Novel 15-mm-long lumen-apposing metal stent for endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections located ≥10 mm from the luminal wall

Background Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) by cautery-enhanced lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) has largely been limited to collections located < 10 mm from the luminal wall. We present outcomes of the use of a novel 15-mm-long cautery-enhanced LAMS for drainage of PFCs located ≥ 10 mm away. Methods This international, multicenter study analyzed all adults with PFCs located ≥ 10 mm from the luminal wall who were treated by EUS-guided drainage using the 15-mm-long cautery-enhanced LAMS. The primary outcome was technical success. Secondary outcomes included clinical success (decrease in PFC size by ≥ 50 % at 30 days and resolution of clinical symptoms without surgical intervention), complications, and recurrence. Results 35 patients (median age 57 years; interquartile range [IQR] 47–64 years; 49 % male) underwent novel LAMS placement for drainage of PFCs (26 walled-off necrosis, 9 pseudocysts), measuring 85 mm (IQR 64–117) maximal diameter and located 11.8 mm (IQR 10–12.3; range 10–14) from the gastric/duodenal wall. Technical and clinical success were high (both 97 %), with recurrence in one patient (3 %) at a median follow-up of 123 days (58–236). Three complications occurred (9 %; one mild, two moderate). Conclusions The 15-mm-long cautery-enhanced LAMS was feasible and safe for drainage of PFCs located 10–14 mm from the luminal wall.

A Lower Global Lung Ultrasound Score Is Associated with Higher Likelihood of Successful Extubation in Invasively Ventilated COVID-19 Patients

Lung ultrasound (LUS) can be used to assess loss of aeration, which is associated with outcome in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presenting to the emergency department. We hypothesized that LUS scores are associated with outcome in critically ill COVID-19 patients receiving invasive ventilation. This retrospective international multicenter study evaluated patients with COVID-19–related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with at least one LUS study within 5 days after invasive mechanical ventilation initiation. The global LUS score was calculated by summing the 12 regional scores (range 0–36). Pleural line abnormalities and subpleural consolidations were also scored. The outcomes were successful liberation from the ventilator and intensive care mortality within 28 days, analyzed with multistate, competing risk proportional hazard models. One hundred thirty-seven patients with COVID-19–related ARDS were included in our study. The global LUS score was associated with successful liberation from mechanical ventilation (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.91 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87–0.96; P = 0.0007) independently of the ARDS severity, but not with 28 days mortality (HR: 1.03; 95% CI 0.97–1.08; P = 0.36). Subpleural consolidation and pleural line abnormalities did not add to the prognostic value of the global LUS score. Examinations within 24 hours of intubation showed no prognostic value. To conclude, a lower global LUS score 24 hours after invasive ventilation initiation is associated with increased probability of liberation from the mechanical ventilator COVID–19 ARDS patients, independently of the ARDS severity.