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Purpose: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) procedure is a useful tool in the diagnosis of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and is helpful in clinical research of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Still little is known about predictors of poor BAL salvage. The trial aims to find the most efficient way to improve BAL recovery., Material and Methods: Our study is a prospective, multicenter, international, two-arm randomized controlled trial. We aim to obtain BAL samples from a total number of 300 patients: 150 with ILD and 150 with COPD to achieve a statistical power of 80 ​%. Patients with initial BAL salvage <60 ​% will be randomized into the non-invasive ventilation (NIV) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) arm. The NIV and CPAP will be set according to the study protocol. The influence on BAL salvage will be assessed in terms of BAL volume and content. Multivariable analysis of the additional test results to determine predictors for low BAL recovery will be conducted. In a study subgroup of approximately 20 patients per specific disease, a metabolomic assessment of exhaled air condensate will be performed. All procedures will be assessed in terms of the patient's safety. The trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (ID# NCT05631132). Interested experienced centers are invited to join the research group by writing to the corresponding author., Conclusion: The results of our prospective study will address the currently unsolved problem of how to increase BAL salvage in patients with pulmonary diseases without increasing the risk of respiratory failure exacerbation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection resulted in significant worldwide morbidity and mortality. The aim of our study was to evaluate the results of laboratory tests performed on patients on admission to the hospital between groups of patients requiring and not requiring oxygen supplementation, and to find predictive laboratory indicators for the use of high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNOT)/continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)/bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP)., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analysed the data of consecutive patients hospitalised in the Pulmonology Department of the Temporary COVID Hospital in Poznan from February to May 2021. On admission to the department, the patients had a panel of laboratory blood tests., Results: The study group consisted of 207 patients with a mean age of 59.2 ± 15.0 years of whom 179 (72%) were male. During hospitalisation, oxygen supplementation was required by 87% of patients. Patients requiring oxygen supplementation and/or the use of HFNOT/CPAP/BPAP had lower lymphocyte counts and higher levels of urea, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, troponin, glucose, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as well as higher white blood cell and neutrophil counts, The parameter that obtained the highest area under curve value in the receiver operator curve analysis for the necessary use of HFNOT/CPAP/BPAP or CPAP/BPAP was LDH activity., Conclusions: Among the basic parameters assessed on admission to the temporary hospital, LDH activity turned out to be the most useful for assessing the need for CPAP/BPAP active oxygen therapy. Other parameters that may be helpful for predicting the need for HFNOT/CPAP/BPAP are serum levels of urea, D-dimer and troponin.

Purpose: Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) causes airway narrowing and may cause respiratory failure (RF). Noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) is used to treat RF. Until recently, little was known about noninvasive mechanical ventilation assisted flexible bronchoscopy (NIV-FB) risk and complications., Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of NIV-FB performed in 20 consecutive months (July 1, 2018-February 29, 2020) was performed. Indications for: FB and NIV, as well as impact of comorbidities, blood gas results, pulmonary function test results and sedation depth, were analyzed to reveal NIV-FB risk. Out of a total of 713 FBs, NIV-FB was performed in 50 patients with multiple comorbidities, acute or chronic RF, substantial tracheal narrowing, or after previously unsuccessful FB attempt., Results: In three cases, reversible complications were observed. Additionally, due to the severity of underlining disease, two patients were transferred to the ICU where they passed away after >48h. In a single variable analysis, PaO 2 69 ​± ​18.5 and 49 ​± ​9.0 [mmHg] (p ​< ​0.05) and white blood count (WBC) 10.0 ​± ​4.81 and 14.4 ​± ​3.10 (p ​< ​0.05) were found predictive for complications. Left heart disease indicated unfavorable NIV-FB outcome (p ​= ​0.046)., Conclusions: NIV-FB is safe in severely ill patients, however procedure-related risk should be further defined and verified in prospective studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2021 Medical University of Bialystok. