Remifentanil-based sedation to treat noninvasive ventilation failure: a preliminary study

Objective To assess the feasibility and safety of remifentanil-based sedation during noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in patients with NIV failure. Design and setting Prospective clinical investigation in a 16-bed intensive care unit of a university hospital in France. Patients Thirteen patients in NIV failure due to discomfort and/or refusal to continue this ventilatory support: 10 with acute respiratory failure and 3 with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. Intervention Patients were administered methylene blue and were sedated (Ramsay scale 2–3) by a continuous perfusion of remifentanil during NIV. Cardiorespiratory and ventilatory parameters, blood gas analysis, and adverse events were prospectively recorded. Measurements and results The 13 patients received a total of 125 NIV sessions, totaling 1200 h, of NIV under remifentanil-based sedation (mean remifentanil dose 0.1 ± 0.03 μg/kg per minute). Three patients also required propofol. PaO₂/FIO₂ ratio increased from 134 ± 69 to 187 ± 43 mmHg after 1 h. In patients with acute respiratory failure respiratory rate decreased from 34 ± 12 per minute before remifentanil to 25 ± 4 per minute after 1 h. In the three patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure PaCO₂ decreased from 69 ± 7 to 42 ± 5 mmHg. Four patients required endotracheal intubation without aspiration pneumonia. Twelve of the 13 patients left the ICU. Conclusion This pilot study shows that remifentanil-based sedation is safe and effective in the treatment of NIV failure due to low tolerance.     

Enzymatically Inactive Red Cell Carbonic Anhydrase B in a Family with Renal Tubular Acidosis

An inactive mutant form of red cell carbonic anhydrase B is described in three members of a large kindred who manifest infantile renal tubular acidosis and nerve deafness. A combination of enzymatic and immunologic investigations permitted its detection, despite the fact that both antigenic and electrophoretic properties of the mutant were identical to those of the normal form.     

Immune hemolytic anemia associated with teicoplanin

BACKGROUND: Several drugs can cause immune hemolytic anemia. Here a patient who developed hemolytic anemia after treatment with teicoplanin is described. CASE REPORT: Owing to a two-vessel disease, a 68-year-old white man underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. He was readmitted for superficial sternal wound infection and sternal instability. Rewiring was required and worsening anemia characterized the course after the reoperation. Drugs used in the second admission were gentamycin, teicoplanin, paracetamol, and codeine. They were considered as a possible cause of drug-induced hemolytic anemia. RESULTS: The DAT was positive for complement and IgG. Autoanti-e was identified in the patient's undiluted serum sample. The eluate was reactive with all RBCs tested only after adding teicoplanin; when diluted 1:4, anti-e specificity was observed in the presence of teicoplanin. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of immune hemolytic anemia owing to teicoplanin.     

On the variability of covariate adjustment. experience with Koch's method for evaluating the absolute difference in proportions in randomized clinical trials

Recently Koch et al. suggested an interesting approach for covariate adjustment in randomized clinical trials. Here we report our experience with the approach in Assent II, a large randomized trial comparing 30-day mortality rates of two thrombolytic treatments. Data from the Gusto-I study and a recent successor to the Assent II study will also be used. Further, we balance the advantage of covariate adjustment (with Koch's method) to the extra efforts and resources necessary. In this context we highlight the fact that there is a potential risk of using a covariate-adjusted analysis as primary analysis and show that covariate adjustment has the least effect when it is needed most. Analytic results will be given to quantify this risk and a simulation study illustrates our findings.     

Social capital,social relationships and adults with acquired visual impairment: a Nigerian perspective

Purpose: This study investigates the social capital implications of vision loss among working-age adults in Nigeria. The study explores the challenges of acquiring and maintaining social relationships post-vision loss, and investigates the extent to which visual rehabilitation services support social goals.

Method: A qualitative study using a phenomenological approach was undertaken. Eight adults (18–59 years) were recruited from disability service organizations in Nigeria. Telephone interviews were recorded and transcribed, and thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data gathered in this study.

Results: Three broad themes were developed from participants’ accounts of their experiences: (1) changes to relationships with friends and others; (2) finding strength in family relationships; and (3) rehabilitation and the confidence to interact. The findings indicate that the relationship between participants and their family members improved post vision impairment, enhancing bonding social capital. However, participants experienced reduced bridging and linking social capital due to diminished or broken relationships with managers, coworkers, friends, and others in the community.

Conclusions: As social connectedness and relationships are highly valued in Nigeria’s diverse society, we suggest that adults with visual impairment would significantly benefit from visual rehabilitation services placing greater emphasis on addressing the social goals of participants.

• Implications for Rehabilitation

• Visual impairment in working-age adults can strengthen family relationships (homogenous groups), creating bonding capital that is associated with access to important resources including emotional and moral support, and some financial and material resources.

• Visual impairment can negatively impact relationships with managers, coworkers, and others in the community (heterogeneous groups), resulting in diminished bridging and linking capital.

• Visual impairment can reduce access to resources such as an income, social status, and reduces participation in the wider community.

• Visual Rehabilitation Services could significantly benefit participants by placing greater emphasis on social goals, such as building and maintaining social networks, particularly with diverse (heterogeneous groups), which are valued in Nigeria’s diverse cultural climate.