Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A New Perspective in Asthma

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is an entity of reversible cardiomyopathy known for its association with physical or emotional stress and may mimic myocardial infarction. We report an exceedingly rare case of albuterol-induced TCM with moderate asthma exacerbation. An interesting association that may help in understanding the etiology of TCM in the asthmatic population. Although the prognosis of TCM is excellent, it is crucial to recognize beta agonists as a potential stressor

Lyme Carditis: An Interesting Trip to Third-Degree Heart Block and Back

Carditis is an uncommon presentation of the early disseminated phase of Lyme disease. We present the case of a young female who presented with erythema migrans and was found to have first-degree heart block which progressed to complete heart block within hours. After receiving ceftriaxone, there was complete resolution of the heart block in sequential fashion. Our case illustrates the importance of early recognition and anticipation of progressive cardiac conduction abnormalities in patients presenting with Lyme disease

Case Report Lyme Carditis: An Interesting Trip to Third-Degree Heart Block and Back

Carditis is an uncommon presentation of the early disseminated phase of Lyme disease. We present the case of a young female who presented with erythema migrans and was found to have first-degree heart block which progressed to complete heart block within hours. After receiving ceftriaxone, there was complete resolution of the heart block in sequential fashion. Our case illustrates the importance of early recognition and anticipation of progressive cardiac conduction abnormalities in patients presenting with Lyme disease

Reversible Cocaine-Induced Brugada Pattern in a Middle-Aged Man with Chest Pain

Brugada syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder, characterized by electrocardiographic manifestations of a pseudo right bundle branch block and a distinctive ST segment elevation in the precordial leads, with a predisposition to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest. Many medications and toxins have been reported to induce a Brugada pattern on electrocardiogram. We present the case of a middle-aged man who developed Brugada Type II electrocardiogram after cocaine ingestion

Hypertriglyceridemia-Induced Pancreatitis: A Decade of Experience in a Community-Based Teaching Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertriglyceridemia is the third most common cause of acute pancreatitis. The current evidence on the management of hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis (HTGP) is mainly derived from case series. It has been suggested that insulin, and plasmapheresis have a role in the management of acute HTGP. We present a retrospective review of patients seen at a community-teaching hospital between 2005 and 2015. RESULTS: Out of the 549 admissions for acute pancreatitis, fourteen patients met our inclusion criteria. The mean age of presentation was 39± 8 years and there was a predominance of men (57%). More than two-thirds of the patients were admitted to the intensive care unit. The majority of the patients were treated with insulin drip (n=8), and the rest by subcutaneous insulin (n=3) and insulin drip + plasmapheresis (n=3). In the insulin drip group we noted a gradual decrease of the admission serum triglycerides by 50.6 ±16.0 % at 24 hours, 65.9±16.9% at 48 hours, and then 85.2± 7.1% at discharge. Serum triglycerides decreased by 79.8% and 92.6%, at discharge in the subcutaneous insulin and insulin + plasmapheresis cohorts, respectively. The insulin + plasmapheresis cohort stayed in the hospital longer (20.7±3.1 days) compared to the insulin drip (10.3±5.4 days) and subcutaneous insulin (5.7 ± 1.2 days) cohorts. CONCLUSION: Our study strengthens the evidence for using insulin (infusion or subcutaneous) with or without plasmapheresis in the treatment of hypertriglycerimia-induced pancreatitis