Gold Coast University Hospital (abbreviated GCUH or GCH, and sometimes Gold Coast Uni Hospital) is a major health facility offering tertiary level health care for the Gold Coast, Australia, completed in September 2013. The hospital was built on the Greenfields site adjacent to Griffith University Gold Coast campus at a cost of $1.8 billion.
BACKGROUND:Contrast induced encephalopathy (CIE) is an increasingly recognized but uncommon complication of endovascular procedures. Despite increased reports, there is limited evidence to guide clinical management. We sought to identify commonly used treatments for CIE and propose management strategies to aid clinical decision making. METHODS:A retrospective multicenter study was conducted across 10 neurovascular centers in Australia. Cases were included based on previously proposed diagnostic criteria for CIE. Clinical features, treatments, and outcomes were extracted and analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize management strategies, and associations with clinical outcomes were assessed using Fisher's exact and χ2 tests. RESULTS:56 patients were identified (median age 65 years; 80.4% women). Common interventions included corticosteroids (66.1%), intravenous fluids (66.1%), and antiseizure medications (prophylactic 51.8% and therapeutic 12.5%). Half required intensive care admission for neurological monitoring. Complete recovery was achieved in 87.5% of cases. Corticosteroid administration was significantly associated with symptom resolution within 72 hours (OR 4.51, 95% CI 1.19 to 17.85, P=0.022), while intravenous fluids showed a non-significant trend toward shorter symptom duration (OR 2.25, 95% CI 0.64 to 8.15, P=0.170). CONCLUSIONS:CIE generally carries a favorable prognosis. Corticosteroids appeared to shorten symptom duration and may be considered in management. Based on our findings and the existing literature, we propose a treatment algorithm to guide clinicians. Prospective validation is warranted.
BACKGROUND:Contrast-induced encephalopathy (CIE) is an increasingly observed complication following neurointervention, but remains poorly defined with limited evidence for clinical decision-making. We sought to characterize the stereotypical clinical features of CIE in a nationwide, multicenter cohort. METHODS:A multicenter cohort study was conducted between 10 neurovascular sites across Australia. Patients were screened according to the previously proposed Australian diagnostic criteria. Descriptive analysis was conducted to characterize the clinical course and outcomes of CIE, and associations between clinical and radiological variables on patient outcomes were analyzed using Fisher's exact and χ2 tests. RESULTS:A total of 56 patients (median age 65 years) were included. The median contrast volume was 170 mL (IQR 140-229). Median time to symptom onset was 6 hours (IQR 1-12), with frequent symptoms including motor deficit (55.4%), dysphasia (39.3%), and confusion (35.7%). Common radiological findings included sulcal effacement (45.5%) and subarachnoid contrast staining (30.9%) on CT. Hemianopia (p=0.001) and cortical blindness (p=0.018) were associated with posterior circulation interventions, while motor deficit was correlated with anterior circulation interventions (p=0.001). At discharge, 87.5% of patients achieved complete resolution of symptoms, of which 69.4% achieved complete recovery within 72 hours. CONCLUSION:CIE is a recognized complication of neurointervention. Symptoms occur within hours of contrast administration and correlate with the territory of contrast administration. Most patients achieve complete symptom resolution. Ongoing investigation is required to further define CIE as a clinical entity.
CONTEXT:Procedural care in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) frequently involves painful and anxiety-provoking interventions such as fracture reductions and laceration repairs. These experiences can result in significant psychological impacts, including long-term anxiety and posttraumatic stress. OBJECTIVE:To systematically map existing pediatric procedural experience measures in PEDs, focusing on pain, anxiety, and satisfaction associated with both pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions. DATA SOURCES:A comprehensive search was conducted across the MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science databases from inception to August 28, 2024. Additional references were identified through citation searching. STUDY SELECTION:All forms of primary research assessing pediatric procedural experiences, including both pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions in emergency or urgent care settings, were eligible. Conference abstracts were included if sufficient data were available. DATA EXTRACTION:Data were extracted using a custom extraction form. A narrative synthesis was performed, comparing demographic characteristics, interventions, and outcome measures. RESULTS:A total of 143 studies were included, with 82.5% focusing on pharmacological interventions and 14.7% on nonpharmacological strategies. Under half (45.1%) of reported outcomes included child self-reports. Satisfaction measures were predominantly caregiver-focused, and qualitative methods were employed in just 3.5% of studies. CONCLUSIONS:This review highlights the need for standardized frameworks integrating pain, anxiety, and satisfaction measures while prioritizing child perspectives. Current approaches often overlook emotional and psychological dimensions, relying on clinician- or caregiver-focused assessments and quantitative measures. Future research should prioritize the development of multidimensional, child-reported experience frameworks that integrate pain, anxiety, and satisfaction to guide more emotionally supportive and trauma-informed pediatric procedural care.
Optimal dosing of vancomycin in critically ill patients receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) is uncertain due to high pharmacokinetic variability. We aimed to develop individualised vancomycin dosing recommendations that optimise efficacy while minimising toxicity. Prospective, international, pharmacokinetic study enrolling critically ill patients treated with vancomycin and various RRT modalities. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed, externally validated and applied to perform Monte Carlo dosing simulations. We calculated the probability of each dosing regimen to achieve the efficacy target against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ratio of the area under the concentration–time curve to the minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC0-24 h/MIC) ≥ 400) without exceeding the toxicity threshold (AUC0-24 h ≥ 700 mg.h/L). We enrolled 65 critically ill patients from 6 countries receiving continuous RRT (50.8
