Respirology : official journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
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ARDS is life-threatening acute respiratory failure, and pneumonia is one of the most common causes of direct ARDS. Procalcitonin (PCT) has been evaluated for its utility in determining the aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), choice of antibiotics and prediction of outcome. This study evaluated the role of PCT in predicting the outcome of patients with ARDS caused by severe CAP. ⋯ PCT analysed within 72 h of the onset of ARDS predicted mortality of patients with ARDS caused by severe CAP.
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Case Reports
Combined lung fibrosis and 'mechanic's hand': a clinical diagnostic clue to amyopathic antisynthetase syndrome.
Combined interstitial lung disease and the presence of 'mechanic's hands' could be a clinical clue in the early diagnosis of the rare disease, amyopathic antisynthetase syndrome for which anti-Jo-1 antibody is a useful diagnostic tool. The case is reported of a patient who suffered from shortness of breath and dry cough, with pulmonary fibrosis on CXR and CT scan, and interstitial pneumonitis on trans-bronchial biopsy. ⋯ The patient was treated with prednisolone and her clinical picture, including the 'mechanic's hands' and lung fibrosis, subsided gradually, suggesting that the sign may be a useful follow up tool in this disease. Early diagnosis and corticosteroid therapy could be beneficial for these patients.