Fatal Hemoptysis due to Chronic Cavitary Pulmonary Aspergillosis Complicated by Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Tuberculosis.

A 51-year-old man, with a history of severe COPD and bilateral pneumothorax, who was under treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis due to mycobacterium avium, was admitted due to high-grade fever, weight loss, cough, and production of purulent sputum, for almost one month without any special improvement despite adequate antibiotics treatment in outpatient setting. A CT scan revealed multiple consolidations, fibrosis, scaring, and cavitary lesions in both upper lobes with newly shadows which were fungus balls inside them. Aspergillus flavius was isolated in three sputum samples, a diagnosis of chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis was made, and treatment with intravenous amphotericin B was started.

Hepatitis B remains a major health priority in Western Balkans: results of a 4-year prospective Greek-Albanian collaborative study.

Objective Of The Study: To report on the results of two projects on chronic hepatitis B in Western Balkans lead by Ioannina, Northwest Greece and Tirana, Albania.

Methods: In two prospective projects, HEPAGA I and HEPAGA II which lasted 4 years. In HEPAGA I, serum samples from 410 Albanians were tested for HBV.

Does leukodepletion during elective cardiac surgery really influence the overall clinical outcome?

Aim: We examined the impact of leukocyte filtration during the entire bypass time on postoperative leukocytosis, perioperative hemorrhage and overall clinical outcome in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery.

Methods: Eighty patients who electively underwent cardiac surgery were randomly allocated to a leukocyte depletion group (n=40) or a control group (n=40). In patients of the leukocyte depletion group an arterial line filter with leukocyte depleting capacity (Pall LG6) was applied instead of a standard arterial line filter.

Emergency medicine standardized letter of recommendation: predictors of guaranteed match.

Objective: The Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) standardized letter of recommendation (SLOR) has become a common, reliable, and useful tool in the evaluation of emergency medicine (EM) applicants. A "guaranteed match" (GM) is the SLOR's bottom-line superlative response. It is also the SLOR's least common superlative response.