Continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration using cytokine-adsorbing hemofilters as adjuvant therapy for anaerobic descending necrotizing mediastinitis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: We describe a combinatorial intensive care approach and discuss the critical factors that allowed us to successfully manage a life-threatening case of acute anaerobic septic shock triggered by descending necrotizing mediastinitis. CASE PRESENTATION: We admitted a 38-year-old critically ill Kosovar Albanian man to our intensive care unit because of clinical manifestations of severe sepsis. His condition had worsened in the previous 2 weeks following unsuccessful antibiotic therapy for tonsillitis complicated by retropharyngeal abscesses. Computed tomography and intraoperative observations identified abscesses in the anterior and middle mediastinum regions and the distal part of the neck, directly on the border with the left lobe of the thyroid gland. Cultures indicated infections with α-hemolytic Streptococcus and Clostridium species: High procalcitonin and lactate levels, blood gas analysis, poor peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, and severe hemodynamic instability pointed to a case of acute septic shock. The entire treatment consisted of an aggressive antibiotic regimen, transthoracic and mediastinal surgical evacuation of the abscess, vacuum sealing drainage with a pleural chest tube, continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration using cytokine-adsorbing hemofilters, and extracorporeal blood hyperoxygenation. CONCLUSIONS: Efficient treatment of severe anaerobic sepsis resulting from descending necrotizing mediastinitis should build on a multidisciplinary approach. In support of first-line therapies with targeted antibiotics and surgical debridement, clinicians should consider alternative therapies such as continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration with cytokine-adsorbing hemofilters and hyperoxygenation.

Adjunctive Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy or Alone Antibiotherapy? Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Mediastinitis in a Rat Model.

OBJECTIVE: In the post-sternotomy mediastinitis patients, Staphylococcus aureus is the pathogenic microorganism encountered most often. In our study, we aimed to determine the efficacy of antibiotic treatment with vancomycin and tigecycline, alone or in combination with hyperbaric oxygen treatment, on bacterial elimination in experimental S. aureus mediastinitis. METHODS: Forty-nine adult female Wistar rats were used. They were randomly divided into seven groups, as follows: non-contaminated, contaminated control, vancomycin, tigecycline, hyperbaric oxygen, hyperbaric oxygen + vancomycin and hyperbaric oxygen + tigecycline. The vancomycin rat group received 10 mg/kg/day of vancomycin twice a day through intramuscular injection. The tigecycline group rats received 7 mg/kg/day of tigecycline twice a day through intraperitoneal injection. The hyperbaric oxygen group underwent 90 min sessions of 100% oxygen at 2.5 atm pressure. Treatment continued for 7 days. Twelve hours after the end of treatment, tissue samples were obtained from the upper part of the sternum for bacterial count assessment. RESULTS: When the quantitative bacterial counts of the untreated contaminated group were compared with those of the treated groups, a significant decrease was observed. However, comparing the antibiotic groups with the same antibiotic combined with hyperbaric oxygen, there was a significant reduction in microorganisms identified (P<0.05). Comparing hyperbaric oxygen used alone with the vancomycin and tigecycline groups, it was seen that the effect was not significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: We believe that the combination of hyperbaric oxygen with antibiotics had a significant effect on mediastinitis resulting from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus mediastinitis can be treated without requiring a multidrug combination, thereby reducing the medication dose and concomitantly decreasing the side effects.

Trombosis de la vena yugular interna y mediastinitis aguda necrosante descendente debido a una faringoamigdalitis aguda / Thrombosis of the internal jugular vein and descending necrotizing mediastinitis due to acute pharyngotonsilitis

El síndrome de Lemierre es una patología muy infrecuente en la época actual, pero muy grave, y siempre debe considerarse ante un cuadro de fiebre con antecedente de infección orofaríngea, tumefacción laterocervical a lo largo del músculo esternocleidomastoideo y signos de sepsis. El diagnóstico de este síndrome es fundamentalmente clínico, y las pruebas complementarias tan sólo ayudan a confirmar el cuadro. Presentamos el caso de un varón de 31 años que acudió a urgencias con clínica de faringoamigdalitis junto con tumefacción en la región submandibular izquierda e importante dolor cervical ipsilateral, que mostró un deterioro rápido y progresivo del estado general pese al tratamiento antibiótico intravenoso. Finalmente tuvo que ser intervenido debido al desarrollo de mediastinitis aguda necrosante descendente desde la región pretiroidea hasta el diafragma, con trombosis de la vena yugular interna izquierda. Se le realizó toracotomía urgente y cervicotomía izquierda con drenaje de abundante material purulento y ligadura de la vena yugular interna(AU)

Lemierre syndrome is a potentially fatal condition after an oropharyngeal infection. It is characterized by thrombophlebitis of head and neck veins with systemic dissemination of septic emboli. The diagnosis of this syndrome is mainly clinical and complementary test only serve as aid to confirm it. We report an unusual case of Lemierre syndrome in a 31-year-old man caused by Gemella spp. and Streptococcus pyogenes. It developed following a pharyngotonsillitis infection, which deteriorated rapidly and progressively despite intravenous antibiotic treatment. He finally had to be intervened due to developing acute descending necrotizing mediastinitis from the pre-thyroid region to the diaphragm, with thrombosis of the internal jugular vein. An urgent thoracotomy and left cervicotomy was performed, with drainage of abundant purulent material and ligature of the internal jugular vein. We also discuss its atypical clinical presentation, the crucial role of imaging in the early diagnosis, and the different treatment options of this life-threatening syndrome(AU)