Medicine
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Blood glucose control in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is reportedly influenced by the seasons, with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels decreasing in the summer or warm season and increasing in the winter or cold season. In addition, several studies have shown that sepsis is also associated with the seasons. Although both blood glucose control and sepsis can strongly affect the occurrence of severe hypoglycemia, few studies have examined the seasonal variation of severe hypoglycemia. ⋯ In the T2DM group (n = 317), the occurrence of severe hypoglycemia and the HbA1c levels did not differ significantly among the seasons. The occurrence of severe hypoglycemia might be seasonal and might fluctuate with temperature changes. Patients should be treated more carefully during the season in which severe hypoglycemia is more common.
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Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare disease with insidious onset and nonspecific manifestations. The objective of this article was to characterize the clinical manifestations and features of PLCH by retrospectively analyzing clinical data of patients with PLCH in addition to simultaneous review of literature. A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of patients with PLCH (n = 7), whose conditions were diagnosed by biopsy from pulmonary tissue (n = 6) or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck (n = 1) and confirmed by PLCH typical radiological features on computed tomography (CT) scan, between January 2001 and September 2012 at the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. ⋯ The pathogenesis of PLCH might be closely associated with smoking. The cystic or nodular lesion was the typical radiological features. Further prospective studies with large sample size are required to further validate the study results and understand the clinical characteristics of PLCH to avoid misdiagnosis.
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Many of the treatment strategies for sigmoid diverticulitis are actually focusing on nonoperative and minimally invasive approaches. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the actual role of damage control surgery (DCS) in the treatment of generalized peritonitis caused by perforated sigmoid diverticulitis. A literature search was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar for articles published from 1960 to July 2013. ⋯ Two surgical different approaches were highlighted: limited resection of the diseased colonic segment with or without stoma or reconstruction in situ, and laparoscopic washing and drainage without colonic resection. Despite the heterogeneity of patient groups, clinical settings, and interventions included in this review, DCS appears to be a promising strategy for the treatment of Hinchey III and IV diverticulitis, complicated by septic shock. A tailored approach to each patient seems to be appropriate.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
High-pitch coronary CT angiography at 70 kVp with low contrast medium volume: comparison of 80 and 100 kVp high-pitch protocols.
The purpose of this article is to evaluate image quality and radiation dose of prospectively electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggered high-pitch coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) at 70 kVp and 30 mL contrast medium. One hundred fifty patients with a heart rate ≤70 beats per minute (bpm) underwent CCTA using a second-generation dual-source computed tomography (CT) scanner and were randomized into 3 groups according to tube voltage and contrast medium volume (370 mg/mL iodine concentration) (100 kVp group, 100 kVp/60 mL, n = 55; 80 kVp group, 80 kVp/60 mL, n = 44; 70 kVp group, 70 kVp/30 mL, n = 51). Objective and subjective image quality along with the effect of heart rate (HR) and body mass index (BMI) was evaluated and compared between the groups. ⋯ HR did not affect subjective image quality (all P > 0.05), while patients with BMI <23 kg/m had higher image quality than patients with BMI ≥23 kg/m (P < 0.05). Compared with the 100 kVp group, the radiation dose of the 70 kVp group was reduced by 75%. In conclusion, prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch 70 kVp/30 mL CCTA can obtain diagnostic image quality with lower radiation dose in selected patients with BMI <23 kg/m compared with 80/100 kVp/60 mL CCTA.
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Review Case Reports
Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy: report of 3 cases and review of the literature.
Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a rare clinical entity where tumor cell embolisms in pulmonary circulation induce thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), respiratory failure, and subacute cor pulmonale. We describe 3 cases of PTTM that presented as the initial manifestation of metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma with TMA and pulmonary infiltrates. All 3 cases had similar clinical and laboratory features, which included moderate thrombocytopenia without renal failure, hemolysis with extremely high serum lactate dehydrogenase levels, leukoerythroblastosis in peripheral blood smear, altered coagulation tests, lymphadenopathies, and interstitial pulmonary infiltrates. ⋯ One patient had bone marrow infiltration by malignant cells. Autopsies revealed PTTM associated with gastric disseminated adenocarcinoma (signet-ring cell type in 2 patients and poorly differentiated type in 1). PTTM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with fulminant microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, such as atypical thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, mainly those with pulmonary infiltrates, disseminated intravascular coagulation, or Trousseau syndrome.