Objective: To identify how pediatric surgeons manage children with pneumonia and parapneumonic pleural effusion in Brazil. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey with 27 questions was applied to pediatric surgeons in Brazil through the Brazilian Association of Pediatric Surgery. The questionnaire had questions about type of treatment, exams, hospital structure, and epidemiological data. Results: A total of 131 respondents completed the questionnaire. The mean age of respondents was 44 ± 11 years, and more than half (51%) had been practicing pediatric surgery for more than 10 years. The majority of respondents (33.6%) reported performing chest drainage and fibrinolysis when facing a case of fibrinopurulent parapneumonic pleural effusion. A preference for video-assisted thoracic surgery instead of chest drainage plus fibrinolysis was noted only in the Northeast region. Conclusions: Chest drainage plus fibrinolysis was the treatment adopted by most of the respondents in this Brazilian sample. There was a preference for large drains; in contrast, smaller drains were preferred by those who perform chest drainage plus fibrinolysis. Respondents would rather change treatment when facing treatment failure or in critically ill children.

Keywords: Empyema, pleural; Thoracic surgery, video-assisted; Fibrinolysis; Surveys and questionnaires; Pediatric surgery .

Objective: To evaluate the results of thoracoscopy for the treatment of pleural empyema in pediatric patients. Methods: A retrospective study of 117 patients who underwent mediastinoscopy or video-assisted thoracoscopy for pleural empyema treatment. General anesthesia and single-lumen oral intubation were used. Surgery was indicated when there was pleural effusion and no clinical and radiological response to clinical treatment (antibiotics, physiotherapy and thoracocentesis) or severe sepsis, together with loculated pleural effusion (confirmed through ultrasound or computed tomography of the chest). Results: Between February of 1983 and July of 2006, 117 thoracoscopies were performed in patients ranging in age from 5 months to 17 years (mean, 4 years). Mean time for thoracic drainage was 9 days (range, 2-33 days), and mean period of hospitalization was 16.4 days (range, 4 to 49 days). One patient (0.8%) died after surgery, and persistent fistula was observed in 33 patients (28%). In 7 cases (6%), open thoracotomy with pulmonary decortication was performed due to the disposition of the empyema. Conclusions: Management of pleural empyema in this age bracket is still controversial, and surgical indication is often delayed, particularly when there are multiple loculations or severe sepsis. Early thoracoscopy yields a better clinical outcome for pediatric patients with pleural empyema, with apparent decreased morbidity and mortality, earlier chest tube removal, earlier hospital discharge and improved response to antibiotic therapy.

Keywords: Empyema, pleural; Pediatrics/instrumentation; Thoracoscopy; Thoracic surgery, video-assisted.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe practices for weaning from mechanical ventilation (MV), in terms of the use of protocols, methods, and criteria, in pediatric ICUs (PICUs), neonatal ICUs (NICUs), and mixed neonatal/pediatric ICUs (NPICUs) in Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey carried out by sending an electronic questionnaire to a total of 298 NICUs, PICUs, and NPICUs throughout Brazil. Results: Completed questionnaires were assessed for 146 hospitals, NICUs accounting for 49.3% of the questionnaires received, whereas PICUs and NPICUs accounted for 35.6% and 15.1%, respectively. Weaning protocols were applied in 57.5% of the units. In the NICUs and NPICUs that used weaning protocols, the method of MV weaning most commonly employed (in 60.5% and 50.0%, respectively) was standardized gradual withdrawal from ventilatory support, whereas that employed in most (53.0%) of the PICUs was spontaneous breathing trial (SBT). During the SBTs, the most common ventilation mode, in all ICUs, was pressure-support ventilation (10.03 ± 3.15 cmH2O) with positive end-expiratory pressure. The mean SBT duration was 35.76 ± 29.03 min in the NICUs, compared with 76.42 ± 41.09 min in the PICUs. The SBT parameters, weaning ventilation modes, and time frame considered for extubation failure were not found to be dependent on the age profile of the ICU population. The findings of the clinical evaluation and arterial blood gas analysis are frequently used as criteria to assess readiness for extubation, regardless of the age group served by the ICU. Conclusions: In Brazil, the clinical practices for weaning from MV and extubation appear to vary depending on the age group served by the ICU. It seems that weaning protocols and SBTs are used mainly in PICUs, whereas gradual withdrawal from ventilatory support is more widely used in NICUs and NPICUs.

Keywords: Ventilator weaning/methods; Respiration, artificial; Airway extubation/methods; Intensive care units, pediatric/standards; Intensive care units, neonatal/standards.

