Neurology
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We evaluated the ability of CT performed soon after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) to predict outcome. Generally, the results of CT paralleled level of consciousness in predicting mortality or good recovery. However, CT did detect some groups of patients who were at greater or lesser risk of mortality. ⋯ Intracerebral hemorrhage or local, thick, or diffuse subarachnoid deposits of blood seen on CT among alert patients were particularly related to increased mortality. CT abnormalities could be used to detect higher mortality rates among drowsy or comatose patients. CT is useful as an adjunct to the clinical examination in predicting outcome after SAH.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Plasmapheresis and acute Guillain-Barré syndrome. The Guillain-Barré syndrome Study Group.
We compared plasmapheresis with conventional therapy in 245 patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome of recent onset. Statistically significant differences, favoring the plasmapheresis group, were found in terms of improvement at 4 weeks, time to improve one clinical grade, time to independent walking, and outcome at 6 months. Plasmapheresis was not effective for all patients, but was particularly effective for patients who received this treatment within 7 days of onset and for patients who required mechanical ventilation after entry into the study. Plasmapheresis appears to be of benefit in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome of recent onset.
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In a retrospective study of scuba divers with neurologic injuries, we found that mild symptoms were common. Seventy divers had decompression sickness, most often with paresthesias or numbness, rarely with paresis. ⋯ Mild symptoms sometimes regressed spontaneously. Recompression delays were responsible for poor responses to therapy.
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Phrenic nerve function was evaluated by transcutaneous stimulation in the neck and recording the diaphragmatic potential from surface electrodes placed at the ipsilateral seventh intercostal space (7CS) and the xiphoid process (XP). Simultaneous recordings from 7CS and XP electrodes connected together (XP-7CS) and each connected to a remote reference (knee-7CS and knee-XP) disclosed that the 7CS electrode was always more active and showed electropositive activity, whereas the XP electrode, which was only minimally active, showed electronegative response. ⋯ Phrenic nerve studies are useful in establishing phrenic nerve injury following cardiothoracic operation. They may also provide evidence of phrenic nerve or diaphragmatic involvement in demyelinative neuropathies, motor neuron disease, and muscular dystrophies.
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Ischemic monomelic neuropathy (IMN) is an infrequently recognized type of ischemic neuropathy produced by the shunting of blood away from, or the acute noncompressive occlusion of, a major proximal limb artery. IMN consists of multiple axonal-loss mononeuropathies that develop acutely and simultaneously in the distal portion of a limb. ⋯ In six the IMN was thromboembolic in nature, whereas in eight it was due to various vascular surgical procedures. Our experience with IMN suggests that distal axonal infarction can occur without significant muscle necrosis, supporting the hypothesis that in humans the distal nerve fibers are more vulnerable than muscle to acute noncompressive limb ischemia.