Successful Recovery of Cardiac Function Following 20 min of a No-touch Period in a Donation After Circulatory Death: A Case Report.

Background: Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST) performed in the circulatory determination of death (DCD) donors leads to cardiac arrest, challenging the utilization of the myocardium for transplantation. The rapid initiation of normothermic regional perfusion or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after death helps to optimize organs before implantation. However, additional strategies to mitigate the effects of stress response during WLST, hypoxic/ischemic injury, and reperfusion injury are required to allow myocardium recovery.

Systematic review of the literature and evidence-based recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis in trauma: results from an Italian consensus of experts.

Background: Antibiotic prophylaxis is frequently administered in severe trauma. However, the risk of selecting resistant bacteria, a major issue especially in critical care environments, has not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of the present study was to provide guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis for four different trauma-related clinical conditions, taking into account the risks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria selection, thus innovating previous guidelines in the field.

West Nile virus transmission through organ transplantation in north-eastern Italy: a case report and implications for pre-procurement screening.

Purpose: West Nile virus (WNV) transmission through organ transplantation occurs rarely and screening of organ donors for WNV infection remains controversial. This report describes the case of WNV encephalitis in a kidney recipient and the case of asymptomatic WNV infection in the organ donor, both observed at Treviso Hospital, northeastern Italy. After briefly reviewing the literature, we discuss the implications for WNV screening.

Epidemiology of nosocomial infection in 125 Italian intensive care units.

Aim: A continuous infection surveillance program was conducted by GiViTI throughout 2006 in Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

Methods: This was a prospective epidemiological study carried out in 125 Italian intensive care units. All patients have been included in the study.

Decompressive craniectomy in a case of intractable intracranial hypertension due to pneumococcal meningitis.

A young woman suffering from S. pneumoniae meningitis developed intractable intracranial hypertension with a GCS of 3. Intracranial pressure (ICP) ranged above 30 mmHg despite maximal medical treatment and continuous CSF drainage.

Building a continuous multicenter infection surveillance system in the intensive care unit: findings from the initial data set of 9,493 patients from 71 Italian intensive care units.

Objective: To describe the epidemiology of infections in intensive care units (ICUs), whether present at admission or acquired during the stay.

Methods: Prospective data collection lasting 6 months in 71 Italian adult ICUs. Patients were screened for infections and risk factors at ICU admission and daily during their stay.

Severe head injury in early infancy: analysis of causes and possible predictive factors for outcome.

Object: The aim of this study was to analyse the causes and prognostic factors for outcome in severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in early infancy.

Materials And Methods: We present a retrospective study on 16 infants aged less than 12 months observed over the last 20 years in our department for severe brain injury. Infants were evaluated by the Children Coma Scale (CCS).

Urinary pharmacokinetics and theoretical pharmacodynamics of intravenous levofloxacin in intensive care unit patients treated with 500 mg b.i.d. for ventilator-associated pneumonia.

This study assessed the urinary pharmacokinetics and theoretical pharmacodynamics of levofloxacin in ICU patients treated with 500 mg b.i.d.

Levofloxacin disposition in cerebrospinal fluid in patients with external ventriculostomy.

In vitro levofloxacin exhibits both potent or intermediate activity against most of the pathogens frequently responsible for acute bacterial meningitis and synergistic activity with some beta-lactams. Since levofloxacin was shown to penetrate the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during meningeal inflammation both in animals and in humans, the disposition of levofloxacin in CSF was studied in 10 inpatients with external ventriculostomy because of communicating hydrocephalus related to subarachnoid occlusion due to cerebral accidents who were treated with 500 mg of levofloxacin intravenously twice a day because of extracerebral infections. Plasma and CSF concentration-time profiles and pharmacokinetics were assessed at steady state.

[Total parenteral nutrition in packages. Methods of application in a general surgery department].

In the period June 1987-March 1988, 80 patients classifiable according to ASPEN criteria were submitted to Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) using a single package nutrient mixing technique. The problems relating to the compatibility and stability of the solution are analysed and a protocol is proposed for the preparation of packages and the management of the central venous catheter compatible with the needs of a general surgery department. Personal experience has enabled us to observe the undoubted advantages of this technique: reduction of the time necessary for nursing the TPN patient, greater reliability in controlling speed of infusion and infectious complications, greater comfort for the patient.