Maternal and fetal recovery after severe respiratory failure due to influenza: a case report.

BACKGROUND: During pregnancy women are at increased risk of severe complications to influenza infection, including death of mother or fetus, especially if chronic comorbid medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus are present. CASE PRESENTATION: A 36 years old Caucasian pregnant woman with type 1 diabetes underwent mechanical ventilation in gestation week 27 for severe respiratory failure due to influenza and pneumonia. For three weeks during and following her most severe illness, fetal growth could not be detected and the umbilical flows and amniotic fluid volumes were affected too. The possibility of preterm delivery and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment were considered, however the patient and her fetus recovered gradually on conservative treatment. Under close surveillance the pregnancy continued until term, with delivery of an infant with appropriate weight for gestational age. CONCLUSION: Preterm delivery and decreased birth weight were reported for women with antepartum pneumonia. Mechanical ventilation and ECMO treatment for severe respiratory failure in pregnancy are life threatening conditions and have been associated with preterm delivery. It remains uncertain if delivery improves the respiratory status of a critically ill woman, and the fetal condition is likely to improve, if the maternal condition is stabilized.Severe respiratory insufficiency requiring mechanical ventilation in a diabetic pregnant woman with influenza was successfully treated conservatively. Despite clear signs of impaired fetal condition in the acute phase, watchful waiting resulted in delivery of a normal weight infant at term.

Weaning of neonates from mechanical ventilation by use of nasopharyngeal high-frequency oscillatory ventilation: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of nasopharyngeal high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (nHFOV) immediately after extubation in difficult-to-wean preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: This was an observational study of 20 mechanically ventilated neonates [median (range) birth weight 635 (382-1020)g, median gestational age 25.3 (23.7-27.6) weeks] at high risk for extubation failure. Nine infants had failed at least one previous extubation. Fourteen infants were given hydrocortisone. All 20 infants were extubated into nHFOV, with a mean airway pressure of 8 cmH(2)O, an amplitude of 20 cmH(2)O, and a frequency of 10 Hz. RESULTS: Infants remained on nHFOV for a median duration of 136.5 (7.0-456.0) h until further weaning to continuous positive airway pressure (n =14) or reintubation (n = 6). Reintubation was performed in 1 of 11 infants who had not experienced any previous extubation, and in five of nine infants who had experienced at least one previous extubation (P < 0.05). PaCO(2) was virtually unchanged from preextubation levels 2 h after extubation, but declined significantly at 32 h from 59.8 (45.0-92.3) mmHg to 50.7 (39.8-74.4) mmHg (P < 0.01). PaCO(2) returned to preextubation levels upon discontinuation of nHFOV. CONCLUSION: This small observational study demonstrates that nHFOV can be successfully applied to wean premature infants from ventilator support.

Convalecencia de mujeres que sufrieron dengue serotipo 3 durante el embarazo / Convalescence of pregnant women who suffered from dengue serotype 3

Introducción: el dengue es una enfermedad infecciosa producida por un virus de genoma ARN, al cual se le reconocen 4 serotipos (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 y DEN-4) transmitidos por el Aedes aegypti como principal vector. En el embarazo se manifiesta clínicamente de forma similar a la población general, pero con la diferencia de estar en presencia de un ecosistema constituido por la madre y el feto, donde se introduce el virus con sus características genéticas con condiciones especiales para su desarrollo y evolución. Objetivo: investigar la evolución de los síntomas del dengue en mujeres que enfermaron durante el embarazo por 1 año de seguimiento. Métodos: se realizó una investigación observacional y descriptiva con el fin de conocer la presencia de secuelas con posterioridad a la infección por dengue 3 en mujeres que enfermaron durante su embarazo. Se estudió una cohorte de 28 embarazadas que ingresaron en el Hospital General "Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso" durante el brote de dengue de abril a noviembre de 2006. El diagnóstico se confirmó por métodos serológicos. Resultados: se observó hasta el año de seguimiento, pérdida de memoria (25 por ciento) y trastornos menstruales (14,3 por ciento). La pérdida de memoria resultó significativa cuando la infección se produjo en el tercer trimestre del embarazo, p= 0,0377. Conclusión: la infección por el virus dengue 3 es capaz de dejar secuela de pérdida de memoria en mujeres que sufrieron dengue durante el embarazo, preferentemente en el tercer trimestre de gravidez.

Introduction: dengue is an infectious disease caused by ARN genome virus and has 4 recognized serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4) that are transmitted by Aedes aegypti as the main vector. The clinical manifestations of dengue in pregnancy are similar to those of the general population, except that the ecosystem is made up by the mother and the fetus where the virus with its genetic characteristics is introduced and finds special conditions for development and evolution. Objective: to study the progression of the dengue symptoms in women who got sick during their pregnancy for one year of follow-up. Methods: an observational descriptive research was conducted to find out the existence of sequelae in women who were infected with dengue 3 during their pregnancy. A cohort of 28 pregnant women, who had been admitted to "Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso" General Hospital at the time of the dengue outbreak from April to November 2006, was studied. The diagnosis was serologically confirmed. Results: after one-year of follow-up, it was observed that amnesia (25 percent) and menstrual disorders (14.3 percent) affected these women. Amnesia was significant when the infection occurred in the third trimester of pregnancy, p= 0.0377. Conclusions: dengue 3 infection may cause amnesia in pregnant women who suffered this disease, particularly in their third trimester of pregnancy.

[Convalescence of pregnant women who suffered from dengue serotype 3]. / Convalecencia de mujeres que sufrieron dengue serotipo 3 durante el embarazo.

INTRODUCTION: dengue is an infectious disease caused by ARN genome virus and has 4 recognized serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4) that are transmitted by Aedes aegypti as the main vector. The clinical manifestations of dengue in pregnancy are similar to those of the general population, except that the ecosystem is made up by the mother and the fetus where the virus with its genetic characteristics is introduced and finds special conditions for development and evolution. OBJECTIVE: to study the progression of the dengue symptoms in women who got sick during their pregnancy for one year of follow-up. METHODS: an observational descriptive research was conducted to find out the existence of sequelae in women who were infected with dengue 3 during their pregnancy. A cohort of 28 pregnant women, who had been admitted to "Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso" General Hospital at the time of the dengue outbreak from April to November 2006, was studied. The diagnosis was serologically confirmed. RESULTS: after one-year of follow-up, it was observed that amnesia (25 %) and menstrual disorders (14.3%) affected these women. Amnesia was significant when the infection occurred in the third trimester of pregnancy, p=0.0377. CONCLUSIONS: dengue 3 infection may cause amnesia in pregnant women who suffered this disease, particularly in their third trimester of pregnancy.

[Cytokines in the immunorehabilitation of infectious patients]. / Tsitokiny v immunoreabilitatsii infektsionnykh bol'nykh.

For the first time in Russia the authors have defined an infectious process of Astrakhan rickettsiosis hemorrhagic fever attended by hyper- and hypoproduction of interferon g and its aftereffects. Reaferon and gammaferon therapy have proved to be very effective in fast normalisation of the immunology index. Enthalferon pills greatly reduced the morbidity rate in servicemen in rotaviral infections.