Medicine
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Observational Study
Differential Postoperative Effects of Volatile Anesthesia and Intraoperative Remifentanil Infusion in 7511 Thyroidectomy Patients: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.
Although remifentanil is used widely by many clinicians during general anesthesia, there are recent evidences of opioid-induced hyperalgesia as an adverse effect. This study aimed to determine if intraoperative remifentanil infusion caused increased pain during the postoperative period in patients who underwent a thyroidectomy. A total of 7511 patients aged ≥ 20 years, who underwent thyroidectomy between January 2009 and December 2013 at the Asan Medical Center were retrospectively analyzed. ⋯ However, the incidence of itching was higher in group R (4.3%) than in group N (0.7%) (P < 0.001). Continuous infusion of remifentanil during general anesthesia can cause higher intensity of postoperative pain and more frequent itching than general anesthesia without remifentanil infusion immediately after thyroidectomy. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of continuous remifentanil infusion, volatile anesthesia without opioid may be a good choice for minor surgeries, such as thyroidectomy.
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Review Case Reports
Cervical Intradural Disc Herniation Causing Progressive Quadriparesis After Spinal Manipulation Therapy: A Case Report and Literature Review.
Cervical intradural disc herniation (IDH) is an extremely rare condition, comprising only 0.27% of all disc herniations. Three percent of IDHs occur in the cervical, 5% in the thoracic, and over 92% in the lumbar spinal canal. There have been a total of 31 cervical IDHs reported in the literature. ⋯ At his 12-month follow-up, the patient had recovered nearly full muscle power. We presented an extremely rare case of cervical IDH causing progressive quadriparesis after excessive spinal manipulation therapy. The presence of a "halo" and "Y-sign" were useful MRI markers for cervical IDH in this case.
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Case Reports
Classic Case Report of Donohue Syndrome (Leprechaunism; OMIM *246200): The Impact of Consanguineous Mating.
Donohue syndrome ([DS]; leprechaunism) describes a genetic autosomal recessive disorder that results from the presence of homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the insulin receptor gene (INSR; 19p13.3-p13.2). Donohue syndrome is associated with a fatal congenital form of dwarfism with features of intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, exaggerated hyperglycemia with hyperinsulinism and dysmorphic abnormalities. We present a case of DS owing to the rarity of this syndrome (1 case in every million births). ⋯ Consanguinity is one of underlying reasons for the appearance of rare genetic disorders. Inbreeding has long been considered a controversial phenomenon. Genetic counseling and overwhelming the alertness of the negative consequences of consanguinity on public health are warranted.
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Observational Study
Auscultation of Velcro Crackles is Associated With Usual Interstitial Pneumonia.
Auscultation of Velcro crackles has been proposed as a key finding in physical lung examination in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), especially in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, no studies have been carried out to assess the association of Velcro crackles with other clinical variables. We evaluated a cohort of 132 patients, prospectively and consecutively included in our ILD diagnostic program at a tertiary referral center. ⋯ All patients with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) in high-resolution computed tomography and all patients with final IPF diagnosis presented Velcro crackles. In multivariate analysis, the presence of Velcro crackles was independently associated with an UIP pattern. In patients suspected of having ILD, the auscultation of Velcro crackles was associated with UIP, a possibility which must be taken into consideration in early ILD detection in primary care.
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Observational Study
Bedside Lung Ultrasound During Acute Chest Syndrome in Sickle Cell Disease.
Lung ultrasound (LU) is increasingly used to assess pleural and lung disease in intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency unit at the bedside. We assessed the performance of bedside chest radiograph (CR) and LU during severe acute chest syndrome (ACS), using computed tomography (CT) as the reference standard. We prospectively explored 44 ACS episodes (in 41 patients) admitted to the medical ICU. ⋯ As compared to others, ACS patients with an LU score above the median value of 11 had a larger volume of transfused and exsanguinated blood, greater oxygen requirements, more need for mechanical ventilation, and a longer ICU length of stay. LU outperformed CR for the diagnosis of consolidations and pleural effusion during ACS. Higher values of LU score identified patients at risk of worse outcome.