CHEST Guidelines-Pleural-Infections-in-Intensive-Care

Pleural-Infections-in-Intensive-Care_chest

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The document provides insights into two separate studies related to lung ultrasound (LUS) training and pleural infections within intensive care units (ICUs).<br /><br />The first part discusses an innovative approach to creating a lung ultrasound phantom for training purposes. This phantom is designed to simulate human lung conditions without relying on animal products, which can cause odors and are perishable. Developed by Dr. Han Ho Do and colleagues in South Korea, this phantom aims to help medical trainees improve their skills with LUS equipment and techniques in identifying pathological findings. Future improvements may focus on more specific pathological conditions. Prior studies, such as the one by Rippey and Gawthrope, used pork rib and chicken breast to mimic lung conditions, which carried risks of infection and were less durable and more costly than the new model under discussion.<br /><br />In the second part, the document outlines a retrospective study focused on pleural infections in ICUs in Western Australia. Dr. Edward T. H. Fysh and other researchers identified pleural infections by reviewing microbiology databases and analyzed various factors including incidence, microbiology, and long-term outcomes. The study revealed culture-positive pleural infections in only a small percentage of ICU patients, predominately involving Staphylococcus species. The study highlighted significant morbidity and mortality rates associated with these infections, with a high rate of antimicrobial resistance observed. Patients with resistant infections experienced higher mortality rates, underscoring the need for prompt and appropriate antibiotic treatment. The researchers recommended frequent review and adjustment of antibiotic regimens, as well as additional studies to further understand and mitigate these infections.<br /><br />Overall, both studies contribute valuable data on improving medical training tools and understanding severe infections in critical care settings.

Keywords

lung ultrasound training

LUS phantom

pleural infections

ICU study

antimicrobial resistance

medical training tools

Staphylococcus species

antibiotic treatment

pathological findings

critical care