Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Medical Students' Research Output in Five Developing Countries

Objectives

The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the quantity and quality of medical students’ research output in Gulf Cooperation Council countries to aid in developing strategies to improve research output.

Methods

Abstracts presented by medical students in Gulf Cooperation Council countries were subject to analysis. Abstracts that propagated into full-length articles underwent further demographic analysis, in which data regarding the type of study, the field of study, country of origin, mode of presentation, and journal’s impact factor were collected. A total of 798 abstracts were surveyed, with 19% (n=155) of the abstracts submitted by Gulf Cooperation Council countries progressing into full-length publications. The average impact factor for Gulf Cooperation Council country publications was found to be 1.85 ± 0.26 (standard error). Countries that recorded the highest conversion rates were, in descending order, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Moreover, basic biomedical and clinical research topics were more likely to be published in comparison with community-oriented and medical education-related topics.

Conclusions

Effective efforts to encourage more medical student research output in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (with a focus on qualitative analysis) should be promoted in order to achieve publication rates comparable with those reported by developed countries.

Thoracoscopic enucleation of esophageal leiomyoma in patient with MEN I syndrome

Minimal invasive thoracic surgery is growing rapidly and may become the standard of care for certain diseases. Its benefits over traditional surgery, including reduced morbidities and hospital stay, have been well established in several reports. We herein report a case of midesophageal leiomyoma in a patient with MEN I syndrome successfully enucleated by thoracoscopy highlighting the technical details of the procedure.

Surgical results for bronchiectasis based on hemodynamic (functional and morphologic) classification

OBJECTIVE

This study was a prospective evaluation of surgical indications and outcomes for unilateral and bilateral bronchiectasis according to hemodynamic (functional and morphologic) classification.

METHODS

Between January 1998 and January 2004, the morphologic features (cystic versus cylindric) by chest computed tomography and the hemodynamic features (perfused versus nonperfused) by lung ventilation/perfusion scan were determined in 66 patients with bronchiectasis (53 unilateral and 13 bilateral). The indication for surgical resection in both groups was the presence of localized areas of cystic, nonperfused bronchiectasis.

RESULTS

In the unilateral bronchiectasis group, there were 28 female and 25 male patients with an average age of 37.5 +/- 3.8 years (range 6-40 years). Pneumonectomy was performed in 10 cases (8 left and 2 right), and lobectomy or bilobectomy was performed in 43. In the bilateral group, there were 7 male and 6 female patients with an average age of 42 +/- 5.4 years (range 9-55 years). Pneumonectomy was performed in 2 cases, lobectomy in 5, and bilateral staged lobectomy in 6. There was 1 postoperative death (1.5%), and morbidity was 18% (12 patients). Four patients required reexploration for bleeding, 4 had prolonged air leak develop, 3 acquired pulmonary infections, and 1 had localized empyema develop. During a mean follow-up of 52 months (range 24-82 months), 48 patients were considered cured (73%) and 17 had symptomatic improvement (26%). Pseudomonas infection and underlying chronic obstructive airway disease were poor prognostic factors (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

The hemodynamic (functional and morphologic) classification provides an accurate functional classification for bronchiectasis. Its application in determining the indications and extent of surgical resection is superior to morphologic classification alone. Curative resection can be achieved in both unilateral and bilateral bronchiectasis with acceptable morbidity.

Slide tracheoplasty for congenital tracheal stenosis with glottic stenosis

A 7-month-old child with respiratory distress was diagnosed to have full-length tracheal stenosis with glottic stenosis. Slide tracheoplasty and anterior cricoid split with stenting for glottic stenosis were successfully performed, and the child has completed 5 years of asymptomatic follow-up. This case widens the scope for slide tracheoplasty, and cricoid split with stenting is a feasible procedure for associated glottic stenosis.

Unusual presentation of rib exostosis

We report two cases of unusual presentation of rib exostosis. The first patient presented acutely with hemorrhagic shock due to massive hemothorax, and the second patient presented with repetitive chest infection complicated by empyema. In both patients, preoperative computed tomographic (CT) scan of the chest revealed rib exostoses, necessitating thoracotomy and rib resection.

Management of tuberculous empyema

OBJECTIVE

In an attempt to establish a treatment protocol for tuberculous empyema, we retrospectively reviewed our experience over a 3-year period.

METHODS

Between January 1996 and December 1998, 26 patients (23 male and three female) with an average age of 33.8 years (range 18-61 years) presented with tuberculous empyema. The empyema was right-sided in 13, left-sided in 12 and bilateral in one patient. Patients presented with respiratory symptoms for a mean duration of 4.43 months (range 1-48 months). All patients had a computerized scan of the chest and managed according to the stage of empyema.

RESULTS

In patients with exudative empyema (n=4) the fluid was aspirated, but one patient required intercostal tube (ICT) drainage for 6 days. There were four patients with fibrinopurulent empyema treated with thoracoscopic drainage with a mean post-operative stay of 8 days (range 4-12 days). In the organizing stage (n=18), initial drainage with large ICT was performed. The pleura was less than 2 cm in thickness in eight patients, for which repeated installation of streptokinase was performed (three to seven times). Satisfactory results were achieved in six patients (75%) and the remaining two required decortication. Of the ten patients with thick cortex, one required a window and nine had decortication, two of which had additional lobectomy and two had pneumonectomy. All patients fully recovered with no mortality and with a mean duration of drainage of 18 days (range 3-61 days).

