Massive ibuprofen overdose requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for cardiovascular support.

OBJECTIVE: Ibuprofen is rarely associated with severe toxicity. We report a massive ibuprofen overdose that resulted in refractory hypotension requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiovascular support. DESIGN: Individual case report. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. PATIENT: A 14-yr-old male presented with apnea and cardiovascular collapse after a nonaccidental ingestion of approximately 50 g of ibuprofen. His laboratory evaluation demonstrated an anion gap metabolic acidosis and elevated lactate levels. INTERVENTIONS: The patient required pressor support with norepinephrine, phenylephrine, and vasopressin infusions. Due to refractory hypotension, he was placed on ECMO. His serum ibuprofen level at an estimated 5-10 hrs postingestion was 776 microg/mL (therapeutic 20-30 microg/mL). Urine toxicological screen for drugs of abuse, serum acetaminophen, salicylate, and carboxyhemoglobin levels showed that these levels were not elevated. The patient developed high-output renal failure, pulmonary hemorrhage, and gastric bleeding, all of which resolved by hospital day 3. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: ECMO was discontinued on hospital day 4, inotropic support was discontinued, and the patient was extubated on hospital day 5. He was transferred to an inpatient psychiatric unit on hospital day 9 with no identifiable medical sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: Although ibuprofen overdose typically has few consequences, severe hypotension, renal failure, and gastrointestinal bleeding can occur. We report the first known case of successful ECMO therapy for ibuprofen overdose.

An integrative review of outcomes in patients with acute primary upper extremity deep venous thrombosis following no treatment or treatment with anticoagulation, thrombolysis, or surgical algorithms.

Primary upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (UEDVT) is a rare condition that typically affects young patients and can cause considerable long-term morbidity. Proposed treatments have included rest, heat, elevation of the affected limb, anticoagulation, thrombolysis, surgical decompression, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), and stenting. However, the optimal management of primary UEDVT remains controversial. This study was an integrative review of the English-language literature since 1965 on primary UEDVT, with comparison of long-term symptoms, rethrombosis, and pulmonary embolism in 4 treatment algorithms: rest, heat, and elevation alone; anticoagulation alone; surgical decompression without thrombolysis; and algorithms including thrombolysis. Forty-one studies describing 559 patients met the criteria for inclusion. Statistically significant differences were found among the 4 treatment algorithms in the incidence of residual symptoms (p < 0.000), the incidence of pulmonary embolism (p < 0.000), and the incidence of rethrombosis (p < 0.027). Residual symptoms and the severity of residual symptoms were greatest in the rest, heat, and elevation algorithm (74%), followed by the surgical (60%), anticoagulation (44%), and thrombolysis (22%) algorithms. Pulmonary embolism was also greatest in the rest, heat, and elevation algorithm (12%), followed by the anticoagulation (7%), thrombolysis (1%), and surgical algorithms (0%), while rethrombosis was greatest in the thrombolytic algorithm (7%) followed by the surgical (3%), anticoagulation (2%), and rest, heat, and elevation (0%) algorithms. These results support the current clinical practice of a staged, multidisciplinary approach to treatment of primary UEDVT that includes thrombolytic therapy and possible surgical decompression. Further studies are needed to evaluate the natural history of patients treated with thrombolysis alone, to assess the optimal timing of surgical decompression, and to determine the best use of PTA and stenting in the multidisciplinary approach.