Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED: METHODS/UNASSIGNED:infections. All patients treated with omadacycline as part of a multidrug therapeutic regimen through December 2021 were included. Clinical data from time of omadacycline initiation and up to 12 months of follow-up were collected. Descriptive statistics were performed. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:. In isolates with reported drug susceptibility testing, 15 of 70 (21.4%) had confirmed susceptibility to macrolides. The most common site of infection was lungs. Median duration omadacycline treatment was 8 months (range, 0.25-33 months; interquartile range, 4-15 months). Omadacycline was discontinued in 60 patients (51.3%); 20 completed planned treatment course, 23 experienced intolerance or adverse event leading to drug cessation, and 17 stopped due to cost, death (unrelated to NTM infection or therapy), or another reason. In those with pulmonary disease, 44 of 95 (46%) had 1 or more negative cultures at time of final microbiological assessment, with 17 of 95 (18%) achieving culture conversion. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:infections.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Isolated small airway abnormalities may be demonstrable at rest in patients with normal spirometry; however, the relationship of these abnormalities to exertional symptoms remains uncertain. This study uses an augmented cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) to include evaluation of small airway function during and following exercise to unmask abnormalities not evident with standard testing in individuals with dyspnoea and normal spirometry. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:volume curves during exercise to assess for dynamic hyperinflation and expiratory flow limitation; and 2) post-exercise spirometry and oscillometry to evaluate for airway hyperreactivity. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:0.05). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:We uncovered mechanisms for exertional dyspnoea in subject with normal spirometry that was attributable to either small airway dysfunction during exercise and/or small airway hyperreactivity following exercise. The similarity of findings in WTC environmentally exposed and clinically referred cohorts suggests broad relevance for these evaluations.

With growing patient complexity, the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CICU) of today has evolved substantially from the coronary care unit (CCU) of decades ago. The growing burden of noncardiac critical illness and highly specialized acute cardiovascular disease requires a degree of expertise beyond that afforded through a general cardiology training program. Therefore, the American Heart Association (AHA) has proposed a CICU staffing model to include dedicated cardiac intensivists; in the present day, "dual-trained" physicians are extremely sparse. Guidance on designing critical care fellowships for cardiologists is limited but will require collaboration between cardiologists and medical intensivists. Here, we review the evolution of the CICU, describe training pathways, and offer guidance on creating a cardiology critical care training program.

BACKGROUND:In the CONVERT study, treatment with amikacin liposome inhalation suspension (ALIS) added to guideline-based therapy (GBT) met the primary end point of increased culture conversion by month 6 in patients with treatment-refractory Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung disease (ALIS+GBT, 29% [65/224] vs GBT-alone, 8.9% [10/112], P<.0001). RESEARCH QUESTION/OBJECTIVE:In patients who had culture conversion by month 6 in CONVERT, was conversion sustained (negative sputum cultures for 12 months on treatment) and durable (negative sputum culture for 3 months off treatment), and were there any additional safety signals associated with a full treatment course of 12 months post-conversion? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS/METHODS:Adults were randomized 2:1 to receive ALIS+GBT or GBT-alone. Patients achieving culture conversion by month 6 continued therapy for 12 months followed by off-treatment observation. RESULTS:More patients randomized to ALIS+GBT (intention-to-treat) had conversion that was both sustained and durable 3 months off treatment vs patients randomized to GBT-alone (ALIS+GBT, 16.1% [36/224] vs GBT-alone, 0% [0/112], P<.0001). Of the patients who had culture conversion by month 6, 55.4% of converters (36/65) in the ALIS+GBT-treated arm vs no converters (0/10) in the GBT-alone arm had sustained and durable conversion (P=.0017). Relapse rates through 3 months off treatment were 9.2% (6/65) in the ALIS+GBT and 30.0% (3/10) in the GBT-alone arm. Common adverse events among ALIS+GBT-treated patients (dysphonia, cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis) mainly occurred within the first 8 months of treatment. INTERPRETATION/CONCLUSIONS:In a refractory population, conversion was sustained and durable in more patients treated with ALIS+GBT for 12 months postconversion than in those treated with GBT-alone. No new safety signals were associated with 12 months of postconversion treatment.

Rationale: Treatment for patients with pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease includes long, multi-drug, and toxic medication regimens. Despite medical therapy, the rate of sputum culture conversion is low. Surgical resection is an alternative treatment for patients with localized or refractory NTM infection. Traditionally, resection of the affected lung was achieved via open thoracotomy. Robot-assisted surgery is less invasive and similarly effective, but has not been used routinely in this population. To our knowledge, this is the first report of robotic surgery for patients with complex NTM disease.
Method(s): Using the electronic medical record we identified patients with NTM disease that underwent robotic anatomic pulmonary resection by an experienced surgeon. All surgeries were done at NYU Langone Medical Center between August 2017 and February 2020. We collected data on demographics, NTM species, antibiotic course, pre- and post-operative sputum cultures, and surgical complications.
Result(s): We identified 8 patients that met the criteria. 100% of the patients were female and 88% were white. Mean age at time of surgery was 53 years. The most common indication for surgery was cavitary disease, followed by failure of medical therapy, and hemoptysis. All of the patients had pre-operative sputum cultures positive Mycobacterium avium complex. Prior to surgery, 63% of patients required IV antibiotics. Lobectomy was the most common operation performed and none of the surgeries were converted to open thoracotomy. There were no post-operative bleeds requiring transfusion, pneumonias, pneumothoraces, or bronchopleural fistulas. One patient had an air leak > 5 days. None of the patients required an ICU stay and the median length of hospital stay was 2.5 days. There were no deaths. Patients were considered cured if they had sputum culture conversion or no longer required antibiotics. Partial cure was defined as symptom improvement or de-escalation of medical regimen. Six of the patients were completely cured, one patient was partially cured, and one patient was lost to follow-up.
Conclusion(s): Surgical resection for patients with complex NTM disease can be performed using minimally invasive, robotic techniques safely and without the need for conversion to open thoracotomy, blood transfusions, or ICU stay. In this small cohort of patients, robotic surgery had a high rate of cure, few post-operative complications, and a short length of hospital stay. Larger studies can assist with validating robotic surgery as the preferred approach in these patients