JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is a rare disease of unknown etiology characterized by respiratory failure, radiographic infiltrates, and eosinophilic infiltration of the lung. ⋯ AEP occurred at an increased rate among this deployed military population and resulted in 2 deaths. Failure to consider AEP in the differential diagnosis of respiratory failure in military personnel can result in missing this syndrome and possibly death. The etiology of AEP remains unclear, but the association with new-onset smoking suggests a possible link.
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Pulsatile lavage is a high-pressure irrigation treatment used increasingly in a variety of health care settings to debride wounds. Infection control precautions are not routinely used during the procedure and are not included in pulsatile lavage equipment package labeling. ⋯ Transmission was apparently caused by dissemination of multidrug-resistant A baumannii during the pulsatile lavage procedure, resulting in environmental contamination. Appropriate infection control precautions should be used during pulsatile lavage therapy and should be included in pulsatile lavage equipment labeling.