Electrocardiographic changes in acute organophosphate poisoning

Cardiac complications often accompany poisoning with organophosphates. These may be serious and often fatal, being represented by cardiac arrhythmias, electrocardiographic abnormalities and conduction defects, as well as myocardial infarction, a rarely reported complication of acute pesticide poisoning. The extent and pathogenesis of cardiac toxicity from these compounds is not yet clearly defined. We report the case of a 57-year-old woman who presented to our emergency department with coma and acute non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, as a result of organophosphates ingestion. She was resuscitated for asystole presented shortly after admission; prolonged QTc interval, ST-T changes, right bundle branch block, ventricular tachycardia were recorded. Finally she developed acute anteroseptal myocardial infarction and died despite serum cholinesterase normalization. We believe that admission in an intensive care unit, careful electrocardiographic and enzymatic monitoring of all patients is important for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac complications of organophosphates poisoning.     

Central diabetes insipidus following carbon monoxide poisoning

Diabetes insipidus is a rare complication after carbon monoxide poisoning. We report on a woman and her daughter who were noted to have polyuria and hypernatremia after exposure to carbon monoxide. Both patients were responsive to desmopressin therapy, and the diagnosis of central diabetes insipidus was made. The development and correction of hypernatremia further complicated the neurological damages caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. These cases illustrate the possibility of central diabetes insipidus and hypernatremia after carbon monoxide poisoning and the importance of immediate antidiuretic hormone treatment and careful fluid therapy.     

Transatrial Repair of Post-infarction Posterior Ventricular Septal Rupture

Ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is a rare but lethal complication of myocardial infarction. The event occurs 2~8 days after an infarction and often precipitates cardiogenic shock. Post myocardial infarction VSR is known for difficult to repair. Especially, Transmural myocardial infarction involved in the posterior VSD area, exposure of the affected site is difficult and postoperative mortality rate is high. We have experienced a case of a 75-year-old female patient who suffered posterior VSD due to acute myocardial infarction, and attained good result by approaching the lesion through right atrial incision and repaired the defect by using patch closure technique.     

MRI诊断一氧化碳中毒性脑病

目的探讨一氧化碳(CO)中毒性脑病的MRI特征。方法回顾性分析38例CO中毒性脑病患者的影像学资料,17例为急性CO中毒性脑病,21例为急性CO中毒后迟发性脑病,观察其MRI特征。结果共26例苍白球受累,其中急性CO中毒性脑病占53.85%(14/26),CO中毒后迟发性脑病占46.15%(12/26);25例脑白质受累,其中急性CO中毒性脑病占20.00%(5/25),CO中毒后迟发性脑病占80.00%(20/25);苍白球和(或)脑白质受累伴小脑和大脑皮质受累各1例,伴胼胝体受累9例。4例苍白球受累者T1WI呈稍高及高信号,其他病变区域T2WI呈稍高及高信号,T1WI呈等低信号。10例CO中毒后迟发性脑病患者接受DWI,其中6例脑白质受累,病变区ADC值减低;4例脑白质和苍白球同时受累,病变区ADC值升高;3例伴胼胝体受累,病变区ADC值减低。2例CO中毒后迟发性脑病患者接受SWI,均显示苍白球受累,双侧苍白球呈对称性不均匀低信号。结论 CO中毒性脑病MRI具有典型特征,对评估病情及预后具有重要价值。     

Postrenal transplant urinary leakage caused by segmental infarction of a renal allograft treated by partial nephrectomy

Kidney transplant is the final treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. Urinary leakage is the most-common surgical complication early after transplant. Another complication in the early posttransplant period is segmental allograft infarction. We report a kidney recipient who developed urinary leakage secondary to a segmental infarction of the upper pole of the transplanted kidney 2 months after transplant. The patient was treated successfully by a partial nephrectomy of the infracted upper lobe of the kidney. Three months after the partial nephrectomy of the allograft, serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were normal, and the patient was able to partake in her daily activities. Partial nephrectomy in the context of infarction of a kidney allograft is safe and can be used in similar cases.     

