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Background/aim: The objectives of this study were to evaluate systemic inflammation using different sclerosing agents and to estimate the prediction of systemic inflammation for the efficacy of pleurodesis., Patients and Methods: Ninety-six patients with recurrent and symptomatic malignant pleural effusion were enrolled in this retrospective study. We used serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, serum leukocyte counts and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLRs) as parameters of systemic inflammatory reactions. Evaluations of these parameters were performed before and 24 h after pleurodesis., Results: Pleurodesis was successful in 81 (84.4%) patients. The non-graded talc induced the highest changes in serum CRP levels, total white blood cell and neutrophil counts compared to other agents, while mitoxantrone induced the lowest. Graded talc and bleomycin induced the same levels of changes in serum CRP levels and serum leukocyte counts. The change in serum NLR was the same for all agent groups. Logistic regression confirmed that a change in serum CRP levels [odds ratio (OR)=0.92, p=0.002] and previous chemotherapy (OR=3.31, p=0.012) were independent predictors of pleurodesis efficacy., Conclusion: Pleurodesis agents induced a systemic inflammatory response at different levels. The change in serum CRP levels could be useful for predicting the success of pleurodesis., (Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Introduction: We aimed to investigate community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) requiring hospitalisation, empirically treated with b-lactam monotherapy, with 30-day mortality and risk factors predicting its complicated course., Material and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at the Pulmonology and Allergology Department in a tertiary care university hospital. 253 consecutive patients diagnosed with CAP requiring hospitalisation were enrolled. Hospital admission was based on PSI or CRB-65 scores, severe comorbidities, signs of intoxication, aspiration risk, social risk consider-ations, ineffective prior antibiotic treatment., Results: Fourty seven percent of the subjects had complications on admission, 13% developed new CAP complications during inpatient treatment. Overall, 53% of individuals had a complicated CAP course. 30-day mortality rate was 5.9%. The factors predicting a complicated CAP course were as follows: neuromuscular disease, multilobar opacities on chest X-ray (or computed tomography), and clinically unstable condition as evaluated using Halm's criteria., Conclusions: The mortality rate in CAP patients treated with b-lactam monotherapy is low. Neuromuscular disease, multilobar opacities, and clinically unstable condition as evaluated using Halm's criteria predict a complicated CAP course.

Background and Objective: Obesity is a multisystem disorder, particularly involving the respiratory and cardiovascular systems; therefore, a multidisciplinary approach is required. In spite of widespread performance of weight reduction (bariatric) surgeries, information regarding the anesthetic care of morbidly obese patients is scarce. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of fentanyl and remifentanil on the time of recovery, breathing parameters, and postoperative pain in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding operations., Material and Methods: In this prospective randomized study, 66 morbidly obese patients (BMI>35 kg/m(2)), aged between 24 and 70 years, scheduled for a laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding operation were divided into 2 groups based on the opioid used for anesthesia: group 1 whose who received remifentanil; and group 2, fentanyl). The following parameters were recorded: peripheral blood oxygenation (SpO2) while breathing room air at baseline and 5 minutes after preoxygenation (100%); end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure at designated time points during the procedure; time to extubation; SpO2 in the postanesthesia care unit; and pain intensity (using the visual analogue scale); and the presence of nausea and vomiting., Results: The time to extubation was shorter in the remifentanil group, but there was no significant difference in the time to discharge from the postanesthesia care unit. The recovery of respiratory parameters to the baseline values was better and faster in the remifentanil group. The intensity of postoperative pain was similar in both groups (VAS, <3) CONCLUSIONS: Remifentanil showed good analgesic properties during laparoscopic gastric banding surgery. Postanesthesia recovery and return of respiratory parameters to the baseline values was faster when remifentanil was used. Postoperative pain and the rate of opioid-induced side effects after analgesia with remifentanil were similar as after anesthesia with a longer acting opioid, fentanyl. Despite the problem widely discussed in literature about remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia, no cases of analgesic overconsumption were registered in our study.