Medicine
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Churg-Strauss Syndrome (CSS) complicated with cardiogenic shock is rare. Few case reports have described successful treatment of this rare disease. However, no one has reported on the application of mechanical life support with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to treat this life-threatening disease. ⋯ Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was discontinued after 8 days, and the patient was eventually weaned off the ventilator. The patient was discharged after 40 days treatment. Once a CSS develops into a cardiogenic shock, the ECMO should be considered as an alternative therapeutics in that it stabilizes hemodynamic status, maintains effective tissue perfusion, and provides an opportunity for the recovery of cardiac function.
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Nocardia are Gram-positive filamentous bacteria responsible for infections ranging from opportunistic life-threatening disseminated diseases to chronic skin and soft-tissue infections. Even if virtually all organs can be infected, articular involvement is rare. Therefore, we report 3 recent cases and performed a literature review of cases of Nocardia arthritis in order to describe clinical features, therapeutic challenges, and outcome of these patients. ⋯ Eighty-two percent of patients (28 out of 34) received trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-containing regimens and median antibiotic treatment duration was 24 weeks (range, 12-120) for hematogenous infections and 12 weeks (range, 6-24) for direct inoculations. Outcome was favorable in 27 cases despite unsystematic surgical management (17 cases) without sequelae in 70% of the cases. Nocardia arthritis is rare but its management is complex and should rely on a combined approach with rheumatologist, infectious diseases expert, and surgeon.
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During robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, specific physiological conditions such as carbon dioxide insufflation and the steep Trendelenburg position can alter the cardiac workload and cerebral hemodynamics. Inadequate arterial blood pressure is associated with hypoperfusion, organ damage, and poor outcomes. Dynamic arterial elastance (Ea) has been proposed to be a useful index of fluid management in hypotensive patients. ⋯ The optimal cut-off value of dynamic Ea for predicting an MAP increase of ≥ 15% after fluid challenge was 0.74. Dynamic Ea can predict an MAP increase ≥ 15% after fluid challenge during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. This result suggests that evaluation of arterial pressure responsiveness using dynamic Ea helps to maintain an adequate arterial blood pressure and to improve perioperative outcomes in preload-dependent patients receiving robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy under pneumoperitoneum and in the steep Trendelenburg position.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Observational Study
Neoadjuvant Therapy of DOF Regimen Plus Bevacizumab Can Increase Surgical Resection Ratein Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Randomized, Controlled Study.
Locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) is best treated with surgical resection. Bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy has shown promising results in treating advanced gastric cancer. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy using the docetaxel/oxaliplatin/5-FU (DOF) regimen and bevacizumab in LAGC patients. ⋯ Cox proportional model analysis showed that number of metastatic lymph nodes, CTC reduction, R0 resection, and neoadjuvant therapy are independent prognostic factors for patients with LAGC. Neoadjuvant of DOF regimen plus bevacizumab can improve the R0 resection rate and DFS in LAGC. These beneficial effects might be associated with the reduction in CTC counts.
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Acute pain services (APS) have evolved over time. Strategies nowadays emphasize multimodal analgesic regimes using a combination of nonopioid adjuvant analgesic drugs, peripheral nerve blocks, and local anaesthetic wound infiltration where appropriate. APS should be assessed over time to evaluate changes in outcomes which form the basis for future development. ⋯ More patients graded their postoperative analgesic techniques used as good when the results from these 2 audit periods were compared (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001 for PCA and epidural analgesia, respectively). In conclusion, there has been a change in analgesic management techniques, but there has been no improvement in overall pain relief. While changes over time have led to improvement in important parameters such as the incidence of side effects and patient satisfaction, further and continuous efforts and improvements are warrant to reduce acute pain relief and suffering of the patients after the surgery.