Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Nov 2006
Case ReportsA case of metoclopramide-induced oculogyric crisis in a 16-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis.
Oculogyric crisis is a neurologic reaction characterized by bilateral dystonic elevation of visual gaze as well as hyperextension of the neck. This reaction is most commonly explained as an adverse effect of numerous medications, such as dopamine receptor blocking agents or neuroleptic medications and traditional antipsychotic or antiemetic drugs, such as prochlorperazine or metoclopramide. A case of oculogyric crisis induced by metoclopramide is described in this paper.
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A patient with severe sepsis, who presented with moderate hypothermia and the classical electrocardiographic findings that have been described in patients with accidental hypothermia is presented. Rewarming was associated with proportional improvement of the initial electrocardiographic abnormalities. A brief discussion is included about the electrophysiologic mechanisms of Osborn waves, the differential diagnosis of this electrocardiographic finding as well as other findings described in patients with hypothermia.
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This article first reviews the evidence for and against chronic opioid therapy. Evidence supporting the opioid responsiveness of chronic pain, including neuropathic pain, includes multiple randomized trials conducted over months (up to 8 months). Observational studies are conducted for longer, and many also support opioid analgesic efficacy. ⋯ Knowing this, many ethical dilemmas arise, especially in relation to patients' right to treatment competing with physicians' need to offer the treatment selectively. In the future, we must learn how to select patients for this therapy who are likely to achieve improvement in pain, function and quality of life without interference from addiction. Efforts will also be made in the laboratory to identify opioids with lower abuse potential.
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Southern medical journal · Nov 2006
Case ReportsDrotrecogin alfa (activated) for nonmenstrual toxic shock syndrome associated with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.
Nonmenstrual toxic shock syndrome (TSS) due to Staphylococcus aureus can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. While drotrecogin alfa (DA) has been employed in patients with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) severe sepsis and septic shock, its utility in TSS remains unclear. The authors report a case of severe sepsis in the setting of MRSA-associated TSS that responded to treatment with DA. This case illustrates a potential role for DA in the treatment of toxic shock syndromes and emphasizes the importance of aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic modalities in approaching these conditions.