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FASEB J 2019 Jan 16:fj201802056R. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Centre for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a devastating disorder characterized by diffuse inflammation and edema formation. The main management strategy, low tidal volume ventilation, can be associated with the development of hypercapnic acidosis (HCA). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising therapeutic candidate currently in early-phase clinical trials. Read More

Nervenarzt 2019 Jan 14. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Friedrich-Baur-Institut an der Neurologischen Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum der Universität München, Ziemssenstr. 1, 80336, München, Deutschland.

Mitochondrial diseases (MD) are caused by mutations in the mitochondrial DNA or nuclear DNA. The clinical manifestation is often most severe in tissues with high energy demands. The most common MDs are Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO) and mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). Read More

Zhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2018 Nov;43(11):1177-1181

Department of Anesthesia, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.

Objective: To establish rat model of lung ischemia/reperfusion (IR) in vivo, and to explore the effects of acidification pretreatment for respiratory acidosis on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and the possible mechanisms.
 Methods: A total of 36 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a sham group (S group), a IR group, and an experiment group (RA group) (n=12 in each group). The rat left lung hilum in the S group was dissociated, followed by perfusion without ischemia. Read More

Free Radic Biol Med 2019 Jan 10. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center, 3-20-1 Chuou, Ami-machi, Ibaraki 300-0395, Japan. Electronic address:

The tumor microenvironment has previously been reported to be hypercapnic (as high as ~84mmHg), although its effect on tumor cell behaviors is unknown. In this study, high CO levels, ranging from 5% to 15%, protected lung cancer cells from anticancer agents, such as cisplatin, carboplatin and etoposide, by suppressing apoptosis. The cytoprotective effect of a high CO level was independent of acidosis and was due to mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming that reduced mitochondrial respiration, as assessed by oxygen consumption, oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial membrane and oxidative potentials, eventually leading to reduced reactive oxidant species production. Read More

Respirology 2019 Jan 12. Epub 2019 Jan 12.

Respiratory and Critical Care Unit, University Hospital St Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) with bilevel positive airway pressure is a non-invasive technique, which refers to the provision of ventilatory support through the patient's upper airway using a mask or similar device. This technique is successful in correcting hypoventilation. It has become widely accepted as the standard treatment for patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure (HRF). Read More

J Physiol 2019 Jan 12. Epub 2019 Jan 12.

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Ann Intensive Care 2019 Jan 7;9(1). Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Medical Intensive Care, Department of Cardiology, Klinikum Nuremberg, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, Germany.

Background: Lung-protective strategies are the cornerstone of mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients with both ARDS and other disorders. Extracorporeal CO removal (ECCOR) may enhance lung protection by allowing even further reductions in tidal volumes and is effective in low-flow settings commonly used for renal replacement therapy. In this study, we describe for the first time the effects of a labeled and certified system combining ECCOR and renal replacement therapy on pulmonary stress and strain in hypercapnic patients with renal failure. Read More

Rev Med Interne 2019 Jan 4. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

Service de médecine interne, faculté de médecine SMBH, UMR1125, LI2P, université Paris 13, hôpital universitaire Seine-Saint-Denis, AP-HP Sorbonne Paris Cité, 93000 Bobigny, France. Electronic address:

Introduction: Acute muscle involvement is an infrequent complication of corticosteroids, characterized by muscle weakness and a rhabdomyolysis, rapidly regressive after withdrawal of corticosteroids.

