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Forty-six (43%) of the patients with COPD exacerbation requiring mechanical ventilation had a probable viral pathogen. Prodromal, clinical and outcome parameters did not distinguish virus from non-virus illness. PCR was the most sensitive whilst virus culture was the least of virus assays.

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The optimal management of loculated parapneumonic effusions and empyema includes breakdown of adhesions to effect drainage of infected pleural fluid. The use of fibrinolytics intrapleurally appears to enhance intercostal tube drainage, reducing the requirement for subsequent surgical mechanical debridement. This article discusses the evidence for intrapleural fibrinolytics, their good safety profile and the practicalities of dose and administration. It also reviews early surgical intervention, which may be indicated for medical treatment failure and, some would argue, as a suitable alternative to other medical interventions.

The extraction ratio was linearly related to time, and ranged 0.46-0.02. The peak clearance was 69 mL/min. Cartridge saturation was defined as a clearance that was equal to an estimate of the patient's intrinsic clearance. In our patient, this was equivalent to an extraction ratio of 0.2 at a flow rate of 150 mL/min. By this definition, cartridge saturation appeared to occur at 7 hours. Charcoal hemoperfusion was associated with a significant reduction in the apparent half-life, which is most easily explained by clearance from the central vascular compartment, during a prolonged absorptive phase. The patient made full recovery without evidence of neurological deficit.