Arch Intern Med
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Review Case Reports
Salmonella aortitis. A report of a successfully treated case with a comprehensive review of the literature.
A successfully treated case of Salmonella infection of the thoracic aorta is described. Salmonella enteritidis was isolated from blood cultures and from operative cultures of the aorta. ⋯ The pathogenesis, clinical and laboratory characteristics, and the treatment of aortitis due to Salmonella species are reviewed in 98 cases reported in the English-language literature since 1948. Early diagnosis and a combination of prompt surgical intervention and antibiotic therapy are essential for survival.
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Despite growing support for advance directives, there are few data validating their utility. We conducted this study to determine if the type of advance directive influences physicians' willingness to withhold specific therapies and if physicians are equally willing to withhold these therapies. ⋯ Detailed advance directives with a supportive proxy, coupled with physician-patient discussion, furnish the most reliable medical directives. Even with such directives, physicians are more likely to withhold life-saving therapies than simple tests, treatments, and pain medications.