A clinical trial of silver-coated and tapered cuff plus supraglottic suctioning endotracheal tubes in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia.

PURPOSE: Novel designs of the endotracheal tube (ETT) are emerged to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). We evaluated the effect of two different types, namely silver-coated (Bactiguard) and subglottic suctioning (Taperguard) ETTs, on the incidence of VAP in critically-ill patients. METHODS: A total of 90 patients, mechanically ventilated for >72 h, were randomly assigned to Bactiguard and Taperguard groups. They otherwise received routine care, including VAP prevention measures during their intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Subglottic suctioning was performed in Taperguard group. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 25 for iMacs. RESULTS: Both groups had similar demographics and did not differ in the prevalence of comorbidities and the severity of underlying illness. There was no difference in the frequency of reintubation (P = .565), the duration of ventilation, ICU and total hospital length of stay. VAP developed in 31% of the Bactiguard group and 20% of the Taperguard group (P = .227). Nearly twice the number of patients died in the Bactiguard group compared to the Taperguard group. This difference was not significant either (P = .352). CONCLUSIONS: The use of Bactiguard or Taperguard ETTs was not associated with any difference in the incidence of VAP or ICU mortality.

Arterial vs venous lactate: Correlation and predictive value of mortality of patients with sepsis during early resuscitation phase.

PURPOSE: To compare the lactate concentrations obtained from venous to those obtained from arterial blood in predicting hospital mortality of patients with sepsis and septic shock. To also assess lactate clearance as predictor for mortality. METHODS: 100 patients with septic shock were prospectively enrolled. Serum was sampled at baseline and after 6 h of resuscitation from arterial and venous lines. Demographic, severity indices, hemodynamic measures as well as lactate clearance levels were noted. Data were analyzed for bias and precision. RESULTS: There was correlation between venous and arterial lactate concentrations at the baseline (R = 0.68) and at the 6-hour time point (R = 0.95). Venous concentrations were consistently higher than those obtained from an arterial access by 0.684 mg/dL. Further, arterial lactate level > 3.2 mmol/L and clearance of <20% were considered the cutoff for the mortality risk. While only 8% of the patients with no risk died, all 20 patients who had lactate level > 3.2 mmol/L and clearance of <20% died within the hospital. CONCLUSION: Our data suggests a strong correlation between arterial and peripheral venous the lactate levels and in the initial phase of resuscitation in septic shock patients we can use venous lactate level as biomarker instead of arterial lactate level. The study also showed that combining lactate levels and its clearance is a reliable predictor of mortality in sepsis.

Pulmonary fibrosis and embolism secondary to silicon implant leak.

Pulmonary fibrosis in a patient with history of ruptured silicone breast implants may present a therapeutic challenge to diagnose and treat. In this case report, we aim to discuss our experience in diagnosing a patient with chronic silicone embolism syndrome masquerading as refractory multifocal pneumonia that presented with respiratory failure. A young woman with no significant past exposure having recurrent admissions to the hospital due to fever and shortness of breath was found to have chronic silicone embolism with pneumonitis. This case report emphasis the prompt diagnosis and treatment of silicone induced fibrosis and approach to the most common side effects of breast implants.

Acute Opiate Overdose: An Update on Management Strategies in Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Opioids are natural, semisynthetic, or synthetic substances that act on opioid receptors in the central nervous system. Clinically, they are prescribed for pain management. Opioid overdose (OOD) occurs when the central nervous system and respiratory drive are suppressed because of excessive consumption of the drug. Symptoms of OOD include drowsiness, slow breathing, pinpoint pupils, cyanosis, loss of consciousness, and death. Due to their addictive potential and easy accessibility opioid addiction is a growing problem worldwide. Emergency medical services and the emergency department often perform initial management of OOD. Thereafter, some patients require intensive care management because of respiratory failure, metabolic encephalopathy, acute kidney injury, and other organ failure. AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY: We sought to review the literature and present the most up-to-date treatment strategies of patients with acute OOD requiring critical care management. DATA SOURCES: A PubMed search was conducted to review all articles between 1950 and 2017 and the relevant articles were cited. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: Worldwide, approximately 69,000 people die of OOD each year, and approximately 15 million people have opioid addiction. In the United States, death from OOD has increased almost 5-fold from 2001 to 2013. OOD leading to intensive care unit admission has increased by 50% from 2009 to 2015. At the same time, the mortality associated with these admissions has doubled. The management strategies include airway management, use of reversal agents, assessing and treating coingestions and associated complications, treatment of opioid withdrawal with alpha-agonists, and psychosocial support to help with opiate addiction and withdrawal. This warrants awareness among clinicians regarding the adverse effects associated with opioid use, management strategies, and calls for a multidisciplinary approach to treating these patients.

Pulmonary hypertension associated with antiphospholipid antibody: Call for a screening tool?

Antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies are antibodies specific for anionic phospholipids. They are immunoglobulins that attack phospholipids, phospholipid-binding proteins, or phospholipid-protein complexes and are detected in anticardiolipin and lupus anticoagulant assays. aPL antibodies are often associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) which can be idiopathic or from secondary causes such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), infection or drugs. They have also been shown to be associated with Pulmonary Hypertension. We conducted a review of the literature that included all articles on PubMed with keywords 'antiphospholipid antibody' and 'pulmonary hypertension' between January 1980 and July 2017 and identified 217 articles. A total of 47 articles were found to be relevant to the topic and included as references. We ascertained that aPL antibodies have been implicated in the development of both idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and PAH associated with connective tissue disease (CTD). aPL antibodies were also noted to be associated with left-sided valvular heart disease that can lead to pulmonary venous hypertension (PVH). Patients with anitiphospholipid antibody syndrome (Diagnostic criteria incudes +aPL antibodies) were noted to have a high risk of developing chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). A recent study also found a positive association of aPL antibodies with ILD and PH in patients with systemic sclerosis. While association between autoimmune thyroid disease and PH (Group V PH), and autoimmune thyroid disease and aPL antibodies is established, no studies linked these three phenomena together. Thus, aPL antibodies had an association with all WHO groups of Pulmonary hypertension (PH). In this review article, we study the association and discuss the need for screening for PH in patients with positive aPL antibodies.

Polycystic Liver Disease and Sarcoidosis: Unusual Coexisting Etiologies of Portal Hypertension.

Both polycystic liver disease (PLD) and sarcoidosis can involve liver. Most of the time, liver disease in both conditions is asymptomatic, but they can rarely cause portal hypertension. Our aim is to report a case of a 51-year-old female with a history of adult dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and sarcoidosis who presented with multiple episodes of hematemesis. An endoscopy showed grade 3 esophageal varices. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen showed ascites with polycystic liver, nodular contour, and calcified granuloma. PLD can cause portal hypertension due to fibrosis or large cysts compressing on the portal vein. On the other hand, sarcoidosis causes portal hypertension by formation of arteriovenous(AV) shunts or fibrosis in areas of granulomas. Both conditions are diagnosed on imaging. There is no approved medical treatment for PLD; the only curative treatment is liver transplantation. Asymptomatic hepatic sarcoidosis does not need any treatment. The recommended treatment is corticosteroids for both isolated and systemic sarcoidosis. ADPKD and sarcoidosis can involve multiple organs. The presence of both conditions can accelerate the disease process and could be a therapeutic challenge. Early abdominal imaging during the course of both diseases can improve the outcome by decreasing the diagnostic window.