Reasons of PEG failure to eliminate gastroesophageal reflux in mechanically ventilated patients.

Aim: To investigate factors predicting failure of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) to eliminate gastroesophageal reflux (GER).

Methods: Twenty-nine consecutive mechanically ventilated patients were investigated. Patients were evaluated for GER by pH-metry pre-PEG and on the 7th post-PEG day.

Oral atovaquone for the treatment of severe Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in a patient with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

We present a case of severe Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and coexisting cytomegalovirus infection in a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme deficient woman with anaplastic astrocytoma on temozolomide and corticosteroid therapy. She was successfully treated with oral atovaquone and ganciclovir. Atovaquone represents a safe alternative in severe Pneumocystis infection when trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole) is contraindicated.

Hypoxemic resuscitation after hemorrhagic shock is accompanied by reduced serum levels of angiopoietin-2.

Background: To investigate whether angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are implicated in the hypoxemic resuscitation from hemorrhagic shock.

Methods: Twenty rabbits were subjected to hemorrhagic shock after blood exsanguination; resuscitation was performed by infusion of the shed blood in ten rabbits under normoxemic conditions (NormoxRes) and in 10 under hypoxemic conditions (HypoxRes); four rabbits were subjected to sham operation. Serum was drawn at serial time intervals; serum was applied for stimulation of U937 monocytes.