Challenge for higher colistin dosage in critically ill patients receiving continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration.

Traditionally, reduced daily doses of colistin methanesulphonate (CMS) in critically ill patients receiving continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) have resulted in suboptimal colistin concentrations. The necessity of a loading dose (LD) at treatment initiation has been proposed. A LD of 9 million IU (MU) [ca.

Successful treatment of extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ventriculitis and meningitis with intraventricular colistin after application of a loading dose: a case series.

Treatment results of six post-neurosurgical ventriculitis and meningitis cases caused by extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii after application of an intraventricular loading dose of 500000 IU (40 mg) of colistin followed by a dose of 125000-250000 IU (10-20 mg) every 24-48 h plus parenteral colistin are reported. Simultaneous bacteraemia with an identical Acinetobacter strain was observed in three patients. The mean duration of treatment was 17.

Evaluation of spiral computed tomography versus ventilation/perfusion scanning in patients clinically suspected of pulmonary embolism.

Objective: To prospectively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of spiral computed tomography (CT) versus ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scanning in the examination of patients clinically suspected of having pulmonary embolism (PE).

Patients And Methods: Sixty-three patients, presenting to the emergency department and departments of radiology and nuclear medicine of a large hospital, highly suspected of having PE, underwent sequential imaging testing with V/Q scanning and contrast-enhanced spiral CT, in addition to other clinical and laboratory tests.

Results: PE was diagnosed in 42 (66.