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Abstract Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKp) infections continue to be an important cause of mortality. In this retrospective study, the effect of carbapenem or colistin resistance on mortality in Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia and combined meropenem + colistin administration in CRKp bacteremia was evaluated. In addition to that, a mathematical model is applied to explore the relationships between the resistance and mortality. A total of 139 adult patients diagnosed with K. pneumoniae bacteremia(73 carbapenem sensitive and 66 carbapenem resistant) between 01/01/2000 and 31/07/2019 were included in the study. The 30-day mortality in entire cohort were 19.4%. 30-day mortality was significantly higher in the carbapenem resistant-colistin sensitive group and in the carbapenem resistant-colistin resistant group compared to the carbapenem susceptible group. Meropenem + colistin combination was administered to 37 (95%) of carbapenem resistant–colistin sensitive (n = 39) and 25 (93%) of carbapenem resistant–colistin resistant patients(n = 27). Notably, mortality was not significantly affected regardless of whether CRKp was colistin sensitive and whether a high dose and prolonged infusion of meropenem was administered. Mortality is higher in carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia compared to carbapenem susceptible group. In cases of combined meropenem and colistin administration, high dose and prolonged infusion of meropenem is not superior to standard dose and infusion in both carbapenem resistant–colistin sensitive and carbapenem resistant–colistin resistant K. pneumoniae bacteremia.

Objective:Intensive care unit (ICU) readmission is a common and unwanted situation. Mortality rates, length of stay in ICU and treatment expenses are also higher in readmitted patients. This study aimed to examine the hospital/ICU readmission rates and risk factors among patients discharged from the ICU.Materials and Methods:Patients older than 18 years who were hospitalised in the ICU between January 1, 2012 and October 31, 2016 and were re-admitted to the hospital/ICU within 30 days after discharge were retrospectively analysed.Results:A total of 510 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 91 (17.84%) patients were readmitted to the ICU. The average age was higher (p=0.002) among the readmitted patients. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation-II and sequential organ failure assessment scores at admission and discharge, stability and workload index for transfer (SWIFT) scores at discharge and comorbid disease rates were higher among readmitted patients (p

Tricyclic antidepressant intoxication is frequently encountered among children and adults due to widespread use of the drugs. Amitriptyline is among the major tricyclic antidepressants. It affects the cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous system. In the treatment of amitriptyline intoxication, various treatments such as gastric lavage, activated charcoal, bicarbonate infusion, antiarrhythmic, and anticonvulsant drug usage were applied. Here, we reported a patient with severe amitriptyline intoxication who did not respond to these treatments but dramatically improved with hemoperfusion. A 33 year-old woman applied to the emergency service half an hour later ingesting 2000 mg of amitriptyline as a suicide attempt. On admission, her Glasgow coma scale (GCS) was 10, blood pressure was 100/60 mmHg, heart rate was 160 beats/min. Wide QRS and ventricular tachycardia was seen in the Electrocardiography (ECG) results. Having her GCS regressed to 7, she was intubated and admitted to intensive care unit after the initial treatments. Hemoperfusion was commenced within half an hour. While hemoperfusion was continuing, her ECG was seen to turn to sinus tachycardia. Her cardiovascular and neurological status returned to normal on the 2nd day and she was discharged from the intensive care unit on the 4th day. Besides hemoperfusion is not recommended due to high protein binding and large volume of distribution in classical treatment of amitriptyline overdose, current reports representing efficacy of hemoperfusion are also accumulating. After ingestion, tricyclic antidepressants are absorbed rapidly and reach to their effective concentration in the tissues, especially by the lung, the brain and the heart. Hence, hemoperfusion performed in early stage of ingestion is an effective treatment and in cases that do not respond to conventional therapies, it should be considered that this method can be used in the early period.

Delirium is an acute organic brain syndrome of different physical and pathophysiological etiologies characterized by a disturbance in consciousness with accompanying change in cognition. Delirium causes prolonged length of stay in hospital and intensive care unit, also increased morbidity and mortality. Thyroid storm is a severe, life-threatening type of thyrotoxicosis and is one of a few endocrine disorders that cause delirium. It is mostly occured suddenly after acute infection, surgical stress or trauma. This condition occurs due to excess production of thyroid hormone and 20-50% mortality rate depends on early diagnosis and treatment. In this study it was aimed to present the diagnosis and treatment of a previously unknown hyperthyroid patient who underwent suspension laryngoscopy under general anesthesia and was post-operatively admitted to the intensive care unit because of pulmonary edema and proceeded to develop severe delirium caused by hyrotoxicosis.

Objective: Anemia is very common problem in critically ill patients, and it has many deleterious effects of morbidity and mortality, decreased in oxygen carrying capacity. Phlebotomy is an important factor contributing to anemia and the need for transfusion. We aimed to evaluate the volumes of blood drawn for laboratory tests from critically ill patients, and effect on anemia and transfusion practices. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 60 critically ill patients. Data were recorded daily including volume of the withdrawn blood, hemoglobin (Hb), indication for transfusion, and number of units transfused. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II ve Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, the length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Results: Thirty six of the patients (60%) that transfused had significantly higher admitting APACHE II and SOFA scores (p

Introduction: This study aims to evaluate presenting symptoms, clinical and laboratory findings, and treatment modalities of adult patients presenting with mushroom poisoning treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) with special consideration of extracorporeal liver support systems. Materials and methods: Records of patients with mushroom poisoning treated in the ICU between January 2007 and December 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Sixteen adult patients were treated in the ICU for mushroom poisoning during the designated study period. Presentation to the hospital was most common during October of each year. Average time from ingestion of mushrooms to first symptoms was 17.81 hours, and to ICU admission was 2.38 days. The most common symptoms were nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The most common laboratory finding was elevation of liver transaminases. In cases with elevated liver transaminases, penicillin G, silibinin and N-acetyl cysteine were used. Extracorporeal support systems were used in 9 cases. Two cases underwent emergency liver transplantation. Conclusion: Liver transplantation is the most definitive and effective treatment in indicated cases of mushroom poisoning. Extracorporeal support systems should be considered in the early period both as a treatmet modality on their own or to save time until the definitive treatment is possible. The question of which extracorporeal detoxification technique to use is difficult to answer and controlled clinical trials which compare their efficacy are needed.