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the functional status of children diagnosed with COVID-19 at the time of hospitalization and the associations with clinical features. Methods: This prospective cohort study was carried out with children diagnosed with COVID-19 admitted to a tertiary hospital. The patients' functioning was assessed using the pediatric Functional Status Scale (FSS). Results: A total of 62 children with a median age of 3 years old were included in the study, and 70% had some comorbidity prior to the diagnosis of COVID-19. The median length of stay was nine days, during which period five patients died. The FSS assessment of the sample showed that approximately 55% had some functional alteration. The group of patients with the highest FSS scores presented a lengthier hospital stay (p = 0.016), required more oxygen therapy (p < 0.001), mechanical ventilation (p = 0.001), and intensive care unit admissions (p = 0.019), and had more cardiac (p = 0.007), neurological (p = 0.003), and respiratory (p = 0.013) comorbidities. In the multivariate analysis, there was an association between the dependent variable length of stay and the total FSS score (b = 0.349, p = 0.004) and the presence of comorbidities (b = 0.357, p = 0.004). Conclusions: We observed that more than half of the children hospitalized due to COVID-19 had some level of functional change. Greater alterations in functional status were associated with the presence of previous comorbidities, a greater need for ventilatory support, and longer hospital stays.

Keywords: COVID-19, coronavirus, pediatrics, physical functional performance, functional status.

Background: The decision to drain parapneumonic pleural effusion in children is still controversial. An indicative scoring system to assess the need for chest-tube drainage arose from a partnership between pediatricians and surgeons. Objective: To evaluate the utility of the score in indicating whether drainage should be performed in pediatric patients with parapneumonic effusion. Method: A cross-sectional study involving 250 inpatients with parapneumonic effusion, treated in a tertiary-care hospital between 1994 and 1999. The following variables were analyzed: clinical presentation, chest X-rays, pleural fluid culture and biochemical analysis of the pleural fluid, as well as the score and treatment. The score was based on four categories: general appearance of the pleural fluid, chest X-rays, laboratory findings, and the second thoracentesis. Drainage was recommended for patients scoring higher than 5.5. Results: Of 941 children with pneumonia, parapneumonic effusion occurred in 304 (32.2%), 250 of which were included in the study. Of those, 146 (58.4%) were male, with mean of age of 3 years (median, 2 years). The cutoff points (determined through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis) for suggesting pleural drainage were pH < 7.29 (89.2% sensitivity and 76.5% specificity), score > 5.0 (68.7% sensitivity and 81.7% specificity). These values were more strongly correlated with the need for drainage (p = 0.001), as were those reported in the literature (pH = 7.0 and glucose < 40). The lactate dehydrogenase did not prove to be a good parameter for indicating a need for drainage. Conclusion: In addition to the purulent aspect, pH = 7.29 and score were the best indicators of the need for chest-tube drainage in pediatric patients with parapneumonic effusion. However, we suggest that some score variables be readjusted to improve the usefulness of this particular scoring system.

Keywords: Empyema. Pleural effusion. Pneumonia.

Objective: To determine the main congenital lung malformations treated and the principal diagnostic methods employed, as well as the indications for surgical treatment and the results obtained, at a referral facility for pediatric thoracic surgery. Methods: We reviewed the medical charts of 52 patients anatomopathologically diagnosed with congenital lung malformations and who had been submitted to pulmonary resection between January of 1997 and December of 2006. Exclusion criteria were age ≥ 12 years and incomplete clinical data. The final sample comprised 35 patients. Results: In this sample, the mean age was 31 months, and there was a predominance of males (n = 21). The anatomopathological findings were cystic adenomatoid malformation (n = 14), congenital lobar emphysema (n = 13), pulmonary sequestration (n = 8) and arteriovenous malformation (n = 1). The most common type of lung resection was left lower lobectomy (in 25.71%) followed by different types of segmentectomy (in 22.85%), left upper lobectomy (in 22.85%), right upper lobectomy (in 14.28%), right lower lobectomy (in 8.57%) and middle lobectomy (in 5.71%). Of the 35 patients, 34 (97.14%) were submitted to closed pleural drainage, with a mean duration of thoracic drainage of 3.9 days. Ten patients (28.5%) presented with postoperative complications. There were no deaths in our sample. Conclusions: Pulmonary resection for the treatment of congenital lung malformations is a safe procedure, presenting low morbidity and no mortality at a referral facility for pediatric thoracic surgery.

Keywords: Cystic adenomatoid malformation of lung, congenital; Bronchopulmonary sequestration; Pneumonectomy; Pulmonary surgical procedures; Pulmonary emphysema.

