Publications by authors named "Karen M Wolf"
Factors that predict short-term intensive care unit mortality in patients with cirrhosis.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol
September 2013
Background & Aims: Despite advances in critical care medicine, the mortality rate is high among critically ill patients with cirrhosis. We aimed to identify factors that predict early (7 d) mortality among patients with cirrhosis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and to develop a risk-stratification model.
Methods: We collected data from patients with cirrhosis admitted to the ICU at Indiana University (IU-ICU) from December 1, 2006, through December 31, 2009 (n = 185), or at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn-ICU) from May 1, 2005, through December 31, 2010 (n = 206).
Purpose: To report a novel posterior segment manifestation of Whipple disease.
Method: Single observational case study.
Results: The white crystalline deposit in the retina, choroiditis, and vitritis resolved with treatment of Whipple disease.
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with Whipple's disease (WD-PH) is extremely rare, and the underlying pathophysiological processes are incompletely understood. Alterations in hemodynamics can be severe, with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction being common. A case involving a 23-year-old man with WD-PH who exhibited a dramatic vasodilator response during right heart catheterization despite severely altered pulmonary hemodynamics and concomitant RV dysfunction is reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcquired weakness, handgrip strength, and mortality in critically ill patients.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med
August 2008
Article Synopsis
- ICU-acquired paresis (ICUAP) is common among critically ill patients, leading to longer hospital stays and prolonged ventilator use, but its direct link to mortality is debated due to patient severity variations.
- The study conducted across five academic ICUs aimed to evaluate whether ICUAP is independently related to increased mortality and if handgrip dynamometry can serve as an effective strength measure.
- Findings revealed that patients with ICUAP had significantly worse outcomes, with a notably higher mortality risk linked to both ICUAP and reduced handgrip strength, indicating the importance of assessing these factors in ICU settings.
Newly diagnosed chronic granulomatous disease in a 53-year-old woman with Crohn disease.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol
August 2005
Background: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is characterized by defective bactericidal activity of white blood cells, specifically, a defect in superoxide production. Patients experience infections, predominantly caused by catalase-positive bacteria and fungal organisms, that may be severe and life-threatening. Most cases of CGD are diagnosed in children; however, it may rarely go undiagnosed until adulthood in individuals with unexplained infections and granulomatous inflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF