Organizing Pneumonia in A Patient Double-Positive for ANCA and Anti-GBM Antibodies: A Case Report.

Both anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease and the anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) are common causes of pulmonary-renal syndrome. Organizing pneumonia (OP), a special pattern of interstitial lung disease, is extremely rare either in AAV or anti-GBM disease. We report an old woman presented with OP on a background of co-presentation with both ANCA and anti-GBM antibodies.

Common Carotid Artery Sonography Versus Transthoracic Echocardiography for Cardiac Output Measurements in Intensive Care Unit Patients.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to test the effectiveness of common carotid artery sonography in comparison with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for cardiac output measurements to provide an easier alternative for cardiac output monitoring in the intensive care unit. METHODS: This study included 148 patients who had common carotid artery Doppler examinations and TTE performed within 8 hours of each other, and the cardiac output measurement results were compared with each other. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants ± SD was 56.8 ± 16.2 years, with male patients composing 54.7% of the cohort. There was no significant difference in carotid and TTE cardiac output between different sexes, age groups, patients with and without mechanical ventilation, and primary indication groups. The overall intraclass correlation coefficient between the carotid and TTE cardiac output was 0.537. In patients with septic shock, multiple trauma, and respiratory failure, the intraclass correlation coefficients between TTE and carotid cardiac output were 0.241, 0.061, and 0.095, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid cardiac output shows moderate agreement with TTE cardiac output; thus, its use may be considered as an alternative for estimating cardiac output in emergencies and when TTE cardiac output is unobtainable. However, in patients with septic shock, multiple trauma, and respiratory failure, the use of carotid cardiac output is not recommended.