Critical Care and Shock

May 2007

Abdominal Sarcoidosis

Abstract Abdominal sarcoidosis is an uncommon form of sarcoidosis. The clinical presentation of esophageal, gastric, small bowel, colon, appendicular, spleen, pancreas, and abdominal aortic sarcoidosis

Read more »

Mineral Oil: The Occult Cause of Critical Illness

A 59 year-old lady with a history of diabetes,
hypertension, and coronary artery disease presented to
the emergency department complaining of progressive
shortness of breath over a 6 month period. On initial
examination she was found to be hypoxemic with a
PaO² of 50 mmHg. A chest radiograph left lower lobe
consolidation (Figure 1). The patient was given broadspectrum
antibiotics and admitted to the intensive care
unit (ICU). In the ICU she remained on antibiotics
and bronchodilator therapy was started. Despite these
interventions, she showed no evidence of improvement

Read more »

Gastric Strongyloides with Ulceration and Klebsiella pneumonia Bacteraemia

Strongyloides infection is usually confi ned to small intestine in gastrointestinal tract. Gastric mucosal Strongyloides with ulceration is extremely uncommon. We describe a patient who presented with gastrointestinal bleeding with gastric Strongyloides diagnosed by biopsy from the base of the gastric ulcer. Patient was treated with ivermectin 9 mg once a day for 2 days. The hospital stay was complicated by severe Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia which needed treatment with meropenem for 2 weeks. Patient was discharged after 40 days of hospital stay.

Read more »

Effectiveness Study of rHuEPO in the ICU

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes and resource use in ICU patients receiving rHuEPO in a naturalistic setting. Methods: A retrospective, case-matched (1:2 ratio) study compared patients receiving rHuEPO to a control group. Patients admitted between January 2000 and July 2002 with an ICU length of stay (LOS) ¡Ý3 days were identifi ed by an electronic data repository. Patients, who received rHuEPO prior to ICU admission, had chronic renal failure or were <18 years of age were excluded. Patients were matched by age (¡À5 years), sex, admission year and ICU type.

Read more »

Critical Care of the Liver Transplant ICU Patients: A Pittsburgh “Point of View”

The purpose of this review is to summarize the advances in critical care management of the liver transplant ICU patients (patients with end stage liver disease, before and after orthotopic liver transplant). The review is based on search of Medline literature, with a focus on liver failure patients and critical care issues around liver transplantation. Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is one of the global leaders in the treatment of end stage liver disease (ESLD).

Read more »