The American journal of case reports
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BACKGROUND Epinephrine for anaphylactic shock is the standard life-saving treatment in the emergency department. Cardiac symptoms after epinephrine administration in a child with no prior cardiac history are often not suspected. We describe a presentation of diastolic cardiac dysfunction after anaphylaxis from a bee sting in an adolescent male. ⋯ The patient required epinephrine drip for hemodynamic support and BiPAP for respiratory support. CONCLUSIONS This case highlights the risk of giving a rapid intravenous push of epinephrine, which converted an anaphylactic reaction to cardiogenic shock. Anaphylaxis-related coronary ischemia (Kounis) syndrome is another less likely etiology for our patient's presentation.
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BACKGROUND The management of patients with tricyclic antidepressant drug overdose can be a challenge for the emergency department physician. Tricyclic antidepressants block alpha-adrenergic receptors and the anticholinergic effects may lead to cardiotoxicity, resulting in arrhythmias and hypotension that can lead to patient mortality. This report is of a case of a 28-year-old woman who presented with cardiac arrest due to amitriptyline overdose and who responded to intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) therapy. ⋯ This case showed the successful use of ILE as rescue therapy in a patient in cardiac arrest following amitriptyline overdose. However, the successful outcome obtained in this case is not a recommendation for the use of ILE as a first-line treatment for the management of patients with tricyclic antidepressant drug overdose. Controlled clinical studies are required to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ILE in the management of tricyclic antidepressant drug overdose.
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BACKGROUND Elevation of creatine kinase (CK) activity has been shown to be predictive of acute kidney injury (AKI) in rhabdomyolysis. Patients with extremely high CK activity with preserved renal function are uncommon. This report describes a case of non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis, with a markedly elevated CK activity, without associated AKI. ⋯ However, preserved kidney function is possible. Young age, no concurrent cocaine use, and adequate oral fluid hydration may prevent AKI in rhabdomyolysis. Physicians need to remain vigilant for cases of rhabdomyolysis that have not yet caused renal compromise.
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BACKGROUND Thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis/renal failure, and organomegaly (TAFRO) syndrome is a variant of idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease. Adrenal hemorrhage has rarely been reported in TAFRO syndrome, and previous cases have mainly been Asian patients. This report is of two Caucasian patients with TAFRO syndrome presenting with acute adrenal insufficiency due to bilateral adrenal hemorrhage. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Two cases of TAFRO syndrome presented with acute adrenal insufficiency due to bilateral adrenal hemorrhage. The symptoms were only partially controlled with tocilizumab, rituximab, and tacrolimus. Adrenal hemorrhage may be a specific manifestation of TAFRO syndrome.
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BACKGROUND Regional nerve blocks ideally provide safe and effective post-operative pain control, decrease opiate requirements, and enhance recovery from intense pain following major thoracic, abdominal, and musculoskeletal surgeries. The erector spinae plane block, a recently described novel treatment for chronic neuropathic pain and acute pain after thoracic surgery, can be performed with in plane infiltration and placement of a continuous infusion catheter deep to the erector spinae muscle at the tip of the transverse process, resulting in diffusion of local anesthetic between vertebrae and the paravertebral space with sensory blockade of spinal nerves as well as sympathetic branches. ⋯ The use of the erector spinae block in this context provided effective post-operative analgesia. CONCLUSIONS Additional evidence from clinical trials will be helpful to evaluate the role of this relatively new block for peri-operative analgesia.