Case Report: We report the case of a woman admitted in intensive care unit for acute severe asthma, treated with high doses of methylprednisolone. Serum CPK level raised with a peak at 28,160 UI/L (n<250 UI/L) at day 15, suggesting acute rhabdomyolysis with renal failure. Read More

FASEB J 2018 Dec 31:fj201801870R. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Applied Surgery and Metabolism Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Decreases in pH (acidosis) in vitro can alter skeletal muscle mitochondrial function [respiration and reactive oxygen species (ROS) emission]. However, because skeletal muscles readily adapt to exercise, the effects of acidosis may be different on sedentary vs. trained muscle. Read More

J Zoo Wildl Med 2018 Dec;49(4):1025-1028

Pangolins are one of the most-trafficked endangered species and are rare in zoologic collections. Blood gas and select biochemical analysis was performed on nine African white-bellied tree pangolins ( Phataginus tricuspis). Paired blood samples were collected from the ventral tail vasculature prior to (T1) and after 10 min (T2) of sevoflurane anesthesia, and selected blood gas and biochemical parameters were measured using a portable blood gas analyzer. Read More

Respir Res 2018 Dec 27;19(1):261. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Pneumology Department, Clinic Institute of Thorax (ICT), Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Ciber de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients may experience an acute exacerbation (AECOPD) that requires hospitalisation. The length of hospital stay (LHS) has a great economic impact on the health-care system. Knowing the predictors of prolonged LHS could help to identify possible interventions. Read More

Clin Biochem 2018 Dec 19. Epub 2018 Dec 19.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.

A 35-month-old female with nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH) presented to the Emergency department with severe hypoglycemia, fever, and several episodes of seizures. Due to worsening respiratory status, additional seizures and anion gap worsening metabolic acidosis the patient was transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit. The useful mnemonics for causes of high anion gap metabolic acidosis are the classic MUDPILES (representing Methanol, Uraemia, Diabetes, Paraldehyde, Iron (and Isoniazid), Lactate, Ethylene glycol, and Salicylate) and the more recently proposed GOLD MARK (Glycols [ethylene and propylene], Oxoproline, l-lactate, d-lactate, Methanol, Aspirin, Renal failure, and Ketoacidosis) as causes of the anion gap metabolic acidosis were all ruled out. Read More

P R Health Sci J 2018 Dec;37(Special Issue):S99-S101

VA Caribbean Healthcare System, San Juan, PR.

An 80-year-old man experienced general weakness, myalgias, arthralgias, fever, chills, and diarrhea for one week. He had hypotension and tachycardia. He also had leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, increased creatinine levels, elevated liver enzymes, elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels, and metabolic acidosis with hypoxemia, for which he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Read More

Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med 2018 Dec;37(6):495-497

Medical and Research Services VHAGLA Healthcare System, UCLA Membrane Biology Laboratory, and Division of Nephrology VHAGLA Healthcare System and David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address:

Braz J Med Biol Res 2018 Dec 10;52(1):e7974. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Section of Nephrology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.

Details about the acid-base changes in hemodialysis are scarce in the literature but are potentially relevant to adequate management of patients. We addressed the acid-base kinetics during hemodialysis and throughout the interdialytic period in a cross-sectional study of adults undergoing conventional hemodialysis. Samples for blood gas analysis were obtained from the arterial limb of the arteriovenous fistula before the first session of the week (HD1), immediately at the end of HD1, and on sequential collections at 15, 30, 45, 60, and 120 min post-HD1. Read More

J Virol 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is an abundant plasma protein with a multidomain structure allowing its interaction with many ligands including phospholipids, plasminogen, fibrinogen, IgG antibodies, and heparan sulfate. HRG has shown to regulate different biological responses such as angiogenesis, coagulation and fibrinolysis. Here, we found that HRG almost completely abrogated the infection of GHOST, Jurkat, CD4+ T cells, and macrophages by HIV-1 at low pH (range 6. Read More

J Thorac Dis 2018 Oct;10(10):5764-5773

Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.

Background: Early recognition of the risks of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and prevention of the development of ARDS may be more effective in improving patient outcomes. We performed the present study to determine the ARDS risk factors in a Chinese population and validate a score to predict the development of ARDS.

Methods: This was an observational multicenter cohort study performed in 13 tertiary hospitals in China. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Feb 23;276:14-19. Epub 2018 Oct 23.

