Clinical medicine (London, England)
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Review Case Reports
Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state as a stroke cause or stroke mimic: an illustrative case and review of literature.
Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS) is a life-threatening metabolic complication of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) that often presents with neurological symptoms. A 74-year-old man with known T2DM presented to the emergency department with collapse, left-sided weakness and slurred speech (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) 3) and a biochemical profile consistent with HHS. When he further deteriorated (NIHSS 20), he was managed for concurrent ischaemic stroke. ⋯ Two further cases of HHS mimicking ischaemic stroke have been reported with symptoms and imaging findings resolving with treatment of HHS. Our case demonstrates how HHS can also accentuate symptoms of a minor stroke, highlighting the importance of excluding ischaemic stroke in HHS patients with neurological dysfunction. We recommend consideration of early MRI and/or computed tomography angiography in this cohort, especially in those appropriate for intervention.
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We present a case of a non-diabetic 84-year-old woman who presented with recurrent falls and hypoglycaemic episodes and was subsequently diagnosed to have a solitary insulinoma. Her multiple fall episodes may have been precipitated by her low blood glucose levels. We discuss the clinical and radiological findings of insulinoma.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Utility of severity assessment tools in COVID-19 pneumonia: a multicentre observational study.
Severity scores in pneumonia and sepsis are being applied to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to assess whether these severity scores are accurate predictors of early adverse outcomes in COVID-19. ⋯ None of the scores examined accurately predicted ESAE in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Non-validated scores should not be used to inform clinical decision making in COVID-19.
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CT imaging is not advocated by British Thoracic Society guidelines after first episode of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). There is emerging evidence that emphysema-like changes and CT-based dystrophy severity score (DSS) can predict need for early surgery and recurrence. ⋯ DSS seems to predict the need for early surgery and recurrence and CT can be used to risk-stratify patients after a first episode of PSP.