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Sunday, 03/03/2013
Vanessa Díaz Ravetllat successfully defended her doctoral thesis: “Risk factors of postoperative nosocomial pneumonia after resection of bronchogenic carcinoma”
The public event was held on December 21st in the University of Barcelona, Faculty of Medicine
Vanessa Díaz Ravetllat has been working as a Thoracic Surgery Resident at the Pneumology Service of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, and collaborating with the IDIBAPS’ team led by Dr. Antoni Torres. She obtained her degree in Medicine from the University of Barcelona. During her doctoral thesis her research was aimed to determine the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics and the risk factors of postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing resection of bronchogenic carcinoma in a third-level university hospital. Results were published in the journal Respiratory Medicine. The public event took place on December 21st in the University of Barcelona, Faculty of Medicine, and the thesis tribunal comprised Dr. Tobias Welte, Head of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Dr. Xavier Baldó, from the Thoracic Surgery Department at the Hospital Universitari de Girona Doctor Josep Trueta, and Dr. Carles Agustí, from the Pneumology Service at IDIBAPS - Hospital Clínic of Barcelona.
For her thesis Dr. Vanessa Díaz Ravetllat studied postoperative pneumonia cases and controls nested in a prospective cohort of 604 patients who had undergone surgery for bronchogenic carcinoma in clinical stages I to IIIa between January 1999 and June 2004. The incidence of postoperative pneumonia was 22 cases (3,6%). The multivariate analysis identified the following statistically significant independent risk factors for postoperative pneumonia: body mass index (BMI) <26,5 kg/m2, predicted FEV1 <50%, and reintubation after surgery. The article published in Respiratory Medicine (2012; 106:1463-1471) concluded that identifying the risk factors (some of which can be modified by medical intervention) may improve the course of lung cancer treated with surgery.
Dr. Vanessa Díaz Ravetllat brilliantly defended her doctoral thesis and obtained the best qualification, Excellent Cum Laude. The thesis was presented in English and raised interest among the thesis tribunal for its clinical implications. The tribunal members also acknowledged the leadership of the thesis directors, Dr. Antoni Torres, Dr. Miquel Ferrer and Dr. Josep Mª Gimferrer.
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