.10 mg/g in 3.5% of the total samples examined. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of asthma and rhinitis among the schoolchildren in Kuwait. However, the level of dust mitogens investigated in this study was below the level of concern, thus undermining their role in increasing asthma cases in Kuwait. Therefore, further studies are needed to understand the role of other mite allergens and other factors that contribute to the increased prevalence of allergic diseases in Kuwaiti children.

Demographic Pattern and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Smear- Positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Kuwait

Objective: The aim of this study was to document various clinical factors that are likely to be of help in the control of tuberculosis in Kuwait. Subjects and Methods: Details of patients with sputum positive for acid-fast bacilli in the period from January 1998 to December 2000 were collected retrospectively from the case records and population statistics from government sources. The data were then tabulated and analyzed. Results: Of the 526 cases, 83.5% were expatriates and 16.5% Kuwaiti; 373 (70.9%) were male. Of the expatriates, 66.7% were from Asia and the Far East, 5.7% were ≧60 years. The annual incidence was 8.34 per 100,000 population. The lowest incidence was observed in the Jahrah governorate with an overall incidence of 5 (2.0 among Kuwaitis and 6.4 among expatriates) per 100,000 population. The highest incidence overall (10.2) and among Kuwaitis (4.1) was observed in the Farwaniya governorate, while the highest incidence among expatriates was seen in the Capital governorate (13.4). Radiologically, 94 (19.5%) had minimal, 246 (51.5%) had moderately advanced and 141 (29.3%) far-advanced disease. The majority of the patients (72%) had only + status for AFB in the smear. Hypercalcemia (25.7%), hyponatremia (22.15%) and hyperglycemia (29.9%) were common in the patients. Mean serum albumin was low (28.7 ± 5.5 g/l). Two hundred and forty-seven (47.2%) were declared cured while 116 (22.2%) completed treatment. Comparison between nationals and expatriates showed a significant difference only for age, smoking status, defaulter rate and place of residence. Conclusion: The lowest regional incidence was found in the Jahrah governorate. Both biochemical abnormalities and radiologically advanced presentations were common. Disease pattern and response to treatment was purely individual and did not differ with respect to nationality or race.