Phenytoin intoxication with no symptoms correlated with serum drug level: a case study

In high-dose intake of phenytoin, which is used frequently to treatepilepsy, nystagmus, diplopia, nausea-vomiting, lethargy, confusion, seizure, and coma can be observed. In recent studies on phenytoin intoxication, in which seizure and coma were observed in drug levels greater than 50 ug/mL. The serum phenytoin level of apatient, who consumed approximately 100 pcs of 100 mg phenytoin tablets in an effort to commit suicide, and who had no pathological finding in her neurologic examination, was 124 ug/mL. High drug level and the absence of toxic effect (or the absence of toxic effect correlated with the drug level) indicates that cytochrome P450 is functioning, but there can be a mutation in the MDR1 gene. In our case study, we report on phenytoin intoxication in a patient having a high level of phenytoin but no symptoms correlated with serum drug level, as supported by the findings in the literature.Pan African Medical Journal 2015; 2

Spontaneous Regression of an Incidental Spinal Meningioma

AIM: The regression of meningioma has been reported in literature before. In spite of the fact that the regression may be involved by hemorrhage, calcification or some drugs withdrawal, it is rarely observed spontaneously.CASE REPORT: We report a 17 year old man with a cervical meningioma which was incidentally detected. In his cervical MRI an extradural, cranio-caudal contrast enchanced lesion at C2-C3 levels of the cervical spinal cord was detected. Despite the slight compression towards the spinal cord, he had no symptoms and refused any kind of surgical approach. The meningioma was followed by control MRI and it spontaneously regressed within six months. There were no signs of hemorrhage or calcification. CONCLUSION: Although it is a rare condition, the clinicians should consider that meningiomas especially incidentally diagnosed may be regressed spontaneously

Should Alvarado and Ohmann scores be real indicators for diagnosis of appendicitis and severity of inflammation?

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common causes of abdominal pain seen in surgical clinics. Although it can be easily diagnosed, the picture may be confusing, particularly in premenopausal women and the elderly. The present study is an evaluation of 2 of the current scoring systems with respect to accurate diagnosis of the disease and indication of inflammation severity

Retrospective investigation of the effectiveness of fecal occult blood test (FOB), PT-APTT in patients admitted to emergency department with gastrointestinal bleeding

The purpose of our study is to investigate the fact that gastrointestinal system bleeding, which is a major cause of mortality, is not diagnosed faster by any additional laboratory tests except physical examination and endoscopy, but it is negative in terms of time, workload and cost. Our study was retrospective and the hospital information system was scanned and the patients who were referred to Emergency Medicine Clinic between 01.08.2012-08.08.2013 with Gastrointestinal System (GIS) bleeding symptoms and then underwent endoscopic examination were investigated. Demographic characteristics, physical examination findings, vital signs, required examinations, digital rectal examination findings, endoscopy and colonoscopy results were recorded in the study form. For statistical analysis, SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) 17.0 program was used. A total of 274 patients aged 18 years and over were admitted to the study and 61.7% were male and 38.3% were female. Most of the patients in our diagnostic group were in the 70-79 age group. Sensitivity of Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) value was 79.6% Specificity 92.30%, negative predictive value (NPV) 60%, Sensitivity of Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOB) value was 31.46% NPV 30.49%, sensitivity of international normalized ratio (INR) was 26.25% NPV 32,95%, sensitivity of prothrombin time (PT) was 19.37%, NPV 34.84%, sensitivity of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) was 14.19% NPV 34.43%. Endoscopies were performed in 169 patients with GIS bleeding and no active bleeding detected in 56 (33.1%) patients and in 113 (66.9%) patients active bleeding was detected. In patients with positive digital rectal examination findings, endoscopy results were also highly positive for gastrointestinal system bleeding. Our study suggests that; Running FOB, PT, APTT, INR tests in patients admitted to emergency department with GIS bleeding, is far from giving important and necessary information about the emergency management of the patients to emergency medicine specialists. The results of the digital rectal examination correlate with endoscopy results. It is also an easy and time-consuming examination method. From this point of view, we would like to emphasize that making the DRE of all patients with suspected GIS bleeding is a correct and immediate approach to the emergency physician. [Med-Science 2018; 7(1.000): 30-34

A fatal dermatosis in the emergency department: toxic epidermal necrolysis

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) is acute life-threatening mucocutaneous reactions, which are mainly induced by drugs. The annual incidence is 0.51.2 cases per million population and the mortality rate is 2030%. The genetic background associated with drug hypersensitivity is very important in the development of TEN. Antimicrobials and anticonvulsants are most commonly associated with the development of TEN. TEN is a disease which acutely starts and has prodromes such as cough lasting 1-3 days, throat ache, burning eyes, arthralgia before the disease. Intraoral erosion is a constant result. Sepsis and respiratory insufficiency were the most important complications in TEN. The main therapy are drugs used by the patient were stopped, systemic corticosteroid and supportive treatment. The aim of our study is recognized of TEN by emergency physicians. [Med-Science 2016; 5(4.000): 1027-9

The emergency department arrival mode and its relations to ED management and 30-day mortality in acute heart failure: an ancillary analysis from the EURODEM study

Background Acute heart failure patients are often encountered in emergency departments (ED) from 11% to 57% using emergency medical services (EMS). Our aim was to evaluate the association of EMS use with acute heart failure patients’ ED management and short-term outcomes. Methods This was a sub-analysis of a European EURODEM study. Data on patients presenting with dyspnoea were collected prospectively from European EDs. Patients with ED diagnosis of acute heart failure were categorized into two groups: those using EMS and those self-presenting (non- EMS). The independent association between EMS use and 30-day mortality was evaluated with logistic regression. Results Of the 500 acute heart failure patients, with information about the arrival mode to the ED, 309 (61.8%) arrived by EMS. These patients were older (median age 80 vs. 75 years, p  30/min in 17.1% patients vs. 7.5%, p = 0.005). The only difference in ED management appeared in the use of ventilatory support: 78.3% of EMS patients vs. 67.5% of non- EMS patients received supplementary oxygen (p = 0.007), and non-invasive ventilation was administered to 12.5% of EMS patients vs. 4.2% non- EMS patients (p = 0.002). EMS patients were more often hospitalized (82.4% vs. 65.9%, p < 0.001), had higher in-hospital mortality (8.7% vs. 3.1%, p = 0.014) and 30-day mortality (14.3% vs. 4.9%, p < 0.001). The use of EMS was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (OR = 2.54, 95% CI 1.11–5.81, p = 0.027). Conclusion Most acute heart failure patients arrive at ED by EMS. These patients suffer from more severe respiratory distress and receive more often ventilatory support. EMS use is an independent predictor of 30-day mortality

Get with the guidelines: management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in emergency departments in Europe and Australasia is sub‐optimal

International audienc