Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2010
Inappropriate psychiatric admission of elderly patients with unrecognized delirium.
To explore factors that might contribute to misattribution of mental status changes to psychiatric illness when an elderly patient actually has a delirium (mental status changes due to a medical condition). ⋯ Our findings suggest that elderly patients with delirium admitted to psychiatric units are less likely to undergo complete diagnostic assessments than delirious elderly patients admitted to medical units. Symptoms of delirium appear more likely to be incorrectly attributed to psychiatric illness in patients with a history of mental illness than in patients without such a history. Possible explanations for these findings and suggestions for addressing these issues are offered.
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2010
Comparative StudyOccult cranial injuries found with neuroimaging in clinically asymptomatic young children due to abusive compared to accidental head trauma.
To compare occult brain injuries on neuroimaging in clinically asymptomatic children under 20 months due to abusive versus accidental head trauma. ⋯ Although victims of abusive trauma under 20 months of age are less often neurologically asymptomatic compared to accidental trauma victims, neuroimaging revealed a high rate of occult traumatic brain injury in both groups.
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2010
Case ReportsDyspnea and dysentery: a case report of pleuropulmonary amebiasis.
Pleuropulmonary amebiasis is an uncommon complication of Entamoeba histolytica infection. It typically occurs in endemic regions including Central and South America, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. ⋯ A positive Entamoeba histolytica serum antibody and pleural fluid antigen confirmed the diagnosis. Surgical drainage of the pleural empyema and medical treatment with antiparasitics were necessary for symptom and disease resolution.