Objectives: To evaluate the contribution of Ultra to the diagnosis of pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Methods: We analyzed prospective data from children and adolescents with presumed PTB whose specimens were tested with Ultra between January 2020 and December 2022. Diagnosis was based on clinical-radiological criteria, clinical response after a two-month treatment period, and microbiological analysis. Ultra was considered positive with a result of 'Detected' and 'Traces' in children under 10 years and in HIV-infected individuals. Fisher's exact test was used for group comparisons, and McNemar's test was used to compare Ultra results with the diagnostic presumption. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee (CAAE No. 02173518.2.0000.5264). Results: A total of 41 patients were included, of whom 63% (26/41) were diagnosed with PTB. Among these, 9/26 (34%) had positive results only through Ultra, with negative AFB and culture. The sensitivity and specificity of Ultra were 50% (13/26) and 100% (15/15), respectively. The PPV was 100% (13/13), and the NPV was 54% (15/28). Of these 28 (68%) patients with negative Ultra results, 13 (46%) were diagnosed with PTB, mostly by MoH-SS. Considering culture as the reference, the PPV and NPV were 67% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: Ultra significantly contributed to the diagnosis of pediatric PTB, proving to be a promising tool for paucibacillary forms of the disease. However, it should not be used alone. Integrating laboratory tests with clinical evaluation is essential to improving diagnostic accuracy and the management of pediatric TB.

Keywords: Pulmonary tuberculosis; children; adolescents; GeneXpert Ultra.

Smoking is a medical condition, since there is drug dependence, and health professionals should treat it as a chronic disease. In order to understand the attitudes of Brazilian pulmonologists toward smokers, we conducted a national survey, using a questionnaire posted on the Internet, of 2,800 pulmonologists, 587 (21%) of whom completed and returned the questionnaires. We found that 3.2% of the respondents did not believe that smoking is a medical condition. Only 14.7% treated smokers, and 32.4% stated that they would refer smokers to another professional for treatment. These results suggest that Brazilian pulmonologists have insufficient knowledge of smoking cessation therapies.

Keywords: Physicians; Tobacco use cessation; Smoking/therapy.

Objective: Inhaler technique comprises a set of procedures for drug delivery to the respiratory system. The oral inhalation of medications is the first-line treatment for lung diseases. Using the proper inhaler technique ensures sufficient drug deposition in the distal airways, optimizing therapeutic effects and reducing side effects. The purposes of this study were to assess inhaler technique in pediatric and adult patients with asthma; to determine the most common errors in each group of patients; and to compare the results between the two groups. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Using a ten-step protocol, we assessed inhaler technique in 135 pediatric asthma patients and 128 adult asthma patients. Results: The most common error among the pediatric patients was failing to execute a 10-s breath-hold after inhalation, whereas the most common error among the adult patients was failing to exhale fully before using the inhaler. Conclusions: Pediatric asthma patients appear to perform most of the inhaler technique steps correctly. However, the same does not seem to be true for adult patients.

Keywords: Administration, inhalation; Aerosols/administration & dosage; Asthma/prevention & control.

Some techniques used in respiratory therapy are not based on sound scientific evidence. The misuse of such techniques can be harmful in terms of adverse effects and may not be cost-effective. A systematic review of the literature was performed using the Oldmedline, Medline, Cinahl and Lilacs databases, as well as the registry of clinical trials registered by the Cochrane Library and National Institutes of Health. The focus of the review was on trials addressing the efficacy of respiratory therapy in treating pleural empyema in children, adolescents and adults. No such trials were found. We can conclude that there is a lack of data regarding the efficacy of respiratory therapy in pleural empyema. In order to provide such data, clinical trials are warranted.

Keywords: Empyema pleural/rehabilitation; Evidence-based medicine; Physical therapy techniques; Review [Publication Type]; Randomized controlled trials

Objective: To evaluate the performance of nested PCR (nPCR) in detecting the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in blood samples of patients suspected of having TB, in order to determine its potential for use as an auxiliary tool in the laboratory diagnosis of TB in children. Methods: Detection of the M. tuberculosis complex in blood samples using as a target the insertion sequence IS6110 of the genomic DNA of the bacillus. Blood samples of 120 patients were evaluated. All of the patients were under 15 years of age at the time of their treatment at public hospitals in the city of Recife, Brazil (between January of 2003 and August of 2005). Attending physicians at the hospitals diagnosed TB based on the criteria recommended by the American Thoracic Society. The nPCR amplified a 123-bp fragment with outer oligonucleotides (IS1/IS2) and, in the subsequent reaction, using inner oligonucleotides (IS3/IS4), generating an 81-bp amplicon. Results: Active or latent TB was found in 65 patients, TB was ruled out in 28 suspected cases, and 27 patients were TB-free (controls). The sensitivity of nPCR was 26.15% and was significantly higher for the extrapulmonary form of the disease (55.56%) than for the pulmonary form (18.18%). The specificity was 92.73%. Conclusions: Despite the difficulties in diagnosing TB in children and the low number of cases evaluated in the present study, nPCR in blood samples proved to be a rapid and specific technique, albeit one with low sensitivity. In order to establish its true usefulness in the diagnosis of paucibacillary forms, especially extrapulmonary TB, further studies need to be carried out with a larger sample of children and analyzing biological specimens other than blood.

Keywords: Tuberculosis; Diagnosis; Blood; Polymerase chain reaction.