Physiology of extracorporeal circulatory support and blood gas monitoring
Introduction Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) encompasses a set of devices capable of mechanically assisting cardiac and pulmonary functions either temporarily or for prolonged periods1. Among these, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy emerged as an initially respiratory support option in the 1970s, however, today this mechanical device has the capability to assist patients with both refractory […]
Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic: new challenges in respiratory medicine and new solutions
Introduction On January 1, 2020, the world learned of the emergence, in the city of Wuhan, of a new acute respiratory disease that showed signs of severity. From a distance, at that precise moment, we never had a clear picture of the global public health impact this disease, later known as COVID-19, would have. Under […]
Pandemics era
Definitions of pandemic A pandemic (pan = all, demos = people) is an outbreak of disease for which humanity has no immunity, spreading across most or all of the world1. A more technical definition is “a worldwide epidemic or one occurring over a very large territory, crossing international borders and affecting a large number of […]
Biology of SARS-CoV-2 and description of its variants
Introduction Coronaviruses infect the human population causing moderate respiratory diseases, but more severe cases frequently occur that can even be fatal. SARS-CoV-2 is one of seven viruses from the Coronaviridae family that infect humans, four of which (229E, OC43, NL63, and HKU1) cause seasonal diseases with symptoms similar to those of the common cold1,2. Other […]
Immunopathology of SARS-CoV-2 infection
Introduction COVID-19, associated with SARS-CoV-2, has caused millions of deaths worldwide. Unfortunately, the pandemic that emerged in 2019 in the Chinese province of Wuhan has spread for several years and new variants of the virus have appeared, such as Omicron and some of its variants. At the beginning of the pandemic, in February 2020, at […]
Similarities and differences between influenza and COVID-19
Introduction and general concepts Influenza and COVID-19 are viral infections that primarily affect the respiratory system, are highly contagious, have caused pandemics, and share many characteristics. Virus Considering the biology of influenza viruses and coronaviruses, characteristics they share and those that distinguish them can be enumerated (Table 1). The influenza virus belongs to the Orthomyxoviridae […]
Recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax as a clinical presentation of lymphoid interstitial pneumonia: case report
Introduction Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder of the pulmonary interstitial tissue classified as a rare disease according to the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society. Its diagnostic approach requires the use of multiple tools, including imaging studies (X-rays, computed tomography, etc.) and histopathological studies. This disease is characterized by […]