Southern medical journal
-
The authors reviewed MEDLINE and references of major articles in the published literature over the last 30 years regarding the complications of alcohol abuse and discuss the critical care aspects of alcohol abuse. This article discusses the severe medical conditions associated with alcohol abuse that lead to admission to the medical intensive care unit. The clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, diagnostic studies, and management of these conditions are discussed in detail.
-
Southern medical journal · Mar 2005
Case ReportsPulmonary sarcoidosis presenting with acute respiratory failure.
This is a case report of pulmonary sarcoidosis presenting with acute respiratory failure. A 33-year-old black man presented with 4 days of headache and fever. He had subsequent development of respiratory failure on the seventh hospital day. ⋯ Extensive workup for collagen vascular disease and infectious pathology were negative. Transbronchial biopsy specimens of the lung parenchyma showed noncaseating epithelioid granulomas consistent with sarcoidosis. The patient was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone succinate with dramatic clinical improvement.
-
Southern medical journal · Mar 2005
ReviewPain management in children: developmental considerations and mind-body therapies.
One of the most challenging roles of medical providers serving children is to appropriately assess and treat their pain. Pain is one of the most misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and undertreated/ untreated medical problems, particularly in children. ⋯ This review focuses on the clinical assessment of pain, based on a developmental model and addresses common beliefs and myths that affect the management of pain in children. We provide a review of the pain literature that focuses on the integration of mind-body therapies into the management of procedure-related pain, headache, and recurrent abdominal pain in children.
-
Southern medical journal · Mar 2005
Case ReportsAcupuncture therapy rapidly terminates intractable hiccups complicating acute myocardial infarction.
Acupuncture is a well-known alternative therapy in practice worldwide. Its dramatic effect on hiccups has been rarely reported. We describe a 77-year-old male who had hiccups after an acute myocardial infarction. ⋯ Eventually, the hiccups were rapidly terminated by acupuncture at acupoint GV14 (Da zhui). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of acupuncture's reversing intractable hiccups after an acute myocardial infarction. Acupuncture may be considered for patients with hiccups refractory to conventional therapy.