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Background: Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection with high mortality that is caused by species of Mucorales. The most common species involved are Rhizopus, Mucor, Lichtheimia, and Rhizomucor., Case Report: A 56 year-old woman presented with a clinical history of diabetes mellitus type 2 and chronic renal disease. She underwent a cadaveric kidney transplantation two years before her admission, for which immunomodulating therapy with thymoglobulin, tacrolimus, mofetil-microphenolate and prednisone was established. The patient suffered a pneumonic process with cough, expectoration, and dyspnoea. The computed tomography scan showed a cavitation in the right upper lobe. With all these findings an invasive broncopulmonary aspergillosis was suspected and the patient began an antifungal treatment with voriconazole without improvement. Rhizomucor pusillus was isolated from a clinical specimen obtained by fine needle aspiration, and its identification was confirmed by PCR. After this finding amphotericin B was administered, but the patient had an uncontrolled haemoptysis and died., Conclusions: Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare infection, usually fatal in kidney transplant recipients with anti-rejection therapy. Mucorales species usually produce thrombotic phenomena, associated with necrosis and parenchymal destruction that caused a fatal uncontrolled haemoptysis in our patient. Early diagnosis is important in order to perform any surgical treatment and to administer amphotericin B., (Copyright © 2017 Asociación Española de Micología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the results of quality monitoring after the implementation of improvement strategies in the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU)., Design: A prospective, comparative, longitudinal and interventional study was carried out., Setting: The RICU of Hospital General de México (Mexico)., Patients: All patients admitted to the RICU from March 2012 to March 2013., Interventions: An evidence-based bundle of interventions was implemented in order to reduce the ratios of three quality indicators: non-planned extubation (NPE), reintubation, and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)., Variables of Interest: NPE, reintubation and VAP ratios., Results: A total of 232 patients were admitted, with a mean age of 49.5±17.8years; 119 (50.5%) were woman. The mean Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS-3) was 49.8±17, and the mean Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 5.3±4.1. The mortality rate in the RICU was 38.7%. The standardized mortality ratio was 1.50 (95%CI: 1.20-1.84). An improved ratio was observed for reintubation and NPE indicators compared to the ratios of the previous 2011 cohort: 1.6% vs. 7% (P=.02) and 8.1 vs. 17 episodes per 1000 days of mechanical ventilation (P=.04), respectively. A worsened VAP ratio was observed: 18.4 vs. 15.1 episodes per 1000 days of mechanical ventilation (P=.5)., Conclusions: Quality improvement is feasible with the identification of areas of opportunity and the implementation of strategies. Nevertheless, the implementation of a bundle of preventive measures in itself does not guarantee improvements., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.)