Department of Inherited Neuro-metabolic Disorders, Anna Meyer Children's Hospital, viale Pieraccini 24, 50159 Florence, Italy. Electronic address:

Background: Mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like (MELAS) syndrome is a rare condition with heterogeneous clinical presentation. Cardiac involvement commonly develops during adulthood, comprising both structural and conduction/arrhythmic abnormalities; early paediatric onset has rarely been reported. We describe the clinical profile, outcome and clinical implication of MELAS-associated cardiomyopathy at a tertiary referral centre. Read More

Tuberk Toraks 2018 Sep;66(3):258-265

Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Anesteziyoloji ve Reanimasyon Anabilim Dalı, Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye.

Introduction: Ventilation treatment has proven success in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), while it still remains a challenge to utilize it with lower tidal volumes especially in subjects with respiratory acidosis. The concept of supporting conventional ventilation with extracorporeal carbondioxide removal (ECCO2R) may contribute in adjusting respiratory acidosis consequent to tidal volume reduction in protective ventilation setting. This method allows an easier management of ARDS due to its less invasive approach. Read More

Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi 2018 Nov;20(11):944-949

Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430015, China.

A boy aged 6 years and 3 months developed upper respiratory tract infection and pyrexia 2 months ago and was given oral administration of nimesulide by his parents according to directions. Half an hour later, the boy experienced convulsions and cardiopulmonary arrest, and emergency examination found hypoketotic hypoglycemia, metabolic acidosis, significant increases in serum aminotransferases and creatine kinase, and renal damage. Recovery of consciousness and vital signs was achieved after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but severe mental and movement regression was observed. Read More

Mol Genet Metab 2019 Jan 8;126(1):53-63. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Division of Metabolic Disorders, CHOC Children's Hospital, Orange, CA 92868, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA 92868, USA. Electronic address:

Primary mitochondrial complex I deficiency is the most common defect of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. It is caused by defects in structural components and assembly factors of this large protein complex. Mutations in the assembly factor NDUFAF5 are rare, with only five families reported to date. Read More

J Crit Care 2018 Nov 12;50:54-58. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service de Pneumologie, Médecine Intensive et Réanimation, Départment "R3S", F-75013 Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, INSERM, UMRS1158 Neurophysiologie respiratoire expérimentale et clinique, F-75005 Paris, France. Electronic address:

Purpose: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) entails a risk of acute respiratory failure (ARF). The decision to admit such patients to the intensive care unit (ICU) is difficult given the inexorable prognosis of ALS. To fuel this discussion, this study describes the ICU and post-ICU survival of ALS-related ARF. Read More

Nature 2018 12 21;564(7736):420-424. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.

Carbon dioxide is produced by many organic processes and is a convenient volatile cue for insects that are searching for blood hosts, flowers, communal nests, fruit and wildfires. Although Drosophila melanogaster feed on yeast that produce CO and ethanol during fermentation, laboratory experiments suggest that walking flies avoid CO. Here we resolve this paradox by showing that both flying and walking Drosophila find CO attractive, but only when they are in an active state associated with foraging. Read More

J Med Case Rep 2018 Nov 22;12(1):346. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Reference Parasitology Laboratory, Central Laboratories, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.

Background: We describe a patient with Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection associated with Streptococcus pyogenes and with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. To the best of our knowledge this association has not been previously described.

Case Presentation: A 78 year-old Israeli man, who was born in Iraq but lived in Israel for 66 years, presented with multi-organ failure including acute kidney and hepatic injury, coagulopathy, and lactic acidosis. Read More

Pediatr Nephrol 2018 Nov 19. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Lausanne University Medical School, CHUV-1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Acid-base homeostasis is one of the most tightly regulated systems in the body. Maintaining the acid-base balance is particularly challenging for preterm infants and growing neonates. The kidney, which represents the crucial ultimate line of defense against disturbances of acid-base balance, undergoes a complex maturation process during the transition from a fetal to an extra-uterine environment. Read More

Yonsei Med J 2018 Dec;59(10):1190-1196

Department of Pediatrics, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Severance Children's Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Purpose: To evaluate the classification, diagnosis, and natural course of ophthalmoplegia associated with mitochondrial disease.

