The role of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of NIV on the rate of endotracheal intubation and intensive care unit (ICU) mortality in patients with ARDS. We searched the MEDLINE database for relevant studies published from 1980 to September 2005, and included studies if (a) the design was a randomized controlled trial; (b) patients had ARDS irrespective of the underlying etiology; (c) the interventions compared NIV and medical therapy with medical therapy alone; and (d) outcomes included need for endotracheal intubation and/or ICU survival. The addition of NIV to standard care in the setting of ARDS did not reduce the rate of endotracheal intubation (absolute risk reduction (RR) 13.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI) -5.2% to 31.3%), and had no effect on ICU survival (absolute RR 4.8%, 95% CI -12.8% to 22.1%). However, the trial results were significantly heterogeneous. Thus, current evidence suggests that patients with ARDS are unlikely to have any significant benefits on outcome when NIV is added to standard therapy. However, this analysis is limited by the presence of significant heterogeneity; hence large randomized controlled trials are required to settle this issue.
Intratympanic membrane cholesteatoma, occurring in the absence of trauma or surgery to the ear, is rare with less than 20 cases reported in the literature. We report a rare incidental finding of intratympanic membrane cholesteatoma in a 12-month-old girl and review the literature.
A prospective study was conducted in 25 consecutive patients of paranasal sinus aspergillosis to categorize and treat them based on a fixed treatment protocol. The three types of aspergillosis categorized as per definitive criteria were chronic invasive (six), non-invasive (fungus ball) (seven) and non-invasive destructive (12). Adjuvant chemotherapy was employed in non-invasive destructive and chronic invasive disease. Ketoconazole was used in the first variety and itroconazole in the latter. Only two patients had recurrence after a mean follow-up of 11 months (range: 6-20 months). They belonged to the non-invasive destructive category and the recurrence had progressed to invasive variety. It is suggested that non-invasive destructive disease should be followed up regularly with endoscopic examination, CT and fungal serology to detect recurrence. Categorization of the paranasal sinus aspergillosis helps to institute proper treatment. Adjuvant chemotherapy in the form of ketoconazole along with surgery is effective in non-invasive destructive disease to prevent recurrence and progression to invasive disease. Chronic invasive disease with its propensity to involve orbit and intracranial cavity should be managed at the earliest with surgery and itraconazole.
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