Predicting the Impact of Diffuse Alveolar Damage through Open Lung Biopsy in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome-The PREDATOR Study.

The aim of this retrospective and international study is to identify those clinical variables associated with diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), and to explore the impact of DAD on hospital mortality risk. Inclusion criteria were: adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) undergoing open lung biopsy (OLB) during their intensive care unit (ICU) management. The main end-points were: DAD and hospital mortality.

[An atypical case of necrotizing staphylococcal pneumonia].

Introduction: Some strains of Staphylococcus aureus produce a toxin known as Panton-Valentine leukocidin. These strains notably cause a necrotizing pneumonia which is associated with a high mortality.

Observation: A 70-year-old woman presented with sub-acute onset dyspnea, low-grade fever, and hemoptysis after a trip to Dubai and New Zealand.