Materials And Methods: Among 372 patients with mitochondrial disease who visited our hospital between January 2006 and January 2016, 21 patients with ophthalmoplegia were retrospectively identified. Inclusion criteria included onset before 20 years of age, pigmentary retinopathy, and cardiac involvement. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Nov 15. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Miami Transplant Institute, Miami, Florida.

Extracorporeal removal of carbon dioxide in patients experiencing severe hypercapnia due to lung protective mechanical ventilation was first described over four decades ago. There have been many devices developed and described in the interim, many of which require additional training, resources, and staff. This manuscript describes a readily available and relatively simple adjunct that can provide partial lung support in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome complicated by severe hypercapnia and acute kidney injury requiring dialysis. Read More

Front Physiol 2018 26;9:1465. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Department of Physiology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Repeated sprint exercise (RSE) acutely impairs post-exercise heart rate (HR) recovery (HRR) and time-domain heart rate variability (i. e., RMSSD), likely in part, due to lactic acidosis-induced reduction of cardiac vagal reactivation. Read More

Respirology 2018 Nov 8. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Médecine Intensive Réanimation, CHU de Poitiers, Poitiers, France.

It has been found that high-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT) can reduce mortality of patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) for de novo acute respiratory failure (ARF) as compared to non-invasive ventilation (NIV). HFOT might therefore be considered as a first-line strategy of oxygenation in these patients. The beneficial effects of HFOT may be explained by its good tolerance and by physiological characteristics including delivery of high FiO , positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) effect and continuous dead space washout contributing to decreased work of breathing. Read More

Indian J Crit Care Med 2018 Oct;22(10):718-722

Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Introduction: Critically ill severe malaria constitutes one of the major hospital admissions in Indian setting. Clinical studies identifying the factors associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) in malaria are lacking. This study aimed to identify these factors. Read More

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2018 Nov 8:1-6. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

a Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia.

Objective: To determine key demographic and intrapartum antecedents predisposing to severe adverse neonatal outcome at term.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of severe adverse neonatal outcomes of nonanomalous singleton term births at an Australian tertiary maternity unit between January 2007 and April 2017. Serious neonatal outcome (SNO) was defined as any of the following: Apgar score ≤3 at 5 min, severe respiratory distress syndrome, severe acidosis, admission into neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), stillbirth, or neonatal death. Read More

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2018 Oct;22(20):7034-7038

Emergency Department, Centre Hospitalier de l'Ouest Guyanais, Saint-Laurent du Maroni, French Guyana.

Objective: Paraquat poisoning has almost disappeared from metropolitan France following its ban from the European market ten years ago. However, due to neighboring countries still authorizing paraquat use, French Guyana seems in a different situation. Here we aimed to report a series of paraquat-poisoned patients admitted to the emergency department of the Western French Guyana Hospital in Saint-Laurent du Maroni, to raise awareness of national health authorities on this persistent major issue. Read More

Pediatr Emerg Care 2018 Nov 5. Epub 2018 Nov 5.

Paediatric Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.

Cyanide (CN) is one among the most potent and rapidly acting lethal poisons, and it may cause death unless immediately diagnosed and treated. We report an unusual case of pediatric CN poisoning after ingestion of apricot kernels containing amygdalin, who survived with antidotal therapy and hemodialysis. A 3-year-old girl presented with respiratory distress and coma following tonic-clonic convulsions after ingestion of 3 apricot kernels. Read More

Temperature (Austin) 2018 22;5(3):224-256. Epub 2018 May 22.

Critical Care, Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Desgenettes, Lyon, France.

