However, complications related to the use of airway stents have been reported. Objective: We endeavored to systematically evaluate the currently available evidence regarding the infections associated with airway stenting. Methods: We independently searched in PubMed for relevant reports. We considered articles which reported on clinical infections related to airway stenting. A case was identified as stent-associated respiratory tract infection (SARTI) according to the authors of the individual papers, based on clinical findings with
or without radiological or microbiological confirmation. Results: Twenty-three articles (19 cohorts/case series and 4 case reports), involving 501 patients with airway stents, were included. The indication for airway stenting was malignancy and benign disease in 45 and 55% of the included patients, respectively. Ninety-three (19%) out of AZD7762 nmr the 501 stented patients experienced SARTI. Pneumonia was the most common type of SARTI (47%), followed by bronchial infection (24%), cavitary pneumonia/lung abscess and intraluminal fungus ball. Staphylococcus aureus (39%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (28%)
were the most commonly identified pathogens. Twenty-six (68%) out of the 38 patients with SARTI, for whom outcome data were available, died. Conclusion: The accumulated and evaluated evidence suggests that SARTI probably involves 1 in 5 patients with airway stent. Although the possibility of SARTI should not discourage Selleckchem CT99021 the interventional pneumologists from inserting airway stents, the data seem to underline the urgent need for establishing a consensus definition and diagnostic
criteria for SARTI. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between ovarian cancer survival and reproductive, gynecological and hormone factors.
Material and Methods: A prospective follow-up study was conducted in the Southeast of China. find more The cohort comprised 202 patients with histopathologically confirmed epithelial ovarian cancer who were enrolled during 1999-2000 and followed-up for 5 years subsequently. One hundred and ninety five (96.5%) of the cohort or their close relatives were traced. Information was obtained on reproductive, gynecological and hormone factors prior to diagnosis, actual survival time and number of deaths. Cox proportional models were used to estimate mortality hazard ratios (HR) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) for tubal ligation, adjusting for age at diagnosis, body mass index (BMI), menopausal status, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, histological grade of differentiation, cytology of ascites, and chemotherapy status.
Results: The HR was significantly increased and survival was worse in ovarian cancer patients with a previous tubal ligation, but not with any other reproductive, gynecological and hormone factor. Only 21 (38.