Multi-organ dysfunction due to bath salts: are we aware of this entity?

Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a synthetic, cathinone-derivative, central nervous system stimulant taken to produce a cocaine- or methamphetamine-like high. Physical manifestations include tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmias, hyperthermia, sweating, rhabdomyolysis, hyperkalaemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, oliguria and seizures. We report a patient who presented with severe metabolic acidosis, multi-organ dysfunction, rhabdomyolysis, hyperkalaemia and seizures.

Prospective controlled trial of effect of medical emergency team on postoperative morbidity and mortality rates.

Objective: To determine whether the introduction of an intensive care unit-based medical emergency team, responding to hospital-wide preset criteria of physiologic instability, would decrease the rate of predefined adverse outcomes in patients having major surgery.

Design: Prospective, controlled before-and-after trial.

Setting: University-affiliated hospital.

A prospective before-and-after trial of a medical emergency team.

Objective: To determine the effect on cardiac arrests and overall hospital mortality of an intensive care-based medical emergency team.

Design And Setting: Prospective before-and-after trial in a tertiary referral hospital.

Patients: Consecutive patients admitted to hospital during a 4-month "before" period (May-August 1999) (n = 21 090) and a 4-month intervention period (November 2000 -February 2001) (n = 20 921).