Aggressive versus conservative fluid resuscitation in septic hemodialysis patients.

PURPOSE: Sepsis and bacterial infections are common in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We aimed to compare patients with ESRD on hemodialysis presenting to hospital with severe sepsis or septic shock who received <20 ml/kg of intravenous fluid to those who received ≥20 ml/kg during initial resuscitation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of adult patients with ICD codes for discharge diagnosis of sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock, ESRD, and hemodialysis admitted to our institution between 2015 and 2018. RESULTS: We present outcomes for a total of 104 patients - 51 patients in conservative group and 53 in aggressive group. The mean age was 69.5 ± 11.2 years and 71 ± 11.5 years in the conservative group and aggressive group, respectively. There was no significant difference in the rate of ICU admission, and ICU or hospital length of stay between the two groups. Complications such as volume overload, rate of intubation, and urgent dialysis were not found to be significantly different. CONCLUSION: We found that aggressive fluid resuscitation with ≥20 ml/kg may not be detrimental in the initial resuscitation of ESRD patients with SeS or SS. However, a clinical decision of volume responsiveness should be made on a case-by-case basis rather than a universal approach for fluid resuscitation in ESRD patients.

Fluid resuscitation in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis presenting with severe sepsis or septic shock: A case control study.

Due to the potential risk of volume overload, physicians are hesitant to aggressively fluid-resuscitate septic patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis (HD). Primary objective: To calculate the percentage of ESRD patients on HD (Case) who received ≥30 mL/Kg fluid resuscitation within the first 6 h compared to non-ESRD patients (Control) that presented with severe sepsis (SeS) or septic shock (SS). Secondary objectives: Effect of fluid resuscitation on intubation rate, need for urgent dialysis, hospital length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) admission and LOS, need for vasopressors, and hospital mortality. Medical records of 715 patients with sepsis, SeS, SS, and ESRD were reviewed. We identified 104 Case and 111 Control patients. In the Case group, 23% of patients received ≥30 mL/Kg fluids compared to 60% in the Control group (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality, need for urgent dialysis, intubation rates, ICU LOS, or hospital LOS between the two groups. Subgroup analysis between ESRD patients who received ≥30 mL/Kg (N = 80) vs those who received <30 mL/Kg (N = 24) showed no significant difference in any of the secondary outcomes. Compliance with 30 mL/Kg fluids was low for all patients but significantly lower for ESRD patients. Aggressive fluid resuscitation appears to be safe in ESRD patients.

Giant cell carcinoma of the lung successfully treated with surgical resection and adjuvant vinorelbine and cisplatin.

Giant Cell Carcinoma of the lung, a subtype of Sarcomatoid lung cancer is a poorly differentiated Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. GCCL has exceptionally aggressive characteristics, and its prognosis is much poorer than any other NSCLCs. Herein, we present a rare case of Giant Cell Carcinoma of lung treated successfully with surgical resection and adjuvant vinorelbine and cisplatin. A 48-year-old African American man with a history of smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was admitted to the hospital for chief complaints of shortness of breath. He was found to have a 3.5 cm × 3.3 cm x 2.8 cm cavitary right upper lobe mass which turned out to be poorly differentiated Giant Cell Carcinoma with extensive necrosis and deemed similar to stage 1b non-small cell lung cancer. He was successfully treated with right upper lobectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy with vinorelbine and cisplatin. He was followed for seven years with no evidence of recurrent disease. Giant Cell Carcinoma's existing literature is limited, and hence our case is reportable. Our case is unique because of the better outcome which we believe might be the result of early detection and treatment with surgical resection along with adjuvant chemotherapy. More studies are needed to deeply understand the need for adjuvant chemotherapy in stage 1 b GCCL, and proper guidelines are required for the indications of adjuvant chemotherapy in Stage 1b GCCL.

Bulbar and Limb Myorhythmia with "Smooch Sign": A Distinctive Movement Disorder in an Adult Patient with Reversible Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis Associated with an Ovarian Teratoma.

Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor encephalitis is a recently described entity (Dalmau et al. 2007, 2008) that may present with a variety of complex movements in addition to other features (Kleinig et al. 2008). The purpose of our presentation of such a patient is twofold: (1) to characterize these complex oculo-oro-linguo-masticatory and limb movements with "smooch sign" as myorhythmia, based on a combined clinical and electrophysiological analysis (Masucci et al. 1984); and (2) to document possibly characteristic EEG evolution in the course of observation in our institution for three weeks from diffuse slowing to evolving rhythmic delta activity, which may represent a pattern of electrographic seizure activity.