bronchoaspiration steroid

Aspiration is defined as the inhalation of oropharyngeal or gastric contents into the lower respiratory tract. Upon injury, epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages secrete chemical mediators, attracting and activating neutrophils, which in turn release proteases and reactive oxygen species, degrading the alveolocapillary unit. Aspiration can lead to a range of diseases such as infectious pneumonia, chemical pneumonitis or respiratory distress syndrome with significant morbidity and mortality. It occurs in approximately 3-10 per 10 000 operations with an increased incidence in obstetric and paediatric anaesthesia...

Geotrichum capitatum, now known as Blastoschizomyces capitatus, can be responsible for several opportunistic infections (systemic infection or localized at lungs, liver, kidney, encephalitis or meningitis) in an immunocompromised host, especially in those patients affected by leukaemia or under immunosuppressive therapies. A 66-year-old woman with polimyosite under steroid and immunosuppressant therapy was hospitalized in ICU for an acute respiratory distress with moderate hypoxaemia and normocapnia. Pulmonary X-ray revealed a bilateral pneumonia...

INTRODUCTION: Nosocomial pneumonia (NP) is the second most frequent cause of hospital-acquired infection and is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality rates, particularly in intensive care units (ICU). The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence, risk factors and prognostic factors of NP acquired outside the ICU. METHODS: A prospective case-control study was performed. All NP cases were acquired outside the ICU, and each case was paired with a control subject matched for gender, age, date of admission and hospitalization area...

A 47 years old male with POEMS syndrome is presented. His illness started seven months before admission. He was in poor general conditions and had malnutrition. He had cutaneous hyperpigmentation, skin changes, hepatomegaly, edema of the limbs, quadriplegia, myotatic reflexes abolished, hypotrophy of muscular masses and bilateral papilledema. Immunoglobulins IgA and IgM were abnormal. Bone scanning showed multiple lytic lesions. The study of bone marrow showed megaloblastic changes. Electromyography revealed severe neuropathy and biopsy from sural nerve showed severe demyelinization...