Journal and News Scan

This multiinstitutional study including advocates of robotic lung resection identified a 1.9% incidence of intraoperative castrophes, most commonly pulmonary arterial bleeding. Patients at risk had lower FEV1%, higher clinical stage, and more frequent preoperative radiation therapy. Interestingly, they were also undergoing a different surgical approach than what the authors normally used. The hospital mortality in these patients was 10-fold higher than among patients who did not suffer catastrophes.

A federal court in Minnesota has dismissed over 5000 lawsuits against 3M Bair Hugger, disagreeing with assertions by plaintiffs that forced-air warming contributes to surgical site infections (SSI). A fallout between the inventor and the company he founded contributed to the acrimony and disparate recommendations surrounding this therapy. Ultimately, the judge agreed with a preponderance of published evidence, the FDA, and independent organizations such as ECRI in concluding the benefits of forced-air warming systems outweigh potential but unproven risks of SSI due to disruption of air currents.

Better cardiorespiratory fitness as quantified by treadmill exercise testing was associated with a substantially decreased likelihood of lung cancer in former smokers (77% reduction in very fit) and reduced mortality in smokers who subsequently developed lung cancer (85% reduction in very fit).

Using data from the FREEDOM (Future Revascularizaiton Evaluation in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: Optimal Management of Multivessel Disease) trial, the authors developed an 8 variable model that predicts individual risk of major acute cardiovascular events in diabetic patients with multivessel disease. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) never outperformed CABG; the latter was superior to PCI in 54% of patients overall and in 100% of those who smoked.