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Prolonged air leak (PAL) represents the most commonly encountered complication following pulmonary resection. This review aims to show the role of autologous blood pleurodesis (ABPP) in the management of PAL. A search was conducted on the Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar for English-language articles until September 15, 2023, with titles containing the related phrase "autologous blood patch pleurodesis (ABPP), and prolonged air leaks." Included studies comprised four randomised controlled trials, ten cohort studies, a case series, and nine case reports from various countries. Patients undergoing ABPP had a mean age of 52.7 years. Autologous blood volumes for pleurodesis varied (50 mL to 250 mL). Approximately 73.8% of cases responded to ABPP in 1 to 30 days (mean 3.75 days), and in-hospital complications were infrequent (3.9%). Follow-up durations post pleurodesis were up to 20 months. The evidence presented in this systematic review supports the role of ABPP as an effective and safe intervention for managing PAL, particularly after pulmonary resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder leading to the disruption of breathing and sleeping. Body mass index (BMI) and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) are frequent measures used to evaluate the severity of OSA. The present study investigated the correlation between body mass and apnea-hypopnea indices using the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). The present study included 150 participants who had undergone a sleep assessment. The collected data included age, BMI, ESS scores and AHI. The ESS ranged from 0 to 24, with a score >10 indicating abnormal levels of daytime sleepiness. A BMI >25 kg/m2 was regarded as overweight. The sex distribution was equal and the age ranged from 18 to 79 years in males, and 31 to 82 years in females. A statistical variation was observed between the age (P=0.001) and BMI (P<0.001) of males and females, whereas the ESS was found to be comparable in both groups. No association was found between ESS and AHI in females (P=0.834); however, a correlation was found in males (P=0.001). When the information of both sexes was assessed collectively (P=0.003), a significant association was discovered between BMI and AHI in both sexes and also in the combined data of both sexes (P=0.016). The data of the present study demonstrated that there was a significant correlation between BMI and AHI, indicating that the severity of sleep apnea worsens with higher BMI levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are controversies regarding the management of umbilical pilonidal sinuses. The current study aims to report on the efficacy of a non‐operative, umbilical conserving procedure in the treatment of umbilical pilonidal sinus. This is a prospective, single cohort study. The cases were managed in a single private practice center. Patients were assessed and managed throughout the previous nine years (from January 2013 to June 2022). The required information was obtained from the center's medical database. The current study included 114 patients. There were 82 (71.9%) male patients. The patients' ages varied from 14 to 56 years (mean = 23.24). The umbilicus was retracted under local anesthesia. The sinuses were cleaned with povidone‐iodine. Following the drying of the cavity, the mixture was put in the umbilicus, and the area was dressed. The amount of mixture was determined by the size of the cavity. Following treatment, the patients were directly discharged home with instructions to remove all hair from the chest and abdomen and keep the dressing dry for three days. After three days, the patients were advised to use a clean cotton swab to remove the injected mixture. Recurrence was reported in 5 cases (4.4%). The current technique might be used effectively in the treatment of umbilical pilonidal sinus. It is an umbilical preserving technique with a minimal recurrence rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]