Défaillance cardiaque et neurologique secondaire à une intoxication accidentelle par l’hydrogène sulfuré : à propos d’un cas

We report the case of a patient who was victim of a hydrogen sulphide poisoning. This poisoning took place following a fall in sewers. The initial clinical presentation was dominated by an acute respiratory failure caused by an acute pulmonary oedema. In this context, non cardiogenic pulmonary oedema is usually evoked in the literature. Our observation supports a left ventricular systolic dysfunction as a possible cause of this cardiorespiratory complication. The initial presentation was also marked by a coma which is often associated with severe poisonings by hydrogen sulphide. Evolution was favourable under symptomatic treatment. We discuss the mechanism of heart and neurological failure.     

Lead-related gout. A case report

Gout secondary to lead-induced nephropathy is a long-term complication of occupational lead exposure. We report a case of this now-rare condition. The patient was a 63-year-old man who had been a miner from 1950 to 1970. Thirty years after cessation of his exposure to lead, he experienced onset of inflammatory symmetric polyarthritis with joint deformities. Hyperuricemia, moderately severe renal failure, and tubular acidosis were found, indicating gouty polyarthritis. Blood lead levels were high, establishing that the cause was lead poisoning. EDTA chelation therapy was effective. Lead poisoning is frequently under-recognized because the clinical manifestations are often minimal and the diagnosis difficult to establish. We suggest that lead bound to bone may result in continued exposure to lead after cessation of industrial or environmental exposure. Chelating agents are valuable for the diagnosis and can ensure a full recovery.     

Myocardial revascularization after failure of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

From 1980 to 1983, 299 procedures for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were performed in 265 patients. The procedure failed in 88 patients, 72 of whom underwent myocardial revascularization within 1 week following the angioplasty attempt. Operation on an emergency basis was required in 35 patients because of a major complication during or after coronary artery dilatation, whereas the remaining 37 patients underwent elective operation following failure without complication. Coronary occlusion occurred in 23 patients, coronary dissection without occlusion in four, perforation of the coronary artery in one patient, and no visible angiographic changes accounted for the severe myocardial ischemia in the remaining 7 patients. Signs of acute myocardial infarction were present preoperatively in 13 of the 35 patients (37.1%) who underwent emergent operation. Among the factors analyzed, only the absence of collateral circulation and the extent of coronary disease were directly related to the development of complications with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. There were no early or late deaths in this series. Postoperative complications occurred in seven patients (20%) of the group undergoing emergency operation and in none of the group having elective operation. New postoperative myocardial infarction developed in three patients (8.6%). In six of the 13 patients with preoperative evidence of necrosis, the electrocardiogram returned to normal without other signs of acute infarction after the operation, whereas myocardial infarction was complete in the remaining seven patients. Thus, patients who have complications from percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty should undergo immediate operation; for those in whom the procedure fails without complication, surgical treatment can be postponed and performed electively later on if indicated by the clinical incapacity of the patient.     

A case of emergency surgery for acute mitral regurgitation due to complete papillary muscle rupture as a severe form of reperfusion injury: report of a case

Complete rupture of a papillary muscle following acute myocardial infarction is a severe complication associate with acute left ventricular failure and pulmonary edema. Since the introduction of acute percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in the management of acute myocardial infarction, the frequency of this complication has further decreased. We described a patient who had acute mitral regurgitation due to complete rupture of papillary muscle rupture after successful coronary intervention. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated severe mitral regurgitation and the ruptured papillary muscle. At operation, posteriol papillary muscle was found to be totally ruptured. Mitral valve replacement was performed. Postoperative course was uneventful, with 2 days of IABP and 5 days of ventilator support.     

