• Schroeder Hess posted an update 4 days, 11 hours ago

    Patients with Covid-19 disease commonly present with symptoms related to respiratory illness, and less commonly they develop cardiovascular complications either on presentation or during the course of the disease. The mortality/morbidity is high in these patients with cardiovascular involvement. Acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a medical emergency which needs immediate coronary re-perfusion for better patient outcomes. Here we present a patient who presented to the emergency room with acute STEMI and later tested positive for COVID-19. She was successfully treated with coronary revascularization and stent placement, and remains on the ventilator to date as she quickly developed acute respiratory distress syndrome. We need more research in Covid-19 patients with cardiovascular involvement for early diagnosis, prevention of exposure to health care workers and effective treatment. selleck compound Copyright © 2020, Siddamreddy et al.Hybrid argon plasma coagulation (HybridAPC® [HAPC]) is an evolution of the standard argon plasma coagulation (APC) technology, where the application of APC is preceded by high-pressure needleless submucosal injection. APC is indicated for the ablation of benign and dysplastic mucosal lesions, such as vascular malformations or Barrett’s mucosa. HAPC offers safety and efficacy advantages over standard APC because the submucosal injection acts as a heat sink that disperses energy. This ensures that the underlying muscularis propria remains unaffected, and only the mucosal layer is coagulated in its entirety. An 81-year-old Hispanic male was found to have a 1.2-cm mucosal nodule along the incisura of the stomach. Pathology of the biopsy specimen revealed high-grade dysplasia, and he subsequently underwent endoscopic ultrasound examination, which confirmed the presence of an isolated gastric nodule with no deep invasion of the muscularis propria, consistent with a uT1N0Mx endosonographic staging. He then underwentcompared with standard APC. We anticipate that the applications of HAPC will continue to grow, as this modality is adopted into common procedural parlance. This case appears to be the first to describe the use of HAPC for definitive treatment of diffuse intestinal metaplasia. Copyright © 2020, Estifan et al.Background Among the dialysis population, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is becoming a major cause of cardiovascular death, mainly due to myocardial infarction, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Electrocardiography (ECG) is a cheap and easily available test to detect the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy. The basic purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of left ventricular hypertrophy among the maintenance hemodialysis patients by applying different voltage criteria for the diagnosis of LVH and its relationship with various biophysical and biochemical parameters. Methods A total of 68 patients of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were included in the study who were on maintenance hemodialysis at the dialysis center of Sughra Shafi Hospital. Baseline characteristics were recorded from the patients’ data. Blood samples were drawn and electrocardiographs were taken, both before and after hemodialysis. Results Results showed variability in the detection of left ventricular hypertrophy in the pre- and post-dialysis period, as it was positive for 45%, 21%, and 17% in the pre-dialysis period versus 40%, 32%, and 25% in the post-dialysis period, when the Framingham, Sokolow-Lyon, and Cornell criteria were applied, respectively. The study showed a significant relationship between left ventricular hypertrophy with a high body mass index (BMI), hypertension, and pre- and post-dialysis hypomagnesemia (P less then 0.05). A significant association was also seen with low serum albumin levels over the past year. Conclusion According to this study, almost half of the dialysis patients were having left ventricle hypertrophy when Framingham criteria were applied. Good control of factors that are significantly associated with the occurrence of left ventricular hypertrophy can reduce morbidity and mortality among dialysis patients secondary to cardiovascular events. In this study, these factors included hypertension, hypomagnesemia, hypoalbuminemia, and high BMI. Copyright © 2020, Zanib et al.Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an acquired, rare autoimmune disease that occurs due to autoantibodies blocking neuromuscular transmission. Its pathophysiology involves production of antibodies against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Patients with negative anti-acetylcholine receptors (AChR) antibodies results are recognized as seronegative myasthenia gravis. In this review we tried to compare surgical and medical management of MG with each other to find out which is more effective. Different clinical trials and retrospective cohorts comparing these two parameters statistically were searched and studied. Remission rates in both medical and surgical management were compared. We found out that rates of remission were better in post thymectomy patients than patients on various medical treatment options including corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, intravenous immunoglobulins and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors alone. Hence thymectomy is studied to be the superior treatment option than other conservative medical management options alone. Copyright © 2020, Rashid et al.Pediatric altered mental status is a commonly feared presentation of children in both the emergency department and prehospital setting. Given the usual difficulties we face when treating children, utilizing systematic tools can help us to remain thorough and consistent when evaluating any given child. By using a standardized method of evaluation and diagnosis, first responders and emergency physicians can set aside their worries of mismanagement and provide adequate care to children with undifferentiated altered mental status. This article reviews one of the many approaches toward assessing children’s clinical status, walks through the elements that comprise it, and examines how it can be used to make emergency providers more confident. Copyright © 2020, Walker et al.