Introduction: Transbronchial cryobiopsies (cTBB) has emerged as a new method for obtaining lung tissue biopsies in the diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Until now, it has been used in a few highly specialized interventional centers and has shown promising results in obtaining a definite diagnosis of ILDs. Method: All patients undergoing a cTBB between November 2015 and June 2016 were included in this case series study. Data on patient demographics, high-resolution computed tomography patterns, size and number of biopsies, histology patterns, the contribution to a confident diagnosis and complications were registered. Results: Thirty-eight patients underwent cTBB in the period. cTBB contributed to the diagnosis in 28 (74%) of the 38 patients. Only few complications were observed; pneumothorax was the most frequent complication (10 patients, 26%). In six patients, local bleeding occurred during the procedure and was easily controlled by a Fogarty catheter balloon and in some cases tranexamic acid. Conclusion: Performing cTBB in the diagnostics of ILDs is a safe and feasible procedure. cTBB resulted in a confident diagnosis in 74% of cases.

BackgroundEarly detection of lung cancer is crucial as the prognosis depends on the disease stage. Chest radiographs has been the principal diagnostic tool for general practitioners (GPs), but implies a potential risk of false negative results, while computed tomography (CT) has a higher sensitivity. The aim of this study was to describe the implementation of direct access to low-dose CT (LDCT) from general practice.MethodsWe conducted a cohort study nested in a randomised study. A total of 119 general practices with 266 GPs were randomised into two groups. Intervention GPs were offered direct access to chest LDCT combined with a Continuing Medical Education (CME) meeting on lung cancer diagnosis.ResultsDuring a 19-month period, 648 patients were referred to LDCT (0.18/1000 adults on GP list/month). Half of the patients needed further diagnostic work-up, and 15 (2.3%, 95% CI: 1.3–3.8%) of the patients had lung cancer; 60% (95% CI: 32.3–83.7%) in a localised stage. The GP referral rate was 61% higher for CME participants compared to non-participants.ConclusionOf all patients referred to LDCT, 2.3% were diagnosed with lung cancer with a favourable stage distribution. Half of the referred patients needed additional diagnostic work-up. There was an association between participation in CME and use of CT scan. The proportion of cancers diagnosed through the usual fast-track evaluation was 2.2 times higher in the group of CME-participating GPs. The question remains if primary care case-finding with LDCT is a better option for patients having signs and symptoms indicating lung cancer than a screening program. Whether open access to LDCT may provide earlier diagnosis of lung cancer is yet unknown and a randomised trial is required to assess any effect on outcome.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT01527214

BackgroundMyocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock is frequently complicated by acute kidney injury. We examined the influence of acute kidney injury treated with renal replacement therapy (AKI-RRT) on risk of chronic dialysis and mortality, and assessed the role of comorbidity in patients with cardiogenic shock.MethodsIn this Danish cohort study conducted during 2005–2012, we used population-based medical registries to identify patients diagnosed with first-time myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock and assessed their AKI-RRT status. We computed the in-hospital mortality risk and adjusted relative risk. For hospital survivors, we computed 5-year cumulative risk of chronic dialysis accounting for competing risk of death. Mortality after discharge was computed with use of Kaplan-Meier methods. We computed 5-year hazard ratios for chronic dialysis and death after discharge, comparing AKI-RRT with non-AKI-RRT patients using a propensity score-adjusted Cox regression model.ResultsWe identified 5079 patients with cardiogenic shock, among whom 13 % had AKI-RRT. The in-hospital mortality was 62 % for AKI-RRT patients, and 36 % for non-AKI-RRT patients. AKI-RRT remained associated with increased in-hospital mortality after adjustment for confounders (relative risk = 1.70, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.59–1.81). Among the 3059 hospital survivors, the 5-year risk of chronic dialysis was 11 % (95 % CI: 8–16 %) for AKI-RRT patients, and 1 % (95 % CI: 0.5–1 %) for non-AKI-RRT patients (adjusted hazard ratio: 15.9 (95 % CI: 8.7–29.3). The 5-year mortality was 43 % (95 % CI: 37–53 %) for AKI-RRT patients compared with 29 % (95 % CI: 29–31 %) for non-AKI-RRT patients. The adjusted 5-year hazard ratio for death was 1.55 (95 % CI: 1.22–1.96) for AKI-RRT patients compared with non-AKI-RRT patients. In patients with comorbidity, absolute mortality increased while relative impact of AKI-RRT on mortality decreased.ConclusionAKI-RRT following myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock predicted elevated short-term mortality and long-term risk of chronic dialysis and mortality. The impact of AKI-RRT declined with increasing comorbidity suggesting that intensive treatment of AKI-RRT should be accompanied with optimized treatment of comorbidity when possible.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13054-015-1170-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BackgroundLower lung cancer survival rates in Britain and Denmark compared with surrounding countries may, in part, be due to late diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of direct access to low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) from general practice in early lung cancer detection on time to diagnosis and stage at diagnosis.MethodsWe conducted a cluster-randomised, controlled trial including all incident lung cancer patients (in 19-month period) listed with general practice in the municipality of Aarhus (300,000 citizens), Denmark. Randomisation and intervention were applied at general practice level. A total of 266 GPs from 119 general practices. In the study period, 331 lung cancer patients were included. The intervention included direct access to low-dose CT from primary care combined with a 1 h lung cancer update meeting. Indication for LDCT was symptoms or signs that raised the GP’s suspicion of lung cancer, but fell short of satisfying the fast-track referral criteria on red flag’ symptoms. ResultsThe intervention did not significantly influence stage at diagnosis and had limited impact on time to diagnosis. However, when correcting for non-compliance, we found that the patients were at higher risk of experiencing a long diagnostic interval if their GPs were in the control group.ConclusionDirect low-dose CT from primary care did not statistically significantly decrease time to diagnosis or change stage at diagnosis in lung cancer patients. Case finding with direct access to LDCT may be an alternative to lung cancer screening. Furthermore, a recommendation of low-dose CT screening should consider offering symptomatic, unscreened patients an access to CT directly from primary care.Trial registrationwww.clinicaltrials.gov, registration ID number NCT01527214.

ObjectivesTo examine the occurrence of brain disorders (ie, neurological and mental disorders) in Denmark and mortality and cost of illness among affected persons.DesignMatched cohort study.SettingWe obtained routinely collected registry data on all Danish residents during 1995–2015.ParticipantsWe identified all persons alive on 1 January 2015 with a diagnosis of 25 specific brain disorders (prevalent cohort) and all persons with an incident diagnosis during 2011–2015 (incident cohort). Each person was matched on age and sex with 10 persons from the general population without the brain disorder of interest.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrevalence and incidence of hospital-diagnosed brain disorders, 1-year absolute and relative mortality, and attributable direct and indirect costs of illness compared with the corresponding matched cohorts.ResultsWe identified 1 075 081 persons with at least one prevalent brain disorder (any brain disorder) on 1 January 2015, corresponding to 18.9% of the Danish population. The incidence rate of any brain disorder during 2011–2015 was 1349 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI 1345 to 1353). One-year mortality after diagnosis was increased in persons with any brain disorder (HR 4.7, 95% CI 4.7 to 4.8) and in persons in every group of specific brain disorders compared with the matched cohort from the general population. The total attributable direct costs of brain disorders in 2015 were €5.2 billion and total attributable indirect costs were €11.2 billion. Traumatic brain injury, stress-related disorders, depression and stroke were the most common brain disorders. Attributable costs were highest for depression, dementia, stress-related disorders and stroke.ConclusionsOne in five Danish residents alive on 1 January 2015 had been diagnosed with at least one brain disorder, and mortality was five times higher in persons with any diagnosed brain disorder than in the general population. We found high attributable direct and indirect costs of brain disorders.