During severe septic shock and/or severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients present with a limited cardio-ventilatory reserve (low cardiac output and blood pressure, low mixed venous saturation, increased lactate, low PaO2/FiO2 ratio, etc.), especially when elderly patients or co-morbidities are considered. Rescue therapies (low dose steroids, adding vasopressin to noradrenaline, proning, almitrine, NO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, etc. Read More

Hum Mol Genet 2018 Oct 24. Epub 2018 Oct 24.

Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland.

Dysfunction of mitochondrial translation is increasingly an important molecular cause of human disease, but structural defects of mitochondrial ribosomal subunits are rare. We used next-generation sequencing to identify a homozygous variant in the mitochondrial small ribosomal protein 14 (MRPS14, uS14m) in a patient manifesting with perinatal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, growth retardation, muscle hypotonia, elevated lactate, dysmorphy and mental retardation. In skeletal muscle and fibroblasts from the patient there was biochemical deficiency in complex IV of the respiratory chain. Read More

Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2018 Oct;50(5):915-920

Department of Pharmacy, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.

Pharmacokinetic parameters can be significantly altered for acute kidney injury (AKI), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and continuous veno-venous hemofiltration therapy (CVVH). Here we reported a case of individualized vancomycin dosing for a patient diagnosed as severe acute pancreatitis treated with concurrent ECMO and CVVH. A 65 kg 32-year-old woman was admitted to hospital presented with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), respiratory failure, metabotropic acidosis and hyperkalemia. Read More

Front Physiol 2018 2;9:1293. Epub 2018 Oct 2.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Hospital Organization Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka,Japan.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) show varying mechanisms of exertional dyspnea with different exercise capacities. To investigate the pathophysiologic conditions related to exertional dyspnea, 294 COPD patients were evaluated using cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) with arterial blood analyses, with the patients classified into two groups according to their exercise limitation: the leg fatigue group ( = 58) and the dyspnea group ( = 215). The dyspnea group was further subdivided into four groups based on peak oxygen uptake ( in mL/min/kg): group A (< 11), group B (11 to < 15), group C (15 to < 21), and group D (≥21). Read More

Poult Sci 2018 Oct 15. Epub 2018 Oct 15.

USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Poultry Research Unit, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5367, United States of America.

We evaluated the influence of light sources and photoperiod on blood physiological variables in four trials. In each trial, 720 1-d-old Ross × Ross 708 chicks were randomly distributed into 12 environmentally controlled rooms (30 males/30 females/room). The experimental design was a 4 × 3 factorial treatments consisting of four light sources [incandescent (ICD, standard), compact fluorescent, neutral light emitting diode, and cool poultry-specific-filtered LED] and three photoperiods [long/continuous (23L:1D), regular/intermittent (2L:2D), and short/non-intermittent (8L:16D)] from d8-d56 at 50% relative humidity. Read More

Turk J Pediatr 2018 ;60(2):225-227

Division of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey.

Özsoylu S, Akyıldız BN, Dursun A. Ogilvie syndrome presenting with septic shock. Turk J Pediatr 2018; 60: 225-227. Read More

Toxicol Lett 2018 Dec 9;299:191-200. Epub 2018 Oct 9.

Department of Biochemistry, Maringá University, 87020900 Maringá, Brazil. Electronic address:

A study of the effects of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) on the hepatic metabolism was conducted with emphasis on parameters linked to energy metabolism and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production. The experimental systems were the isolated perfused rat liver and isolated mitochondria. It was found that BHA inhibits biosynthetic pathways (gluconeogenesis) and ammonia detoxification, which are dependent on ATP generated within the mitochondria. Read More

Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2018 Oct 11:1-6. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

c Community Medicine , Indira Gandhi Medical College , Shimla , India.

Aim: To study the epidemiology and outcome of acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by venomous animals.

