In this issue of Critical Care and Shock, the wellrespected group from the University of Pittsburgh presents a study in the relationship of uni-lung percentage
After 12 extremely productive and successful months, Dr. Xavier Leverve, has retired as the second Editor-in-Chief of Critical Care and Shock following the founder of
An 81 year-old male with a history positive for coronary artery disease, chronic hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis presented to the hospital complaining of diffuse chest pain. Chest x-ray on admission did not reveal lung masses, atelectasis, signs of infection or any other radiologic abnormality. Cardiac catheterization revealed multi-vessel disease. He underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery on 5 vessels. On the first postoperative day the patient developed atelectasis of the entire right upper lobe.
Charcoal haemoperfusion remains the treatment of choice for severe theophylline toxicity. However, this technique may not be available in most hospitals. We described a case of 62-year-old man, who presented with severe theophylline toxicity (peak level 85 mg/L), which was treated successfully with high volume continuous venovenous haemofiltration (CVVH). We also review the literature concerning treatment of theophylline toxicity with haemofiltration.
It is difficult clinically to measure relative blood flow to each lung. We hypothesized that uni-lung % blood flow is linearly related to % carbon dioxide excretion (VCO2). In a canine model of acute unilateral lung injury, we measured uni-lung flow with ultrasonic flow-probes, and uni-lung VCO2 with two separate metabolic monitors utilizing split lung ventilation following thoracotomy. Relative flow to the lungs was altered by inflating a pulmonary artery catheter balloon in one of the lungs under conditions of normal lung function and following induction of acute lung injury.