may 20 09 A lf re d T. K A m A ji A n One of the most remarkable features of the solar system is the variety of planetary atmospheres. Earth and Venus are of comparable size and mass, yet the surface of Venus bakes at 460 degrees Celsius under an ocean of carbon dioxide that bears down with the weight of a kilometer of water. Callisto and Titan—planet-size moons of Jupiter and Saturn, respectiv...

Pneumothorax is a relatively common condition that is usually managed either conservatively, by chest tube drainage or, if a refractory air leak persists, then with cardiothoracic intervention. However, there is a small group of patients with a persistent air leak in whom surgical intervention is felt to be inappropriate. This study looks at a novel management strategy in a patient presenting w...

A persistent pulmonary air leak, whether as a result of pulmonary surgery or as a result of a traumatic or spontaneous pneumothorax, is a difficult and frustrating problem to manage. Several therapies have been employed, including thoracotomy and repair of the air leak, prolonged tube thoracostomy suction, and chemical pleurodesis. We report two cases in which patients with a prolonged air leak...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to compare the air leak duration of two regulated chest tube modes following pulmonary lobectomy. METHODS This is a prospective randomized trial on 100 consecutive pulmonary lobectomies (2010-11) performed for lung cancer. A single 24-French chest tube was connected to an electronic system capable of maintaining the pleural pressure within preset valu...

OBJECTIVE Prolonged air leak is still one of the most frequent complications after pulmonary resections, particularly upper lobectomy. This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of pleural tenting in decreasing air leak after upper lobectomy. METHODS This was a prospective randomised study of 48 patients who had upper lobectomy. They were divided into two groups: the first group included 23 ...

The incidence of pulmonary air leak in 230 infants with a birth weight of 500-999 g who were ventilated was 41%. Pulmonary interstitial emphysema occurred in 35%, pneumothorax in 20%, pneumomediastinum in 3%, and pneumopericardium in 2%. The survival rates in those with or without pulmonary air leak were not significantly different in the first four years of the study period (46% v 53%). As the...

An alveolar-pleural fistula is a communication between the pulmonary parenchyma distal to a segmental bronchus and the pleural space. A postoperative pulmonary expiratory air leak after an anatomic pulmonary resection is usually managed conservatively. The use of endobronchial valves is a minimal invasive method that may be effective for the treatment of a persistent postoperative pulmonary air...

Systemic capillary leak syndrome is characterized by recurrent hypovolemic shock attributable to increased systemic capillary leakage. A 26-year-old woman was admitted because of recurrent episodes of hypovolemic shock. Hemoconcentration, hypoalbuminemia, and monoclonal gammopathy were observed. We diagnosed systemic capillary leak syndrome. Three years later, she again had an attack of systemi...

Background/Introduction Prolonged air leak following lung resection leads to delayed discharge and increases risk of infection. The incidence of prolonged air leak (defined as greater than 7 days) is approx. 9% in the U.K. (SCTS Cardiothoracic Surgery database 2011). The Covidien Tri-staplerTM technology (Covidien, Mansfield, MA) claims to improve air leak rates following lung resection through...