Lung transplantation is a life-saving treatment for patients with end-stage lung disease; however, it is infrequently considered for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) ...attributable to infectious causes. We aimed to describe the course of disease and early post-transplantation outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19 who failed to show lung recovery despite optimal medical management and were deemed to be at imminent risk of dying due to pulmonary complications.
We established a multi-institutional case series that included the first consecutive transplants for severe COVID-19-associated ARDS known to us in the USA, Italy, Austria, and India. De-identified data from participating centres-including information relating to patient demographics and pre-COVID-19 characteristics, pretransplantation disease course, perioperative challenges, pathology of explanted lungs, and post-transplantation outcomes-were collected by Northwestern University (Chicago, IL, USA) and analysed.
Between May 1 and Sept 30, 2020, 12 patients with COVID-19-associated ARDS underwent bilateral lung transplantation at six high-volume transplant centres in the USA (eight recipients at three centres), Italy (two recipients at one centre), Austria (one recipient), and India (one recipient). The median age of recipients was 48 years (IQR 41-51); three of the 12 patients were female. Chest imaging before transplantation showed severe lung damage that did not improve despite prolonged mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The lung transplant procedure was technically challenging, with severe pleural adhesions, hilar lymphadenopathy, and increased intraoperative transfusion requirements. Pathology of the explanted lungs showed extensive, ongoing acute lung injury with features of lung fibrosis. There was no recurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in the allografts. All patients with COVID-19 could be weaned off extracorporeal support and showed short-term survival similar to that of transplant recipients without COVID-19.
The findings from our report show that lung transplantation is the only option for survival in some patients with severe, unresolving COVID-19-associated ARDS, and that the procedure can be done successfully, with good early post-transplantation outcomes, in carefully selected patients.
National Institutes of Health. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
The science and practice of organ transplant have evolved, and a lung transplant is now a viable option that can add years and quality to life. The connective tissue diseases (CTDs) at present form a ...very small percentage of the indications for which lung transplants are done today. Patients with interstitial lung disease or those with respiratory failure as a result of pulmonary vascular disease may benefit from transplants if done in the right setting. The various nonpulmonary manifestations of CTDs influence the odds of the success of a lung transplant and need to be taken into account beforehand. Evaluation of the individual candidate, ensuring disease remission at the time of the transplant, anticipating the surgical and anesthetic challenges and the postsurgical intensive care-related challenges is important. Careful patient selection and meticulous preprocedure evaluation are likely to result in good outcomes.
Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare autosomal recessive end stage lung condition characterized by widespread alveolar deposition of calcium microliths. It is worth emphasis india has ...reported 80 cases out of 1022 cases worldwide but there is no report on lung transplant and and anaesthetic management in this category of patient. This report present the anaesthetic challenge in management of first indian patient with the diagnosis of PAM, who underwent bilateral lung transplantation. Bilateral lung transplantation is one of the most challenging surgeries that require the care of a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist. Utilization of extracorporeal circulation has allowed a safer performance of this procedure in patients with severe cardiopulmonary compromise. Intraoperative management is a pivotal part of the patient's care, as it contributes to the patient's overall outcome.
Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare autosomal recessive condition characterized by widespread alveolar deposition of calcium microliths. A mutation in the SLC34A2 gene in the alveolar ...Type II pneumocytes is responsible for decreased phosphate clearance and accumulation of calcium as spherules in the alveoli. The presence of this gene in other organs is responsible for the systemic phenotype of the disease. PAM is characterized by the lack of defining symptoms such as cough and progressive dyspnea until it reaches the stage of cor pulmonale and presents with features of respiratory and right ventricular (RV) failure. Radiologically, it is characterized by intense calcification in the lung parenchyma producing specific signs such as the "sandstorm appearance" in the early stages to the "white out lung" with "black pleura sign" in the later stages of the disease. While conventional therapy has not been successful at treatment, bilateral lung transplantation offers to be the only effective remedy. In this report, we present the case of a 54-year-old female who presented in the stage of respiratory and RV failure, with oxygen and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) dependence. She was treated with bilateral lung transplantation. Postoperatively, she was monitored closely for immunosuppression, prophylactic anti-infective measures, and bronchoscopies to evaluate for airway complications. The patient gradually improved and was discharged from the hospital without any need for oxygen or NIV.
In 2010, a 22-year-old female presented with progressive breathlessness and multiple joint pain in bilateral knee and wrist joints. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on the ...clinical as well as serological criteria, and her breathlessness was attributable to RA-associated interstitial lung disease. Despite being on immunosuppressants, her lung involvement continued to progress as she got dependent on oxygen at home for 2011 and required domiciliary noninvasive ventilatory support for 2017. The prognosis was grave as the disease continued to affect her lungs relentlessly despite all possible medical therapies. Our experience with lung transplants in service hospitals was nonexistent as it was not a common practice to refer patients for lung transplant because of inadequate data of its success in our country and the mammoth cost involved. However, in view of the emerging reports of successful lung transplantation and the risk benefit ratio favoring the patient, she was referred to a lung transplant center. The patient chose to have the lung transplantation at a hospital in Chennai. On May 22, 2018, the patient underwent a successful bilateral lung transplant. She is being managed with triple immunosuppression and antimicrobial prophylaxis at her home. Over the past 1½ year, the patient has developed one episode of bacterial pneumonia which was successfully managed with antibiotics. The patient continues regular visit at our hospital as she is able to work independently of any ventilatory support. We intend to narrate the experience of first-lung transplant recipient among our clientele.
