The Laryngoscope
-
The introduction of percutaneous tracheostomy (PercTrach) has resulted in tension over the scope of practice between otolaryngologists and pulmonary/critical care (PCC) specialists. We sought to determine the value of a collaborative approach to the performance of PercTrach at the bedside in the intensive care unit setting. ⋯ A multidisciplinary approach to PercTrach results in a number of clinical and educational benefits. Chief among these benefits is a rapid, cost-effective response to requests for elective tracheostomy. Practicing otolaryngologists with a prior bias against this approach (as we had) should reconsider adopting this revised procedure.
-
Ototoxicity is a common side effect of high-dose cisplatin treatment. Thiol-containing chemoprotectors ameliorate cisplatin ototoxicity under experimental conditions. The trial was initiated to test the efficacy of amifostine protection in high-dose cisplatin treatment (125-150 mg/m) for metastatic malignant melanoma, to correlate the ototoxic outcome with cisplatin pharmacokinetics, and to evaluate the importance of using a selective analytical method for the quantification of cisplatin. ⋯ Ototoxicity was unacceptable despite amifostine treatment. Cisplatin pharmacokinetics during the first treatment course were not predictive of hearing loss. Amifostine caused a lowering of dose-normalized area under the concentration-time curve for cisplatin and monohydrated complex. Use of the unselective inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis leads to an overestimation of active drug. Selective analysis of cisplatin is especially important when evaluating cisplatin pharmacokinetics during chemoprotector treatment.