Aim: Patients with massive pulmonary embolism (PE) have poor outcomes and their management remains challenging. An interventional radiology (IVR)-computed tomography (CT) system available in our emergency room (ER) allows immediate access to CT and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) with safe cannulation under fluoroscopy. We aimed to determine if initial treatment in this ''hybrid ER" is helpful in patients with PE requiring extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR). Methods: The records of patients transferred to our hybrid ER between September 2014 and December 2017 who required ECPR for PE were reviewed. Results: Nine consecutive patients (median age 50 [range 30-76] years) with PE requiring ECPR were identified in our hybrid ER. Five (55.6%) had at least one risk factor for PE. Six (66.7%) experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and 3 (33.3%) had a cardiac arrest in the hybrid ER. Right ventricular overload was detected on electrocardiography and bedside transthoracic echocardiography in all cases. The median pH, lactate, PaCO 2 , and HCO 3 values on arterial blood gas analysis in the hybrid ER were 7.01 (6.68-7.26), 14 (8-22) mmol l À1 , 44.7 (23.8-60.5) mmHg, and 10.4 (6.7-14.1), respectively. Four patients (44.4%) received monteplase for thrombolysis. No patient underwent surgical embolectomy. The median duration of ECMO was 69 (38-126) h. There were two ECMO-related bleeding complications. Eight patients (88.9%) survived and one died of post-resuscitation encephalopathy after weaning from ECMO. Conclusion:A hybrid ER may be useful for initial management of massive PE requiring ECPR and may help to improve outcomes.

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Inadequate initial antimicrobial therapy was an important, modifiable determinant of survival.

No abstract

BackgroundClostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a highly prevalent hospital-associated infection. Although most patients respond well to discontinuation of antibiotics, 20%–30% of patients relapse. To initiate early therapeutic measures, the risk factors for recurrent CDI must be identified, although very few Japanese studies have used standard surveillance definitions to identify these risk factors.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with health care facility-onset CDI between August 2011 and September 2013. Patients with diarrhea who were positive for Clostridium difficile (via an enzyme immunoassay) were defined as having CDI. Clinical data (eg, demographics, comorbidities, medication, laboratory results, and clinical outcomes) were evaluated, and multivariate analysis was used to identify risk factors that were associated with recurrent CDI.ResultsSeventy-six health care facility-onset CDI cases were identified, with an incidence rate of 0.8 cases per 10,000 patient-days. Fourteen cases (18.4%) were recurrent, with 13 patients having experienced a single recurrent episode and one patient having experienced three recurrent episodes. The 30-day and 90-day mortality rates were 7.9% and 14.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that recurrent patients were more likely to have underlying malignant disease (odds ratio: 7.98; 95% confidence interval: 1.22–52.2; P=0.03) and a history of intensive care unit hospitalization (odds ratio: 49.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–2,470; P=0.049).ConclusionIntensive care unit hospitalization and malignancy are risk factors for recurrent CDI. Patients with these factors should be carefully monitored for recurrence and provided with appropriate antimicrobial stewardship.