Chest
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Great variability exists in the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in ICUs around the world. The contribution of specific ICU care variables to these geographic variations is unknown. ⋯ End-of-life treatment is independently associated with acquisition of resistant bacteria. Patients dying without withdraw orders receive more antibiotics and develop more resistant organisms. These patients may represent a reservoir of resistant bacteria in the ICU.
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Purinergic signaling is involved in asthma pathogenesis. Not only adenosine but also adenosine triphosphate (ATP) might play a role, but human evidence is scarce. ATP can be measured in exhaled breath condensate (EBC), a noninvasive airway sample suggested as being suitable for patient monitoring. We determined EBC ATP concentration in asthma, investigated its relation to disease parameters, and calculated airway ATP level. ⋯ EBC ATP concentration does not seem to be useful for asthma monitoring. The relation between EBC mediator concentration and EBC conductivity highlights the importance of further standardization of EBC methodology and the need for more studies to understand airway droplet formation.