Does central venous pressure predict fluid responsiveness? A systematic review of the literature and the tale of seven mares.

Background: Central venous pressure (CVP) is used almost universally to guide fluid therapy in hospitalized patients. Both historical and recent data suggest that this approach may be flawed.

Objective: A systematic review of the literature to determine the following: (1) the relationship between CVP and blood volume, (2) the ability of CVP to predict fluid responsiveness, and (3) the ability of the change in CVP (DeltaCVP) to predict fluid responsiveness.

Infiltrative lung diseases: complications of novel antineoplastic agents in patients with hematological malignancies.

Infiltrative lung disease is a well-known complication of antineoplastic agents in patients with hematological malignancies. Novel agents are constantly being added to available treatments. The present review discusses different pulmonary syndromes, pathogenesis and management of these novel agents.

Pulmonary complications of novel antineoplastic agents for solid tumors.

Antineoplastic agent-induced pulmonary toxicity is an important cause of respiratory failure. Although the incidence of antineoplastic agent-induced pulmonary toxicity seems to be low, more cases can be expected, with increasing numbers of patients receiving the new generations of antineoplastic agents. Antineoplastic agents have previously been associated with bronchospasm, hypersensitivity reactions, venous thromboembolism, and pulmonary hemorrhage.

Clinical and pathologic manifestations of necrobiosis lipoidica-like skin involvement in sarcoidosis.

Necrobiosis lipoidica dibeticum (NLD) is a granulomatous skin disease mostly associated with diabetes mellitus. NLD has been reported in patients with other systemic disease. Also, the lesions of NLD may be clinically, and sometimes even histologically indistinguishable from other inflammatory skin lesions.

Pulmonary manifestations of peripheral T-cell lymphoma: case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) represent approximately 10% of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Pulmonary involvement is an uncommon manifestation of this heterogeneous group of malignancies.

Methods: Report of a case.

Acute unilateral pneumonitis in a patient with polymyositis: a unique presentation of polymyositis-associated pneumonitis.

We describe a unique presentation of polymyositis-associated pneumonitis. A 45-year-old man with a history of polymyositis presented with an episode of fever, cough, dyspnea, rapidly progressive respiratory failure, and unilateral pulmonary infiltrates. Although bacterial pneumonia was initially suspected, all cultures, including bronchoalveolar cultures, remained negative, and the patient's condition worsened despite wide-spectrum antibiotics.

Role of CD8 lymphocytes and neutrophilic alveolitis in Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia.

We described the characteristics of bronchoalveolar inflammatory cells and their correlation with lung injury in patients with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia. We reviewed all cases of patients with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in newly diagnosed HIV infected patients admitted to a large metropolitan referral hospital during June 2003 to December 2004. Nine patients (5M, 4F) with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia diagnosed with bronchoscopy and cytological examination of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were identified.

Erlotinib-associated acute pneumonitis: report of two cases.

Two cases of erlotinib-associated acute pneumonitis are described. The first patient was started on erlotinib treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The second patient was treated with erlotinib for metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown origin.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia after thoracic surgery: successful treatment with linezolid after failed vancomycin therapy.

We describe 3 patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, hospital-acquired pneumonia who demonstrated a microbiological and clinical failure with vancomycin despite adequate trough levels. All 3 patients were cured with linezolid.

Sarcoidosis of gastrointestinal tract: a rare disease.

Gastrointestinal (GI) tract sarcoidosis is an uncommon form of sarcoidosis. The GI tract can be involved as an isolated disease as a part of systemic sarcoidosis. Clinical manifestations of esophageal, gastric, small bowel, colon, and appendicular sarcoidosis are discussed in this review.

Fatal massive hemoptysis in a patient on low-dose oral prednisone: chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis.

We report a case of chronic necrotizing aspergillosis in a 74-year-old man with chronic lung disease, who was on low-dose prednisone. The patient was treated with various antibiotics but had no improvement. Sample obtained via bronchoscopy grew Aspergillus, and the patient was started on lipid formulation amphotericin B.

Unusual complication of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia after mitral valve surgery: spontaneous rupture of spleen.

A 64-year-old man presented with cardiac tamponade 2 weeks after mitral valve surgery. The patient was anticoagulated for persistent atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery. A pericardial catheter was placed.

A case of fatal necrotizing pancreatitis: complication of hydrochlorothiazide and lisinopril therapy.

We report a case of fatal necrotizing pancreatitis associated with hydrochlorothiazide and lisinopril therapy. A 49-year-old man who presented with 2 days of abdominal pain and vomiting was found to have severe pancreatitis. The patient denied any alcohol use.

Recurrent episodes of dermatomyositis-associated pneumonitis masquerading as hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

This case report describes a unique presentation of dermatomyositis-associated pneumonitis. A 44-year-old man presented with repeated episodes of fever, dyspnea, and hemoptysis accompanied with pulmonary infiltrates, on chest CT scan. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis was suspected.

Osborn wave in hypothermia from Vibrio vunificus sepsis unrelated to exposure.

A 58 year old man with history of cirrhosis presented with Vibrio vunificus sepsis. The patient developed multiorgan failure despite appropriate antibiotic therapy and fluid resuscitation. The patient developed moderate hypothermia.

Multiple venous thromboses in a young man with sarcoidosis: is there a relation between sarcoidosis and venous thrombosis?

We describe the case of a 33-year-old African-American male who presented with multiple deep venous thromboses of the upper and lower extremities. Hypercoagulable workup was unrevealing. A chest x-ray showed bilateral hilar lymph node enlargement.