According to a recent study, early fiberoptic bronchoscopic sputum aspiration and lavage after thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy can improve patient outcomes. This study was published in the Journal of cardiothoracic surgery.

This prospective, randomized clinical trial enrolled 106 patients, who were scheduled for thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy due to esophageal cancer. The participants were assigned to either the control group (n=53) which consisted of traditional postoperative care or study group (n=53), which included traditional postoperative care with early bronchoscopic sputum aspiration and lavage. The study outcomes were length of hospital stay, medical expenses, and postoperative complications.

At the end of the study, it was found that length of hospital stay was shorter and the medical expenses were lower during hospitalization in the study group when compared to the control group. Moreover, the incidences of overall complications in study group were also fewer than the control group.

From the above results, it can be concluded that early fiberoptic bronchoscopic sputum aspiration and lavage after thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy may result in shorter length of hospital stay, lower medical expense, and fewer incidence of postoperative complications.

A recent study suggests that incidence of postendoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) infections was significantly lower with antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with biliary obstruction. The study's findings were published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial included 378 patients who were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a single dose of 1 g intravenous cefoxitin (n=189) or normal saline (n=189; placebo), 30 minutes before undergoing ERCP. The incidence of infectious complications after ERCP comprised the primary outcome of this trial.

At the end of the study, it was found that the risk of infectious complications after ERCP was 2.8% and 9.8% in the antibiotic prophylaxis group and placebo group, respectively. The incidence rates of bacteremia in the antibiotic prophylaxis and placebo groups were 2.3% and 6.4%, respectively. Finally, the incidence rate of cholangitis was 1.7% in the antibiotic prophylaxis group and 6.4% in the placebo group.

Based on the above results, it can be concluded that before ERCP, antibiotic prophylaxis resulted in a significantly lower risk of infectious complications, especially cholangitis, in patients with biliary obstruction.

A recent study demonstrated the efficacy of serum S100B level in managing pediatric minor head trauma through a decrease in the need for cranial computed tomographic (CCT) scans and hospital observation when monitored according to a specific clinical decision algorithm. This study’s findings were published in the journal, JAMA network open.

In this multicenter, prospective, interventional randomized clinical trial, children and adolescents aged 16 years or younger were enrolled. The control group [n= 926] underwent CCT scans or were hospitalized as per the prevailing recommendations. In the S100B biomonitoring group [n=1152], blood sampling was conducted within 3 hours after minor head trauma, and the subsequent management was contingent upon the levels of serum S100B protein. If the S100B level was within the reference range suitable for the child's age, they were discharged from the emergency department. Otherwise, they received the same treatment as the control group. The main outcome of the study was the proportion of patients who underwent CCT scans within 48 hours after experiencing a minor head trauma.

At the end of the study, 299 children (32.3%) in the control group and 112 (9.7%) in the S100B biomonitoring group underwent cranial CT scans. A substantial 50% decline in hospitalizations was observed in the S100B biomonitoring group (479 [41.6%] vs 849 [91.7%]).

Based on the above results, it can be concluded that implementation of S100B biomonitoring resulted in a decline in the number of CCT scans required and the duration of in-hospital monitoring when assessed based on the criteria outlined in a clinical decision algorithm.