Methods: A retrospective study of patients admitted at Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital, Shimla, with AKI due to venomous animals over a period of 15 years (January 2003-December 2017). Medical records were evaluated for patient information on demographic factors, clinical characteristics, complications, and outcome. Read More

Multidiscip Respir Med 2018 2;13:36. Epub 2018 Oct 2.

2Pneumology Department, Clinic Institute of Thorax, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona - Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may experience an acute worsening of respiratory symptoms that results in additional therapy; this event is defined as a COPD exacerbation (AECOPD). Hospitalization for AECOPD is accompanied by a rapid decline in health status with a high risk of mortality or other negative outcomes such as need for endotracheal intubation or intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Treatments for AECOPD aim to minimize the negative impact of the current exacerbation and to prevent subsequent events, such as relapse or readmission to hospital. Read More

Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2018 Oct 6. Epub 2018 Oct 6.

Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Belgrade - School of Medicine, 31a Deligradska str, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia.

Sodium nitrite is used as a coloring agent or preservative in food, as well as an antimicrobial agent in meat and fish and some cheeses. In high amounts it can be toxic for humans, causing methemoglobinemia. This is an unusual and potentially fatal condition in which hemoglobin is oxidized to methemoglobin (MHb), reducing the amount of oxygen that is released from hemoglobin, similar to carbon monoxide poisoning. Read More

Int J Nephrol Renovasc Dis 2018 26;11:249-257. Epub 2018 Sep 26.

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.

Background: Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who develop acute kidney injury have increased mortality and frequently require renal replacement therapy (RRT). The optimal timing for initiation of RRT after onset of ARDS to improve survival is not known.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data on patients admitted to our health system over a 2-year period. Read More

Hum Mol Genet 2019 Jan;28(2):258-268

Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Recessively inherited variants in AARS2 (NM_020745.2) encoding mitochondrial alanyl-tRNA synthetase (mt-AlaRS) were first described in patients presenting with fatal infantile cardiomyopathy and multiple oxidative phosphorylation defects. To date, all described patients with AARS2-related fatal infantile cardiomyopathy are united by either a homozygous or compound heterozygous c. Read More

Physiol Rep 2018 Sep;6(19):e13876

Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Sensing of hypoxia and acidosis in arterial chemoreceptors is thought to be mediated through the inhibition of TASK and possibly other (e.g., BK ) potassium channels which leads to membrane depolarization, voltage-gated Ca-entry, and neurosecretion. Read More

ASAIO J 2018 Sep 28. Epub 2018 Sep 28.

Center for Critical Care Nephrology, Clinical Research Investigation and Systems Modeling of Acute Illness (CRISMA) Center, Department of Critical Care, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) devices remove CO2 directly from blood, facilitating ultraprotective ventilation or even providing an alternative to mechanical ventilation. However, ECCO2R is not widely available, whereas dialysis is available in most intensive care units (ICUs). Prior attempts to provide ECCO2R with dialysis, by removing CO2 in the form of bicarbonate, have been plagued by metabolic acidosis. Read More

Front Neurol 2018 13;9:724. Epub 2018 Sep 13.

Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.

We present the case of a 16-year-old boy with a family history of epilepsy who presented with acute respiratory failure, limb weakness, diabetes mellitus, sinus tachycardia, lactic acidosis, and pneumonia. He went on to develop cranial nerve palsy, myoclonus, generalized seizures, ataxia, recurrent pneumonia, and hypotension. Biochemical investigation revealed elevated lactate, pyruvate, and glucose levels. Read More

J Physiol 2018 Dec 28;596(24):6191-6203. Epub 2018 Oct 28.

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Key Points: Ascent to high altitude imposes an acid-base challenge in which renal compensation is integral for maintaining pH homeostasis, facilitating acclimatization and helping prevent mountain sicknesses. The time-course and extent of plasticity of this important renal response during incremental ascent to altitude is unclear. We created a novel index that accurately quantifies renal acid-base compensation, which may have laboratory, fieldwork and clinical applications. Read More