An in-depth look at ventilator-associated pneumonia in trauma patients and efforts to increase bundle compliance, education and documentation in a surgical trauma critical care unit.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is considered the most common hospital acquired infection seen in critical care settings and leading cause of death in Intensive Care Units (ICU). The objective of this study was to assess whether specimen collection impacted diagnosis and if implementation of a VAP bundle would decrease rates at our center.

Methods: This single center study design is a retrospective chart review from 2017 to 2020 utilizing the electronic medical record.

A Single Center Review of the Dangers of Recreational Fires in the Pediatric Population.

The increasing trend of admissions due to recreational fires prompted a 5-year review. The retrospective chart review of pediatric burn injuries from campfires or bonfires treated at a single medical center's burn unit. The study included children within the ages of 0 to 15 admitted or transferred from January 2012 to December 2016 with first, second, and/or third degree burns by bonfires.

Modification of Stryker T5 and Stryker Flyte® Personal Protection Surgical Helmets to Function as Powered Air-Purifying Respirators.

Since the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) outbreak, health-care workers (HCWs) have had to create personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the worldwide demand and thus ensuing shortage. To address the dearth of available PPE, HCWs have quickly explored options to repurpose in-hospital equipment to provide alternative PPE to caregivers. We report the modification of a Stryker T5 and Stryker Flyte® personal protection surgical helmets as a powered air-purifying respirator.

Systemic pharmacokinetics of rifaximin in volunteers with shigellosis.

Rifaximin is an oral antibiotic indicated for treatment of traveler's diarrhea. Rifaximin pharmacokinetics were evaluated in individuals challenged with Shigella flexneri. Peak plasma rifaximin concentrations were low after nine consecutive doses, and no accumulation was observed.

Rifaximin treatment of pathogen-negative travelers' diarrhea.

Background: Antibacterial drugs appear to be effective in shortening the illness of a majority of cases of travelers' diarrhea.

Methods: This was a subanalysis from two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in adult travelers with acute diarrhea treated with rifaximin 200 mg three times a day or placebo for 3 days. Efficacy was assessed by the interval beginning with the first dose of medication and ending with the last unformed stool passed after becoming well [time to last unformed stool (TLUS)]; number of unformed stools passed; percent with clinical improvement; and incidence of wellness achieved.

A randomized, double-blind, multicenter study of rifaximin compared with placebo and with ciprofloxacin in the treatment of travelers' diarrhea.

Rifaximin was compared with placebo and ciprofloxacin for treatment of travelers' diarrhea in a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Adult travelers (N = 399) consulting travel clinics in Mexico, Guatemala, and India were randomized to receive rifaximin 200 mg three times a day, ciprofloxacin (500 mg two times a day and placebo once a day), or placebo three times a day for 3 days. Patients recorded in daily diaries the time and consistency of each stool and documented symptoms for 5 days after treatment.

Rifaximin, a nonabsorbed oral antibiotic, prevents shigellosis after experimental challenge.

Background: This double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to assess the efficacy of the nonabsorbed oral antibiotic rifaximin to prevent shigellosis in volunteers challenged with Shigella flexneri.

Methods: Volunteers were randomized to receive either prophylactic rifaximin (200 mg 3 times daily for 3 days; n = 15) or placebo (n = 10) on days 0, 1, and 2. On day 1, volunteers were challenged with approximately 1500 colony-forming units of S.

A lethal complication of propofol.

High-dose propofol infusion for sedation of patients in the intensive care unit can result in rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, metabolic acidosis, hyperkalemia, ventricular arrhythmia, hyperthermia, and death. The death of a patient with such complications after lung biopsy is reported. Until a safer dosage range has been determined, propofol infusion at rates higher than 5 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1) should be discouraged for long-term sedation (> 48 h).