Even though the links between upper and lower airway had been of interest to clinicians since long back, it has not attracted the attention of the researchers till recent past. But the evidence is ...still far from conclusive, due to limited number of randomized controlled trials available on subjects with concomitant allergic rhinitis and asthma. This gap in the knowledge is even more conspicuous in Indian population.
The current study is conducted with an objective of comparing the efficacy and tolerability of intranasal Fluticasone and oral Montelukast in treatment of allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma.
The study was a prospective randomized, single blinded, comparative, parallel group study, with two intervention groups conducted in a tertiary teaching hospital in Chennai, Southern India. One hundred and twenty patients diagnosed with concomitant diagnosis of allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma was randomly allocated to either Fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray or oral Montelukast group.
Out of total 120 subjects recruited, 108 subjects were included in the final analysis. The mean reduction in asthma and rhinitis symptom scores and improvement in PEFR was higher for Group A, compared to Group B during all the follow-up periods. No statistically significant difference was observed in proportion of subjects reporting exacerbations in the current study. Both the treatments were well tolerated.
Addition of intranasal Fluticasone propionate to Salmeterol plus Fluticasone is beneficial in improving asthma control, allergic rhinitis control and lung functions as compared to oral Montelukast. Thereby the use of intranasal Fluticasone Propionate in comparison to oral Montelukast in control of Allergic Rhinitis is justified as per the significant improvement in outcome measures.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease causing significant socioeconomic burden. COPD patients, commonly smokers develop resistance to inhaled steroids attributed to ...deficiency of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2). The study of relationship between systemic inflammation and functional performance demonstrated that increased CRP level is inversely related to six minute walk distance (SMWD) and Forced Expired Volume in one second (FEV1). Theophylline restores HDAC2 activity thereby unlocking steroid resistance and potentiating inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) action culminating in reduced airway inflammation and mortality.
To study the effects of addition of Theophylline to the combination of Formoterol plus Budesonide on various objective and subjective parameters in moderate to severe COPD patients and to assess the safety profile of the combination. Setting and Study design: A single blinded, prospective, randomized, placebo controlled study at a tertiary care hospital in Jaipur, India.
Fifty eight patients diagnosed with moderate to severe COPD were randomized into two groups. Group A patients received Formoterol 24μg plus budesonide 800μg daily in divided doses along with Theophylline while group B patients received Formoterol 24μg plus budesonide 800μg daily in divided doses along with placebo tablets. Both groups were followed up on 15th, 30th &60th day. During every visit all patients were assessed subjectively (symptom scoring) and objectively (spirometry, CRP, SMWT) and adverse effects if any were recorded. The obtained data subject to statistical analysis using"Graph pad Instat3" software.
Statistically significant improvement with a decline in total symptom score (p < 0.0001) was found with respect to "Night symptoms"&"SOB on rising" in group A. Theophylline group showed significant improvement in SMWD and FEV1.Mean fall in CRP was greater in Group A (not statistically significant). No side effects requiring withdrawal of drug were noted with Theophylline.
Addition of Theophylline to Formoterol plus Budesonide reduces dyspnea, improves exercise performance and pulmonary functions in moderate to severe COPD. Further studies are required to explore if reduced dosage would have equal efficacy with better safety and tolerability profile.
Background: Lung transplantation (LT) has emerged as a definitive cure for a plethora of end-stage lung diseases (ESLDs). With improvements in immune-suppression protocols, the posttransplantation ...survival rates have gone up. Aim: The study reported the initial experience of the India's single largest lung transplant program on clinicopathological profile, procedures, challenges encountered, and outcomes. Settings and Design: A retrospective analysis was done from data available at three centers of Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant, Gleneagles Global Hospitals across Chennai, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. Materials and Methods: A total of 132 patients underwent lung (single or bilateral) or combined heart and lung transplant between April 2017 and March 2020. All the participants had 30 days' follow-up. Postoperative complications, graft rejection, and 30-day mortality were reported. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed. Statistical Analysis Used: Kaplan-Meier survival and binary logistic regression was performed. Results: Interstitial lung diseases, 65.91%, were the most common diagnosis. Bilateral LT (81.3%) was the most common type of LT performed. Grade III primary graft dysfunction was observed in 16 (12.1%). Distal airway stenosis (21.97%) was the most common complication followed by anastomotic stenosis (14.30%). Gram-negative bacterial sepsis (52%) was the leading cause of death. Cumulative probability of survival at 1 month was 0.85 (95% confidence interval CI 0.80-0.92), and at 1 year, it was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.72-0.86). Conclusion: This study establishes the fact that despite multiple challenges, LT is a viable option for selected patients with ESLDs in India and should encourage early referrals to a transplant center.
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