Surgical treatment of acquired left ventricular pseudoaneurysms

BACKGROUND: We present a review of our experience with acquired pseudoaneurysms of the left ventricle in order to establish the risk of surgical repair. METHODS: Ten patients operated upon for a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm in our clinic between 1984 and 1999 were reviewed. The pseudoaneurysm, a complication of myocardial infarction (four acute and three chronic) or previous cardiac surgery (three chronic), was resected in all patients and the ventricular wall defect closed with direct sutures (five cases) or a patch (five cases). Coronary artery bypass graft was performed in 6 patients. RESULTS: Three patients died (postoperative mortality 30%) after repair of an acute postinfarction (2 patients) or a chronic postsurgical (1 patient) pseudoaneurysm. Three patients died during follow-up (median 4 years) of a carcinological (2 patients) or cardiac (1 patient) cause. Two years after repair, 5 patients were in New York Heart Association class I or II, and 1 patient was in class III. CONCLUSIONS: Repair of left ventricular pseudoaneurysms can be performed with acceptable results, although mortality is significant in acute myocardial infarction and redo operations. Propensity for fatal rupture, however, is higher than the surgical risk in acute pseudoaneurysms or in large or expanding chronic ones and warrants surgical repair. The best approach to small asymptomatic chronic pseudoaneurysm is unsettled.     

Acute pancreatitis following antilymphocyte globulin therapy in a renal transplant recipient

Acute pancreatitis is a rare complication following OKT3 therapy, which to our knowledge has never been reported in patients treated with antilymphocyte globulin (ALG). We herein report a case of a kidney transplantation patient who developed acute pancreatitis 2 days after treatment with ALG for grade IIb acute rejection. The symptoms subsided after discontinuing this drug. Resumption of ALG therapy triggered another episode of acute pancreatitis. Therefore, the clinical course strongly suggests that ALG was the etiological factor of acute pancreatitis in this particular patient.     

Cardiac transplantation from a carbon monoxide intoxicated donor

Heart transplantation is a demonstrated successful and life-saving treatment for an increasing number of patients. The growth of heart transplantation surgery is limited by the relative lack of suitable donors, and the increasing demand has lead to the expansion of acceptance criteria. Patients succumbing to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning are usually considered not suitable organ donors and they are routinely rejected in many centers. Although organs from CO poisoning donors have been occasionally used, cardiac transplantation in this scenario remains very uncommon. We report the successful heart transplantation from a CO intoxicated donor, who was previously refused by two other transplantation teams. Standard donor evaluation criteria, transplantation techniques and management were used. Limited cases are described in literature. The present case may increase awareness among emergency department physicians, as well as transplantations teams, that patients dying of CO exposure may be acceptable cardiac donors.     

Negative pressure post-extubation pulmonary edema complicating appendectomy in a young patient: case report

Negative-pressure pulmonary edema after endotracheal intubation is an uncommon and potentially serious complication of patients undergoing general anesthesia for different surgical procedures. We report a case of a healthy 20-year-old male patient with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. The patient was submitted to appendectomy under general anesthesia and developed negative-pressure pulmonary edema immediately after extubation. The present paper reports this potentially serious complication illustrating the main radiological findings consistent with alveolar hemorrhage in this setting and the treatment performed.     

Respiratory syndromes in acute poisoning

Respiratory syndromes in acute poisoning can refer to a wide range of specific clinical syndromes, from acute tracheobronchitis to acute pulmonary edema, chemical pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and respiratory failure, that occur as a result of direct or indirect effect of chemical substances, drugs and toxins on lungs and airways. Our study attempt to identify, during one-year retrospective study on patients diagnosed with acute poisoning, addressed to Medical Clinic of Emergency Clinic Hospital of Iasi, the respiratory syndromes commonly associated with acute poisoning. We found that the association of toxins, inhalation of gases or volatile substances have a high risk for appearance of respiratory syndromes. The outcome of these patients is influenced by the duration of exposure or the delay of presentation to the hospital after ingestion, and depends on the rapid and aggressive measures for basic life support and intensive care.     

Diabetic muscle infarction of the peroneus brevis: a case report

Diabetic muscle infarction of the peroneus brevis is a rare complication of diabetes mellitus. It often presents with an acute leg pain without any obvious signs. Due to poor awareness of this condition, it is often misdiagnosed and results in anxiety of the patient and unnecessary investigations. It is ominous as it usually indicates vascular disease of the end organs. We report a case where the patient presented to several physicians for leg pain without any other clinical signs. The diagnosis was suspected on ultrasound and confirmed with biopsy. The symptoms improved dramatically after excision. Although most literature suggests conservative treatment by non-weight bearing and analgesia, the recovery period can last for more than 6 weeks, with a recurrence rate of 50%. We feel that there is a role for excision biopsy of the lesion for both diagnosis and treatment. In this case, symptoms improved remarkably and the patient was able to ambulate without pain 2 days after the operation without needing any analgesia.     

