Curēus
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Case Reports
Shortness of Breath: An Unusual Presentation of Bladder Injury. A Case Report and Literature Review of Urinothorax.
Urinothorax is the presence of urine in the pleural space. It can occur at any age and is more common in males. It typically results from obstructive uropathy but can also be caused by malignancy or trauma. Urinothorax is a rare cause of transudative pleural effusion and the only cause of low pH (pH <7.4) transudative effusion. We present the case of a 51-year-old female patient who had recently undergone a urological procedure and came to the emergency department reporting shortness of breath. A chest X-ray revealed a newly developed, large, right-sided pleural effusion. Thoracentesis yielded a transudative yellow fluid of normal pH with a creatinine-to-serum creatinine ratio of 1.7. A computed tomography (CT) cystogram showed extravasated contrast material within the pelvis, from which a diagnosis of urinothorax was confirmed and treated. Urinothorax is a rare diagnosis that requires a multidisciplinary treatment approach, usually including a pulmonologist and a urologist. After the genitourinary disease is treated, the urinothorax usually resolves.
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Osteitis condensans ilii (OCI) is a benign cause of low back pain, which is self-limiting. Though OCI is still an orthopedic mystery, mechanical stress across the joint is a significant triggering factor according to the prevailing theories. The traditional location of involvement is around the ileum, and can be misinterpreted as sacroiliac joint (SIJ) involvement. We present a case of bilateral OCI with sclerosis based on radiological finding in a 30-year-old female presenting with chronic low back pain.
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One of the barriers to improving cardiac arrest survival is the low rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) provision. Identifying this as a public health issue, many medical students often assist in training the community in CPR. However, these experiences are often short and are not associated with structured resuscitation education, limiting the student's and the community's learning. In this assessment, we identified a need and developed a curriculum, including defined goals and objectives, for an undergraduate medical education (UME) elective in CPR. ⋯ Implementation of a longitudinal CPR elective improved resuscitation science education for medical students and fostered increased community CPR training. This describes one local effort to improve resuscitation science education and training for medical students. Further work will need to be done to evaluate the impact of UME resuscitation curricula on medical student career choice and resuscitation outcomes.
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Case Reports
Post-surgical Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis in a Patient on Empagliflozin in the Intensive Care Unit.
Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (EDKA) is a rare variant of diabetic ketoacidosis which has been recently reported in association with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors. Empagliflozin, an agent belonging to this therapeutic class, was approved by the U. S. ⋯ Metabolic abnormalities improved in less than 24 hours and patient recovered without complications. This report highlights the importance of recognizing EDKA as a complication of oral anti-diabetics and discontinuing SGLT-2 inhibitors days prior to surgery and ICU admission. Care should be applied to providing patient with low-dose ketogenesis-inhibiting basal insulin and close observation of laboratory values in order to minimize delays in diagnosis, prolonged hospital stays and complications of EDKA.
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Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus have been associated with vitamin D deficiency. Diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a complication of type 1 and, rarely, type 2 diabetes, is also found to be associated with vitamin D levels. This review discusses studies on the correlation between diabetic ketoacidosis and vitamin D levels. ⋯ Diabetic ketoacidosis is also found to affect vitamin D levels. The possible explanation of diabetic ketoacidosis affecting vitamin D levels is the inactivity of the 1-alpha-hydroxylase enzyme and an increase in the renal excretion of vitamin D binding proteins. The presence of vitamin D receptors on pancreatic beta cells explains the role of vitamin D in the causation of diabetic ketoacidosis.