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Background: Patients starting noninvasive ventilation (NIV) to treat acute respiratory failure are often unable to eat and therefore remain in the fasting state or receive nutritional support. Maintaining a good nutritional status has been reported to improve patient outcomes. In the present study, our primary objective was to describe the nutritional management of patients starting first-line NIV, and our secondary objectives were to assess potential associations between nutritional management and outcomes.Methods: Observational retrospective cohort study of a prospective database fed by 20 French intensive care units. Adult medical patients receiving NIV for more than 2 consecutive days were included and divided into four groups on the basis of nutritional support received during the first 2 days of NIV: no nutrition, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition only, and oral nutrition only.Results: Of the 16,594 patients admitted during the study period, 1075 met the inclusion criteria; of these, 622 (57.9%) received no nutrition, 28 (2.6%) received enteral nutrition, 74 (6.9%) received parenteral nutrition only, and 351 (32.7%) received oral nutrition only. After adjustment for confounders, enteral nutrition (vs. no nutrition) was associated with higher 28-day mortality (adjusted HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2-4.4) and invasive mechanical ventilation needs (adjusted HR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1-4.2), as well as with fewer ventilator-free days by day 28 (adjusted relative risk, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5-0.9).Conclusions: Nearly three-fifths of patients receiving NIV fasted for the first 2 days. Lack of feeding or underfeeding was not associated with mortality. The optimal route of nutrition for these patients needs to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study conducted to determine the value of positron emission tomography (PET) scanning for assessment of disease activity in Takayasu arteritis (TA). It says that PET scan data were compared with clinical, biologic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data assessed separately. The study demonstrated that there is no association between 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose vascular uptake intensity and clinical, biologic or MRI assessment of disease activity.

A 64-year old patient underwent aortic valve replacement with a bileaflet Medtronic Advantage prosthesis. Six years later, she presented with a recurrence of symptoms, at which time Doppler echocardiography revealed an obstruction of the aortic mechanical prosthesis (mean transvalvular gradient 35 mmHg). Both, transesophageal echocardiography and fluoroscopy failed to identify the mechanism of valve obstruction. Multislice computed tomography (CT) scanning provided indirect signs as well as direct evidence of pannus formation, which was confirmed at surgery. The value of CT scanning to assess the mechanism of aortic mechanical prosthesis obstruction is emphasized.