American journal of therapeutics
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Does selective digestive decontamination prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in trauma patients?
The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is particularly high in patients with trauma. The efficacy and safety of selective digestive decontamination (SDD) was not studied extensively. We aimed in our randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate whether SDD prevents VAP onset in multiple trauma patients. ⋯ The incidence of VAP in the 4 groups was, respectively, 45.5%, 46.2%, 22.2%, and 27.3% (P=0.236). In multivariate analysis, none of the 3 tested regimens was identified as a protective factor against VAP. However, prolonged duration of MV was the only independent factor predicting VAP onset (odds ratio=1.1; 95% confidence interval [1.1-1.4]; P=0.049).
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Diphenhydramine toxicity manifests with signs of anticholinergic toxicity; therapy is generally supportive. In rare cases, patients can also present with a wide complex tachycardia due to sodium channel blockade. ⋯ Although intravenous fat emulsion (IFE) therapy is proposed as an adjunctive therapy due to the lipophilicity of diphenhydramine (octanol/water partition coefficient of 3.3), successful use of IFE after a confirmed sole ingestion of diphenhydramine is not previously reported. We present the case of a 30-year-old woman presenting with seizures, a wide complex tachycardia, and cardiovascular collapse after an ingestion of diphenhydramine refractory to other therapies with rapid improvement after IFE administration.
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Comparative Study
Propofol for pediatric colonoscopy: the experience of a large, tertiary care pediatric hospital.
Successful colonoscopy includes full visualization of the terminal ileum, especially in inflammatory bowel disease when ileal biopsy is essential. In children, higher levels of anxiety and lack of cooperation often necessitate a deeper level of sedation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of propofol compared with midazolam and fentanyl for colonoscopy, and in accomplishing ileal and cecal intubation in particular. ⋯ Complete, successful, colonoscopy to the terminal ileum was achieved in 78% of propofol patients compared with 66% of the midazolam/fentanyl group (P=0.004). Endoscopy reaching the cecum, but not the terminal ileum, was achieved in 78% of propofol patients and 66% of midazolam/fentanyl patients. The use of propofol was associated with a statistically significant increase in the rate of successful colonoscopy reaching the terminal ileum.
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Levetiracetam is a second-generation anticonvulsant that was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 1999 for the treatment of epilepsy. Recently, levetiracetam has become more popular for the prevention of posttraumatic seizures. Some of the well-known adverse effects of levetiracetam are somnolence, behavioral abnormalities, and less commonly, psychosis. ⋯ The patient's mental status improved dramatically within 24 hours after administration of the last dose of levetiracetam and he was discharged home. Based on the Naranjo scale, the episode of delirium was probably related to levetiracetam. Although the other neuropsychiatric effects of levetiracetam are well known, we highlight the first case of delirium without psychotic features associated with levetiracetam.