We report the first case of native aortic and mitral valve endocarditis due toGemella bergeriaefrom the Middle East in a young patient with rheumatic heart disease. Our case illustrates a fulminant course of infection withG. bergeriaeendocarditis that was complicated by embolic stroke, as well as intracerebral and subarachnoid haemorrhage secondary to rupture of a mycotic aneurysm in the right middle cerebral artery. This case highlights the dire, unreported neurological complications of infective endocarditis due to a rare causative organism—G. bergeriae.
Introduction Mishandled endotracheal cuff pressure may either make ventilation difficult or cause damage to the airway. Therefore, the aim of this audit was to assess the knowledge about endotracheal cuff pressure monitoring with a manometer and manual palpation of pilot balloon among critical care providers. Methods This audit includes 150 critical care providers having experience of handling endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff at critical care area of National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi from April 2017 to June 2017. Knowledge about endotracheal cuff pressure monitoring with the manometer and deleterious effects of mishandled ETT cuff was assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. Enrolled healthcare providers were asked to palpate the patient and cuff pressure was recorded and categorized. Results Out of 150 participants, 66 (44.0%) were doctors. Only 46 (30.67%) participants had prior knowledge about ETT cuff manometer and 110 (73.33%) had never used a manometer. Similarly only 42 (28.0%) had knowledge of hazardous effects of mishandled ETT cuff. Kappa coefficient of 0.155 with p=0.015 showed significant yet low agreement between participant prediction and the actual amount of air in cuff balloon. Agreement level was comparatively higher for staff as compared to doctors with a Kappa coefficient of 0.210 (p=0.018) vs. 0.133 (p=0.099). Conclusion In this study of knowledge and practice of ETT tube cuff pressure monitoring, we observed low levels of knowledge (30.67%), poor adherence to standard practice (73.33%) and were able to demonstrate poor agreement (Kappa coefficient 0.155; p=0.015) between the palpation method and cuff manometer measurements for assessing cuff pressure.
To determine sleep effects on baro- and ventilatory responses to transient chemo- and barostimulation in African-Americans and Caucasians, 26 nonobese normotensive young subjects (13 African-Americans and 13 Caucasians) were studied awake and in non-rapid-eye movement (NREM) and rapid-eye-movement sleep during induced transient hypoxemia (N2), hypertension (phenylephrine, PE), and concomitant hypoxemia and hypertension (N2 + PE). Arterial blood pressure was recorded by plethysmographic volume clamp, minute ventilation by pneumotachograph, and arterial O2 saturation by pulse oximeter. For all subjects, chronotropic baroresponse (Deltapulse interval/Deltasystolic blood pressure, where Delta is change) increased with NREM sleep (P = 0.007). Baroresponse slope was greater in Caucasians than in African-Americans (ANOVA, P = 0.02). Hypoxemic ventilatory response (Deltaminute ventilation/Deltaarterial O2 saturation) was greater in African-Americans than in Caucasians in NREM sleep (P = 0.01), as was hypoxemic attenuation of baroresponse (N2 + PE, P = 0.03). These data suggest sleep-related differences in arterial chemo- and baroreceptor responses in normal young African-Americans and Caucasians, which may have implications concerning development of systemic hypertension.
BACKGROUND:This study was designed to evaluate the use of laxative prophylaxis for constipation in intensive care unit (ICU) and the impact of early versus late bowel movement on patient’s outcome.METHODS:The study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial in critically ill ventilated adult patients, who were expected to stay on ventilator for >72 h. Control group did not receive any intervention for bowel movement for the first 72 h, whereas interventional group received prophylactic dose of lactulose 20 cc enterally every 12 h for the first 72 h. The parameters measured during the study were admission diagnosis, age, gender, comorbid conditions, admission Simplified Acute Physiologic Score (SAPS II), sedative and narcotic agents with doses and duration, timing and tolerance of nutrition, daily assessment of bowel movement, total use of prokinetic, doses of suppositories, and enema for first bowel movement, total number of days on ventilator, weaning failures, extubation or tracheostomy, ICU length of stay, and death or discharge.RESULTS:A total of 100 patients were enrolled, 50 patients in each control and interventional group. Mean age was 38.8 years, and both groups had male predominance. Mean SAPS II score for both was 35. Mean dose of Fentanyl (323.8 ± 108.89 mcg/h in control and 345.83 ± 94.43 mcg/h in interventional group) and mean dose of Midazolam (11.1 ± 4.04 mg/h in control and 12.4 ± 3.19 mg/h in interventional group). There were only two (4%) patients in control, while nine (18%) patients in interventional group who had bowel movement in <72 h (P < 0.05). Mean ventilator days were 16.19, and 17.36 days in control and interventional groups, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the patients who moved bowel in <5 days in both groups had mean ventilator days of 18.5, whereas it was 15.88 days for the patients who moved bowel after 5 days in both groups (P< 0.05). Mean ICU days for control was 21.15 ± 10.44 and 20.77 ± 8.33 days for interventional group. Forty-eight (96%) patients in each group were discharged from the ICU. Two (4%) patients died in ICU in each group.CONCLUSIONS:Laxative prophylaxis can be used successfully to prevent constipation in ICU patients. Late bowel movement >5 days is associated with less ventilator days, compared to early <5 days bowel movement.
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