纳洛酮对急性重度一氧化碳中毒患者治疗后不同时间血浆β-内啡肽及预后的影响

目的探讨纳洛酮对急性重度一氧化碳中毒患者治疗后不同时间血浆β-内啡肽及预后的影响。方法选择2009年1月～2011年1月在笔者所在医院治疗的急性重度一氧化碳中毒患者52例作为研究对象,随机分为A组（常规治疗）和B组（常规治疗＋纳洛酮）各26例,比较两组的疗效及治疗后12、24、48、72 h血浆β-内啡肽的表达及两组患者的预后情况。结果 B组的总有效率明显高于A组,两组比较,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。两组治疗后12、24、48、72 h的血浆β-内啡肽水平均较入院前明显降低,且B组较A组降低更明显,两组比较,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。B组于治疗后48 h血浆β-内啡肽水平逐渐接近正常水平。B组的催醒时间明显短于A组,且B组的预后显示,无一例患者发生偏瘫或死亡,其预后明显优于A组,两组比较,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。结论纳洛酮对急性重度一氧化碳中毒患者疗效确切,能够降低血浆β-内啡肽水平,明显改善一氧化碳中毒患者的预后,值得推广和应用。     

Diarrhea associated acute renal failure in a patient with Salmonella enteritidis sepsis

Salmonella enteritidis infection occurs primarily in animals and often results in self-limited gastroenteritis in accidental cross contamination in human. However, the acute renal failure could be a rare but serious complication of the S. enteritidis infection. We report one case of acute renal failure from severe dehydration caused by S. enteritidis food poisoning. The acute renal failure completely recovered after hydration and antibiotic treatment.     

Repair of a subepicardial aneurysm after myocardial infarction in a patient with congestive heart failure

Subepicardial aneurysm of the left ventricle is a rare complication of myocardial infarction. We report a case of a 75-year-old woman found to have a subepicardial aneurysm 4 months after an acute myocardial infarction. The patient was admitted to our hospital with congestive heart failure, and transthoracic echocardiography and left ventriculography showed an aneurysm on the posterior wall of the left ventricle, 4.6 x 3.5 cm in size. We performed patch repair using a Hemashield graft, with coronary artery bypass grafting. She was discharged on postoperative day 69, and has been well since.     

静脉输注高氧液对急性一氧化碳中毒大鼠生化指标的影响

目的 本研究旨在探讨静脉输注高氧液(hyperoxygen solution,HOS)对急性一氧化碳(CO)中毒大鼠生化指标的影响.方法 采用随机数字表法将18只SD大鼠随机分为3组(每组6只):正常组(N组)、中毒组(C组)和中毒治疗组(H15组).在中毒后1h,C组输注平衡盐溶液15 ml/kg,H15组输注HOS...     

Surgical management of postinfarction ventricular septal rupture

Recognition and treatment of patients with ventricular septal rupture following infarction have improved over the past 25 years to the extent that survival with good long-term palliation is achieved in the majority of patients treated surgically for this catastrophic complication of acute myocardial infarction. The small minority of patients who, by the process of selection, are seen for surgical correction of septal rupture several weeks after infarction routinely have repair of the septal defect with an operative risk of less than 10%. With increasingly early diagnosis of septal rupture, the majority of patients are seen for consideration of surgical repair often within hours after septal rupture. Most such patients seen early after septal rupture exhibit cardiogenic shock. Refinement of operative techniques both for suture repair of freshly infarcted myocardium and for repair of defects in different anatomical locations has markedly improved survival in these critically ill patients. Deferral of operation for the patient in cardiogenic shock after septal rupture represents a failed therapeutic strategy. Conversely, emergency operation for the patient with septal rupture and cardiogenic shock has markedly improved survival in this high-risk group. Prolonged intraaortic balloon pump support and deferred operation should be reserved for the uncommon patient who, because of delayed diagnosis or referral, is seen in an advanced stage of multisystem failure in which the risks of early operative intervention involve the function of organs other than the heart.