BACKGROUND: It is recommended to use aerosolized (AS) colistin in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation therapy as an adjunctive in the latest guidelines, in spite of high nephrotoxicity and limited studies. In this study, systematic reviews and metaanalyzes were conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AS colistin in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. METHODS: Two authors independently searched related literature published from Pubmed and EMBASE until July 2016 and included a study comparing adjunctive AS colistin with intravenous (IV) colistin monotherapy. The primary outcome was the clinical response rate, the secondary outcome was the overall mortality, and nephrotoxicity. The publication bias was evaluated using the Egger's test. RESULTS: Of the total 279 articles, nine were finally included in the final analysis. There was a significant difference between the adjunctive AS colistin group and the IV colistin monotherapy group for the treatment-response rate (odds ratio (OR), 1.56; 95% CI, 1.14–2.14; p = 0.005; I² = 36%), although there was no significant difference in overall mortality (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.57–1.04; p = 0.09; I² = 20%). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in nephrotoxicity (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.74–1.74; p = 0.57; I² = 4%). CONCLUSION: The addition of aerosolized colistin to IV colistin monotherapy showed better results in terms of efficacy than IV colistin monotherapy and did not show any significant difference in terms of total mortality and nephrotoxicity. Additional large-scale studies of this need to be verified.

An 88-year-old woman complained of right quadrant abdominal pain and severe edema in both legs. She had a history of pulmonary embolism one month ago. Abdomen CT showed a huge hepatic cyst compressing the intrahepatic portion of the inferior vena cava (IVC). The venogram CT showed multifocal thrombosis in the iliocaval and both lower extremity veins. Percutaneous hepatic cyst drainage was carried out. Fluid analysis presented leukocytosis, which suggested an infected hepatic cyst. To prevent secondary pulmonary thromboembolism, an IVC filter was inserted before catheter drainage for the hepatic cyst. One week later, abdominal pain was relieved. Then, sclerotherapy for the remnant hepatic cyst was performed by ethanol. Follow-up CT showed an increased amount of thrombosis in the iliocaval and left calf vein, but the IVC filter prevented another thromboembolic event successfully. The patient started dabigatran, a new oral anticoagulant, and compression stockings were applied to both legs. After one month, no visible thrombosis in the pelvis or either extremity was detected in abdominal CT. This case suggests that a huge hepatic cyst, especially with infection, should be considered as a possible cause of deep vein thrombosis if no other risk factors for thromboembolism exist.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Aged, 80 and over ; Catheters ; Dabigatran ; Drainage* ; Edema ; Ethanol ; Extremities ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leg ; Leukocytosis ; Liver ; Lower Extremity ; Pelvis ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Risk Factors ; Sclerotherapy ; Stockings, Compression ; Thromboembolism ; Thrombosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Veins ; Vena Cava Filters* ; Vena Cava, Inferior* ; Venous Thrombosis*

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic accuracies of renal ultrasonography (US) and voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included infants and children (× 24 months of age) with urinary tract infections who underwent renal US and VCUG. The incidences of decreased or increased renal size, increased renal parenchymal echogenicity, ureteral dilation, ureteral wall thickening, renal pelvic dilation, pelvic wall thickening, and accentuated pelvic dilation in the prone position were compared. Grade 3 or higher VUR was classified as “high-grade.” A total of 138 patients (109 males; mean age, 3 months) were included. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed, and diagnostic accuracy was calculated. RESULTS: Fifty-three (38.4%) and 43 (31.2%) patients exhibited all-grade and high-grade VUR. Decreased renal size was significantly related to all-grade [odds ratio (OR): 16.6; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4–81.3; p = 0.001) and high-grade VUR (OR: 29.7; 95% CI: 5.7–155.3; p < 0.001). Accentuated pelvic dilation in the prone position, increased renal parenchymal echogenicity, and ureteral dilation were related to all-grade and high-grade VUR. CONCLUSION Decreased renal size showed the highest diagnostic accuracy for US-based diagnosis of all-grade and high-grade VUR. Accentuated pelvic dilation in the prone position, increased renal parenchymal echogenicity, and ureteral dilation may aid in the diagnosis of high-grade VUR.

Background: For acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with history of prior stroke (PS) and diabetes mellitus (DM), intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) therapy in the 3- to 4.5-hour window is off-label in Korea. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of IV-tPA in these patients. Methods: Using data from a prospective multicenter stroke registry between January 2009 and March 2021, we identified AIS patients who received IV-tPA in the 3- to 4.5-hour window, and compared the outcomes of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH), 3-month mortality, 3-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 0-1 and 3-month mRS distribution between patients with both PS and DM (PS/DM, n=56) versus those with neither PS nor DM, or with only one (non-PS/DM, n=927). Results: The PS/DM group versus the non-PS/DM group was more likely to have a prior disability, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease and less likely to have atrial fibrillation. The PS/DM and the non-PS/DM groups had comparable rates of SICH (0% vs. 1.7%; p>0.999) and 3-month mortality (10.7% vs. 10.2%; p=0.9112). The rate of 3-month mRS 0-1 was non-significantly lower in the PS/DM group than in the non-PS/DM group (30.4% vs. 40.7%; adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.81 [0.41-1.59]). Conclusions In the 3- to 4.5-hour window, AIS patients with PS/DM, as compared to those with non-PS/DM, might benefit less from IV-tPA. However, given the similar risks of SICH and mortality, IV-tPA in the late time window could be considered in patients with both PS and DM.