CONCLUSION

Its stage and the state of the underlying lung should guide surgical treatment for tuberculous empyema. This protocol aims to achieve cure utilizing the least invasive approach and acceptable hospital stay.

Spontaneous pneumothorax: determinants of surgical intervention

OBJECTIVE

To assess the long term efficacy of intercostal tube drainage for spontaneous pneumothorax and determine the clinical parameters associated with surgery.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Retrospective analysis with a mean follow-up of 62.3+/-19.3 months (range 23 to 94 months).

SETTING

Riyadh Medical Complex, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), the biggest referral centres for Ministry of Health providing specialized hospital care.

PATIENTS

Over a period of six year, 123 patients had 182 episodes of spontaneous pneumothorax. Male to female ratio was 29.75:1 (p=0.00001). Average age was 26.35+/-8.33 years for men and 37.25+/-14.6 years for women (p=0.01). Seventy eight per cent of patients were aged 11 to 30 years (p=0.00001). Majority were nonsmokers (100/123, p=0.00001). It was first episode of spontaneous pneumothorax for 86 patients. Other 37 patients had 57 episodes previously (mean 1.54+/-0.73; range 1 to 4).

INTERVENTIONS

Intercostal tube drainage for all patient with spontaneous pneumothorax. Limited axillary thoracotomy with bullectomy and pleuroabrasion for 32 patients not responding to intercostal tube drainage.

RESULTS

Intercostal tube drainage alone had success rate of 90.7% in first, 52.4% in second, 15.4% in third and 0% for more than 3 episodes of spontaneous pneumothorax. Among the 32 patients who underwent surgery, only one had early recurrence that did not require drainage. We found that patients with history of recurrence, respiratory distress and those requiring tube thoracostomy for more than 4 days and negative suction to expand the lung were more liable to undergo surgical intervention (p=0.00001 for all variables).

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend early surgery to hasten recovery and shorten the hospital stay in patients with history of recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, respiratory distress and those requiring tube thoracostomy for more than 4 days and negative suction to expand the lung.

Medium term results of direct bronchial arterial revascularisation using IMA for single lung transplantation (SLT with direct revascularisation)

OBJECTIVE

To describe a technique of direct revascularisation of the bronchial artery using the left IMA and assess its medium term results in patients undergoing left single lung transplant (SLT).

METHODS

Between March 1991 and September 1993, 22 patients who underwent direct bronchial revascularisation at the time of left SLT (20 pedicled IMA, one free IMA, and one direct anastomosis to the aorta) have been followed up for a minimum period of 1 year (mean 30 +/- 12 months). Their mean age was 47.8 +/- 9.6 and the original disease was emphysema in 19, lymphangioleiomyomatosis in two, and pulmonary fibrosis in one. The mean ischaemia time was 269.7 +/- 23.4 min.

RESULTS

There was one early death (4.5%) and 3 patients were re-explored for bleeding. The actuarial survival at 1 and 3 years was 91 +/- 0.4% and 82.6 +/- 1%, respectively. Bronchial healing was excellent in all patients and angiographic studies showed patent vascular anastomosis in all 22 patients, with good run off in 20 and poor in two. One patient developed clinical obliterative bronchiolitis at 22 months (4.5%) during a period of follow up varying from 12 to 43 months (mean 30 S.D. 12). At last follow up the mean FEV1 was 1.4 +/- 0.4 and the mean FVC was 2.2 +/- 0.6. On average, each patient developed 1.5 +/- 0.6 infection episodes and 1 +/- 0.2 acute lung rejection.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that the medium term results of direct bronchial revascularisation are good. However the influence of this procedure on long term results needs further investigation.

Surgery for unilateral bronchiectasis: results and prognostic factors

SETTING

King Khalid University Hospital referral centre for thoracic surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the results of surgery and factors influencing its outcome in patients with unilateral bronchiectasis.

DESIGN

A retrospective analysis of 40 patients with unilateral bronchiectasis who were operated upon consecutively at King Khalid Hospital, between July 1987 and May 1993.

RESULTS

Left-sided disease was seen in 60% (n = 24) and right-sided in 40% (n = 16) of the patients. The entire lung was involved in 30% of cases (n = 12). Of these, the left lung was totally involved in 22.5% (n = 9) and the right in 7.5% (n = 3). A lobectomy was performed on 21 patients, basal segmentectomy with preservation of apical segment on 7, and pneumonectomy on 12. There was no operative mortality in this series. Six patients (15%) developed postoperative complications, bleeding (n = 4) and prolonged air leak (n = 2). During an average follow-up period of 30.7 months (+/- 15.4 months), 29 patients (72.5%) were cured and the remaining 11 (27.5%) improved. No patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection (n = 3) or obstructive airway disease (n = 5) were cured (P = 0.02 and P = 0.002 respectively).

CONCLUSION

Curative resection for selected patients with unilateral bronchiectasis can be performed safely with good results and low morbidity. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and obstructive airway disease have an adverse effect on postoperative cure.