Curēus
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Background and purpose The pathogenesis of brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage is thought to be due to mechanical damage followed by ischemic, cytotoxic, and inflammatory changes in the underlying and surrounding tissue. In recent years, there has been a greater research interest into the various inflammatory biomarkers and growth factors that are secreted during intracerebral hemorrhage. The biomarkers investigated in this study are tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), C-reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine (Hcy), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). ⋯ GCS on admission and ICH score were significantly associated with mortality. Conclusion After careful statistical review of the data obtained from this patient population, only low VEGF values were found to be a significant predictor of mortality. However, elevated CRP and Hcy levels were associated with a non-significant trend in hemorrhage size and mortality suggesting that CRP and Hcy-lowering therapies may decrease hemorrhagic stroke risk and severity.
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The International Consensus Definition for Sepsis and Septic Shock Task Force has recently developed new methods to determine whether a patient is at risk for end organ failure after he has been suspected to have sepsis. One of the newest measures developed is a quick Sequential (Sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), and it is used to identify patients who are at risk of sepsis outside the intensive care unit. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score has previously been the standard for determining a patient's sepsis risk and prognosis for future mortality. With the development of these new tools, it is imperative to compare qSOFA to SIRS in order to determine which method is best and under which circumstances. We conclude that according to evidence currently available, qSOFA has limited use for patients in the intensive care unit at the time of evaluation for predicting mortality and organ dysfunction. Furthermore, qSOFA outranks SIRS for patients in the emergency department except for SIRS delivering positive results more quickly.
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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting multiple systems by the process of inflammation and formation of auto-antibodies. When it presents in childhood, it is referred to as childhood systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE). Cardiac tamponade is a rare but potentially lethal complication of cSLE, even rarer as an initial presentation. ⋯ The patient was started on pulse therapy of methylprednisolone followed by a low-dose regime of mycophenolate mofetil. The patient was also provided with positive pressure ventilation, hemodialysis, and invasive cardiovascular monitoring along with the instillation of intravenous fluid supplements. To our knowledge, cases of sub-acute cardiac tamponade as the only and early clinical manifestation in childhood SLE are very rare.
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The objective of this review is to analyze the evidence supporting selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) for the treatment of spastic cerebral palsy (CP). We reviewed 85 outcome studies from 12 countries between 1990 and 2017. The published results are overwhelmingly supportive of SDR, and 39 studies form a basis for this review. ⋯ The outcomes of SDR specific to spastic quadriplegia require further investigation because of the relatively small patient population with quadriplegia. Lastly, we found that SDR can prevent or reverse premature aging in adolescents and adults with spastic diplegia. In conclusion, the evidence supporting the efficacy of SDR is strong, and SDR is a well-established option for spasticity management in spastic CP.
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Background Despite advances in resuscitation science and public health, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) cases have an average survival rate of only 12% nationwide, compared to 24.8% of cases occurring in hospital. Many factors, including resuscitation interventions, contribute to positive patient outcomes and have, therefore, been studied in attempts to optimize emergency medical services (EMS) protocols to achieve higher rates of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in the field. However, no consensus has been met regarding the appropriate amount of time for EMS to spend on scene. Aim A favorable outcome is defined as patients that achieved the combination of ROSC and a final disposition of "ongoing resuscitation in the emergency department (ED)." The primary purpose of this preliminary study was to determine the scene time interval (STI) in which American urban EMS systems achieved the highest rates of favorable outcomes in non-traumatic OOHCAs. ⋯ Once past 50 minutes, a phenomenon of diminishing return was observed and the rates of favorable outcomes sharply declined. This suggests a possible "sweet spot" that may exist regarding the optimal scene time in a cardiac arrest encounter. Significant differences between the average number of interventions per patient were found, however, many confounding factors and the limited data set make the results difficult to generalize.