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although nasolacrimal duct probing is the standard treatment for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) among children, the optimal timing of this procedure has been a topic of debate. The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical efficacy of nasolacrimal duct probing among patients with CNLDO symptoms at various ages., Methods: An 8-year retrospective study involved 2434 patients (3009 eyes), who underwent nasolacrimal duct probing conducted under topical anesthesia in the operating theatre. The study group consisted of 1148 girls (47.2%) and 1286 boys (52.8%) from 2 weeks to 41 months (average age was 8 ± 5.6 months). The participants were divided into nine age groups: 0-2 months, 3-6 months, 7-9 months, 10-12 months, 13-15 months, 16-18 months, 19-21 months, 22-24 months and over 24 months., Results: Bilateral obstruction was present among 575 (23.6%) children and was associated with a higher percentage of unsuccessful procedures compared to patients with unilateral obstruction (16.9% vs 10.2%, p < 0.001 Chi-square test). The success rate of the initial probing was 87.2% for all children and it was shown that it decreased with age. In the above age groups, it was 87.9%; 91.4%; 89.6%; 86%; 76.3%; 71.3%; 70.3%; 70.2%; 65.4%, respectively., Conclusions: Probing is a safe and effective procedure. However, age at the time of the initial intervention and bilateral surgery constitute significant risk factors for failed probing. Probing between 7 and 9 months appears to be reasonable treatment strategy for children without recurrent infections. Early surgical intervention may be considered for patients with additional signs.

Purpose: We aimed to assess sexual function, sexual distress and the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) among women with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA), and to assess if the presence of OSA and dyspnea influences the prevalence of FSD, body image during sexual activity and sexual function., Methods: We assessed 23 women with new OSA diagnosis and 23 healthy age and body mass index (BMI) matched controls. Sexual functions were evaluated by Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ), sexual dysfunction was diagnosed based on DSM-5 criteria during the semi-structured sexual interview, whereas body image was evaluated by Body Exposure during Sexual Activities Questionnaire (BESAQ). New York Heart Association score (NYHA) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used to assess dyspnea., Results: OSA women had worse general sexual function and lower frequency of desire assessed by CSFQ (37.0 vs. 42 and 5 vs. 6), were at higher risk for FSD (CSFQ; 80% vs. 48%) and had a higher NYHA score (II vs. I). The prevalence of FSD did not differ in both groups, nor did sexual dysfunctions or body image (BESAQ). The multiple regression analysis revealed that OSA was associated with lower desire/frequency, higher NYHA scores with decreased desire/interest and worse body image during sexual activity, whereas higher VAS scores with worse desire/frequency., Conclusions: OSA probably does not influence the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in females. However, OSA, as well as the higher level of dyspnea assessed by NYHA, may decrease sexual body image and sexual performance in females., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2020 Medical University of Bialystok. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Dyspnea sensation is frequently present in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) patients; however, its possible influence on sexual function and body image has not been well analyzed., Aims: To evaluate sexual function, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction (SD), and body image during sexual activity and its relationship with dyspnea in men with OSA., Methods: 129 men were included in the prospective study, with 61 diagnosed with OSA (cases) and 68 age- and BMI-matched healthy control subjects. Patients were assessed for the severity of heart failure by the New York Heart Association scale and dyspnea by the Visual Analogue Scale. OSA was confirmed by in-laboratory polysomnography., Main Outcome Measures: International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) was used as a measure of sexual function, body image during sexual activity was assessed by the Body Exposure During Sexual Activity Questionnaire, whereas SD was diagnosed using criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition., Results: The mean age of the studied population was 57.9 ± 10.8 years. Presence of dyspnea interfered with sexual life in 20% of men diagnosed with OSA and with work performance in 33%. Men with OSA had worse scores in IIEF-15 compared with control subjects and higher frequency of sexual distress compared with men with OSA. There were no differences in the rate of SD according to criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. The