Hemoptysis in a Patient with Elevated Immunoglobulin E.

Recurrent pneumonia with cavitation leading to pneumatoceles, secondary fungal infections, and hemoptysis are major causes of mortality and morbidity in patients with hyper-IgE syndrome. Prevention and aggressive treatment of pneumonia in these patients are essential to prevent further lung damage, but treatment may be delayed because the classic signs/symptoms of infection such as fever, chills, or rigors may be lacking. Early imaging to identify infection is essential for diagnosis and treatment.

Decision support tool for early differential diagnosis of acute lung injury and cardiogenic pulmonary edema in medical critically ill patients.

Background: At the onset of acute hypoxic respiratory failure, critically ill patients with acute lung injury (ALI) may be difficult to distinguish from those with cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE). No single clinical parameter provides satisfying prediction. We hypothesized that a combination of those will facilitate early differential diagnosis.

Limiting ventilator-induced lung injury through individual electronic medical record surveillance.

Background: To improve the safety of ventilator care and decrease the risk of ventilator-induced lung injury, we designed and tested an electronic algorithm that incorporates patient characteristics and ventilator settings, allowing near-real-time notification of bedside providers about potentially injurious ventilator settings.

Methods: Electronic medical records of consecutive patients who received invasive ventilation were screened in three Mayo Clinic Rochester intensive care units. The computer system alerted bedside providers via the text paging notification about potentially injurious ventilator settings.

Incidence and transfusion risk factors for transfusion-associated circulatory overload among medical intensive care unit patients.

Background: Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) is a frequent complication of blood transfusion. Investigations identifying risk factors for TACO in critically ill patients are lacking.

Study Design And Methods: We performed a 2-year prospective cohort study of consecutive patients receiving blood product transfusion in the medical intensive care unit (ICU) of the tertiary care institution.