Short-term lorazepam infusion and concern for propylene glycol toxicity: case report and review.

A 34-year-old woman with a history of renal insufficiency induced by long-term cocaine use was admitted with acute shortness of breath remarkable for submandibular and anterior throat swelling. She required intubation, mechanical ventilation, and sedation. Sedation was administered with daily infusions of intravenous lorazepam 65, 313, and 305 mg for 3 days, respectively. Forty-eight hours into the infusion the patient experienced anion gap metabolic acidosis with hyperlactatemia, hyperosmolality, and increased osmolal gap. Propylene glycol (PG), a component of lorazepam intravenous formulation, was considered the potential source of the metabolic abnormality. The patient received greater than 40 times the acceptable recommended amount of PG over 72 hours. Cessation of lorazepam produced major improvements in lactic acid, serum osmolality, and anion and osmolal gaps. The large PG exposure associated with long-term cocaine-induced renal insufficiency produced a toxic metabolic state. Agents containing PG should be avoided in patients with compromised renal function (creatinine clearance < or = 30 ml/min) induced by cocaine use.

Intravenous theophylline--an alternative to temporary pacing in the management of bradycardia secondary to AV nodal block.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of bradycardia secondary to atrioventricular nodal block (AVNB) successfully treated with intravenous theophylline. Intravenous theophylline was used as an alternative to temporary pacing in a patient with sepsis secondary to thermal injury. CASE SUMMARY: A 79-year-old white woman with significant cardiac history was admitted with 14.5% total body surface area burns after a house fire. Cardiac events included intermittent episodes of sinus bradycardia complicated by the development of second-degree AVNB and periods of sinus arrest. Intravenous theophylline initiation maintained normal sinus rhythm without further episodes of sinus bradycardia or heart block, thus preventing the need for cardiac pacemaker placement. DISCUSSION: This is the first case published in the English-language literature describing the use of intravenous theophylline as an alternative therapy to temporary pacing in a patient with sepsis secondary to thermal injury. Bradyarrhythmic events in sepsis patients have been associated with catecholamine production increasing adenosine formation. High concentrations of adenosine in the areas of the sinoatrial or atrioventricular nodal regions may induce sinus bradycardia or AVNB. Theophylline, an adenosine antagonist, has been identified as a treatment option for such bradyarrhythmic events. CONCLUSIONS: Theophylline, a methylxanthine derivative, may represent an alternative to other pharmacologic therapies and temporary pacing in the treatment of bradycardia secondary to AVNB. These agents may represent a pharmacologic alternative in patients in whom other pharmacologic strategies or cardiac pacemaker insertion may be contraindicated.

Trichosporon beigelii infection: experience in a regional burn center.

Trichosporon beigelii is a fungus once thought to cause only superficial infections, but recently has been increasingly identified as an opportunistic systemic pathogen in immunocompromised patients. There have been very limited reports of this organism in the burn patient population. We describe the first report of pharmacological management of invasive T. beigelii with a combination of amphotericin B and high dose fluconazole in a burn patient. Antifungal susceptibility testing of T. beigelii determined a change in minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of amphotericin B and a consistent resistance pattern with the use of flucytosine. This paper will review our experience with T. beigelii fungus in a regional burn treatment center and review the literature on other experiences in the burn population.

Intravenous immunoglobulin as adjunctive treatment for streptococcal toxic shock syndrome associated with necrotizing fasciitis: case report and review.

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is caused by infection with a toxicogenic strain of Streptococcus pyogenes. Clinical manifestations may be those of a mild illness, characterized by malaise, fever, and muscle pain, to severe sepsis and multisystem organ failure. The syndrome may be associated with several invasive infections including necrotizing fasciitis. Treatment is primarily surgical debridement of infected tissue with supportive care, antibiotics, and hemodynamic monitoring. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is reported to have beneficial effects in the management of STSS associated with necrotizing fasciitis. The agent was successful in conjunction with surgical excision and antibiotics in a patient with necrotizing fasciitis, toxic shock, and multisystem organ failure. On the basis of this experience and a thorough literature review, we concur that IVIG may be a useful adjunct in the treatment of STSS associated with necrotizing fasciitis.

Potential risk factors associated with thrombocytopenia in a surgical intensive care unit.

We conducted a retrospective chart review of 193 patients admitted during a 3-month period to determine the frequency of and potential risk factors associated with thrombocytopenia, and the association of acquired thrombocytopenia with length of stay in a surgical-trauma intensive care unit (SICU) and mortality. All records were reviewed beginning 24 hours after admission. Patients were followed for the duration of SICU stay or until death. Data collected and analyzed as potential risk factors for thrombocytopenia were age, gender, admitting diagnosis, classification (trauma, surgical, medical), APACHE II score, medical history, all scheduled drugs with start and stop dates, select laboratory values, arterial or central line placement, and complications. Thrombocytopenia occurred in 25 (13%) patients. These patients were more likely (p<0.05) than those without thrombocytopenia to have the following potential risk factors: presence of a central or arterial line (76% vs 46%, p<0.025), nonsurgical diagnosis (60% vs 37%, p<0.05), diagnosis of sepsis (p<0.001), and administration of phenytoin (p<0.01), piperacillin (p<0.005), imipenem-cilastatin (p<0.001), and vancomycin (p<0.005). A longer SICU stay (mean 21 vs 4.5 days, p<0.05) and increased mortality (16% vs 4%, p<0.05) were significantly associated with thrombocytopenia. Cefazolin administration was significantly associated with nonthrombocytopenia (p<0.05). Factors not associated with thrombocytopenia were age, gender, and administration of histamine2-receptor antagonists, heparin, enoxaparin, penicillins, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, and amphotericin B. A central or arterial line was the only factor associated with the development of thrombocytopenia in a multiple linear regression analysis (p=0.0003, multiple r=0.2580). Thrombocytopenia is not a common occurrence in the SICU, but is associated with a longer SICU stay and increased mortality.

Mechanical ventilation and pharmacologic strategies for acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Acute or adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) contributes to mortality and morbidity in the intensive care environment. Appropriate application of microprocessor-controlled mechanical ventilatory support, pathophysiology of the disease, and new pharmacologic modalities are currently being investigated. Mechanical ventilation is usually begun when respiratory failure is caused by alveolar hypoventilation or hypoxia. Primary choices for this therapy are control-mode ventilation, assist-control ventilation, pressure-control ventilation, intermittent mandatory ventilation, and synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation with the addition of positive end-expiratory pressure. Patients who deteriorate despite these interventions may require alternative modes of ventilation. Pharmacologic agents in ARDS is important due to the multifactorial pathophysiologic and pharmacodynamic processes that are part of the disease. Clinical studies will continue to determine advantageous agents. Unfortunately, no convincing data exist that any pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic strategy is superior for the support of these patients or results in a better outcome than others.

Investigational neuroprotective drugs in traumatic brain injury.

Primary neuronal injury due to acute traumatic brain-injury may cause significant damage to the CNS. However, impaired cognitive and behavioral function also occurs following secondary neuronal injury. Neuroprotective agents should be administered soon after the acute event to prevent this secondary phase. NMDA receptor antagonists, free radical scavengers and bradykinin antagonists are designed to protect the neuron from the damaging effects of mediators. Calcium-channel blocking agents and drugs promoting anaerobic glycolysis are designed to stop the intracellular processes causing ischemia. The standard treatment options for patients with brain injuries are limited. Thus, the possibility exists for poor outcomes. At this time, since there are no approved neuroprotective drugs available, experimental treatment offers a chance for improved outcomes.