Medicine
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Drug fever is frequently underrecognized by clinicians despite its common occurrence. Fever induced by piperacillin/tazobactam has not been reported in scoliosis correction surgery. Drug fever caused by piperacillin/tazobactam in a scoliosis patient was described. ⋯ Fever could be caused by piperacillin/tazobactam. The drug fever's diagnosis is easily confounded by a co-occurring infection. Therefore, it is crucial for clinicians to doubt drugs as a reason when no other origin of fever could be identified in a patient.
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Observational Study
Serum TRSUT Titer ≥1: 16 Is a Predictor for Neurosyphilis Among HIV-Infected Patients With Concurrent Syphilis and No Neurological Symptoms.
Investigating the predictors for lumbar puncture to diagnose the asymptomatic neurosyphilis among HIV and syphilis co-infected patients in Shanghai, China. Respectively, screening the medical records from August 1, 2009 to June 30, 2015. Those HIV-infected patients with concurrent syphilis who had received lumbar puncture were selected and their clinical and demographic data were recorded. ⋯ From HIV/syphilis co-infected patients with or without neurological symptom, those who had neurological symptoms, CD4 <350 per μL and serological TRUST titer ≥1:16 were 4.9-fold (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.37-10.31), 4.3-fold (95% CI: 1.17-15.78), and 4.1-fold (95% CI: 1.58-10.76), respectively, more likely to be diagnosed with neurosyphilis. Asymptomatic patients whose serum TRUST titer ≥1:16 were 8.48-fold (95% CI: 1.08-66.63) more likely to have asymptomatic neurosyphilis. Among asymptomatic HIV-infected patients with late syphilis or early syphilis experienced an anti-syphilis treatment failure, those who have a serum TRUST titer ≥1:16 are suggested to perform lumbar puncture in order to avoid delayed diagnosis and the occurrence of severe sequelae of syphilis.
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Observational Study
Initial and Middle-Term Outcome of Treatment for Spontaneous Isolated Dissection of Superior Mesenteric Artery.
Symptomatic isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SIDSMA) represents an extremely rare condition. Although various treatments including conservative treatment, endovascular stenting (ES), and surgical repair are currently available, consensus treatment guideline is absent due to scarce of SIDSMA cases. Thus, we present our experience in the treatment of SIDSMA at our single center. ⋯ All patients were free from new aneurysmal formation of SMA and all stents remained patent. For SIDSMA without peritonitis, conservative treatment can be provided with reasonable success rate, while ES may serve as an effective alternative once conservative treatment fails. For SIDSMA with peritonitis, open surgery remains the treatment of choice by resection of necrotic intestine and revasculization.
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Observational Study
Long-Term Use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Risk of Glaucoma in Depression Patients.
This study investigated whether the long-term use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) influences the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) in the Chinese ethnic population in Taiwan. The authors retrieved the data under analysis from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan and identified 26,186 newly diagnosed depression patients without preexisting glaucoma. The study cohort included 13,093 patients with over 1 year of SSRI use, and a comparison cohort of 13,093 patients who had never used SSRIs. ⋯ The overall incidence of POAG in the SSRI cohort was nonsignificantly higher than that in the comparison cohort (1.51 versus 1.39 per 1000 person-years), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.07 (95% confidence interval = 0.82-1.40). The overall incidence of PACG in the SSRI cohort was nonsignificantly lower than that in the comparison cohort (0.95 versus 1.11 per 1000 person-years), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.85 (95% confidence interval = 0.62-1.18). The long-term use of SSRIs does not influence the risk of POAG or PACG in depression patients.
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This study aimed to investigate the relationships among parameters from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI), and F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET in patients with primary head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). A total of 34 patients with primary HNSCC underwent DCE-MRI, DWI, and F-FDG PET before treatment. The perfusion parameters (Ktrans, Ktransmax, Kep, Ve, Vp, and AUC60) from DCE-MRI and ADC (ADCmean, ADCmin) values from DWI were calculated within the manually placed ROI around the main tumor. ⋯ Tumor volume was significantly associated with Ktransmax (r = 0.348). The demonstrated relationships among parameters from DCE, DWI, and F-FDG PET suggest complex interactions among tumor biologic characteristics. Each diagnostic technique may provide complementary information for HNSCC.