presence of OSA worsened the perceived body image during sexual activity. The presence of dyspnea was the only negative factor affecting sexual function in general (IIEF-15 score) and 1 of the factors affecting erectile function and orgasmic function., Conclusion: In men with OSA, body image is negatively influenced by the presence of OSA. Furthermore, the presence of dyspnea assessed by the New York Heart Association scale impairs sexual function in that group of men. Skoczyński S, Nowosielski K, Minarowski Ł, et al. May Dyspnea Sensation Influence the Sexual Function in Men With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome? A Prospective Control Study. Sex Med 2019;7:303-310., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is used in the diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases. BAL is diagnostic when ≥ 60% of the instilled volume is recovered. There are no reliable markers useful to predict whether BAL volume is going to be diagnostic. Our goal was to search for pulmonary function markers which could anticipate whether the recovered volume of instilled fluid would be ≥ 60% of administered volume., Material and Methods: BAL volumes and quality were analyzed in the context of disease, medical condition and lung function test results of the subjects hospitalized at the Pulmonology Ward from January 2015 to October 2016. The patients' average age was 61 (29-89)., Results: Among 80 procedures, diagnostic BAL (≥ 60%) has been obtained in 58 cases. The analysis of the group of patients with an interstitial lung disease confirmed that there is a correlation between decreasing BAL recovered volume and an increase of RV[%pred] (r = -0.34) and RV/TLC[%pred] (r = -0.41); p < 0.05. There was no significant correlation with DLCO. RV/TLC[%pred] was the parameter with the highest predictive value for an anticipated correct BAL recovery. The curve analysis of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) showed a diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.73, 95% CI 0.61-0.86)., Conclusions: Pulmonary hyperinflation may have a predictive role in anticipating a proper recovery of the BAL fluid volume.

Recently, it has been shown in the murine model that platelet maturation takes place, to some extent, in the lungs. The extrapolation of these findings to humans leads to the possibility that chronic lung diseases could affect platelet maturation and, consequently, the platelet count. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are changes in the platelet count in patients with chronic obstructive disease (COPD). The study included 44 patients, aged 66.5 ± 5.5 years, in stage II-IV COPD. The control group consisted of 48 age- and gender-matched patients without any respiratory diseases. We failed to find a significant difference in the platelet count between the two groups: 231 ± 80 vs. 223 ± 63 x 10 3 /μL, respectively (p = 0.61). However, the number of platelets in the COPD patients was inversely associated with hemoglobin content (r = -0.57; p < 0.001), hematocrit (r = -0.40; p = 0.006), and the red cell count (r = -0.51; p < 0.001); the blood morphology indices that are typically increased in severe COPD. Such associations were absent in the control non-COPD group. We conclude that COPD has no influence on the platelet count in humans.

Respiratory failure is one of the most important risk factors for diagnostic bronchofiberoscopy (BF), whereas therapeutic bronchoscopies are typically performed in intubated patients. Only a few published studies analyzed the outcomes of noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV)-facilitated BF. In this case series, we present our experiences with NIV-facilitated diagnostic and therapeutic BF performed in patients with respiratory failure that was associated with acute interstitial pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis exacerbation, foreign body aspiration, tracheal stenosis, pneumonia, and in a patient with a neuromuscular disease. All of the patients were initially hypoxic and some had PaO 2 /FiO 2  < 200, which corresponded to moderate-to-acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). NIV-facilitated BF were performed for the diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The former consisted of bronchoalveolar lavage and bacterial sampling in a patient with impaired cough reflex, airway assessment in otherwise unexplained respiratory failure and hemoptysis, and the latter of mucous plugs resolution, foreign body removal, and assistance in weaning from mechanical ventilation. All procedures were carried out using NIV in the spontaneous timed (ST) or average volume assured pressure support (AVAPS) mode with oxygen supplementation. There were no procedure-related complications noticed during NIV-facilitated BF. We conclude that NIV is a useful and safe tool that facilitates the performance of BF in severe pulmonary diseases. Prospective studies are required to set the recommendations for the procedure and to define the optimum ventilatory modes to be used.