Prehospital amiodarone may increase the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome among patients at risk

PURPOSE: Amiodarone has been implicated as a risk factor for acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) when used in the hospital. This study aims to estimate whether prehospital amiodarone also increases the risk of ALI/ARDS. MATERIALS: Adult patients admitted to 22 centers with at least 1 risk factor for developing ALI were recruited. In a secondary analysis of this cohort, the prehospital use of amiodarone was documented on admission, and the patients followed for the primary outcome of ALI and secondary outcomes of ARDS, the need for invasive ventilation, and mortality. Dose/duration of amiodarone therapy was not available. Propensity matching was performed to account for imbalances in being assigned to amiodarone. The adjusted risk for ALI/ARDS was then estimated from a conditional logistic regression model of this propensity-matched set. RESULTS: Forty of 5584 patients were on amiodarone at the time of hospitalization; of those, 6 developed ALI, with 5 progressing to ARDS. In comparison, 371 patients not on amiodarone developed ALI, with 224 having ARDS. After propensity score matching, the prehospital use of amiodarone was not statistically associated with an increased risk for all ALI (odds ratio [OR], 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7-5.0; P = .25), invasive ventilation (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0-3.6; P = .059), or in-hospital mortality (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.5-2.9; P = .75); but its use appeared to significantly increase the risk for ARDS (OR 3.8; 95% CI, 1.1-13.1; P = .036). CONCLUSIONS: Prehospital use of amiodarone may independently increase the risk for ARDS in patients who have at least 1 predisposing condition for ALI.     

Bilateral supraclavicular abscesses following trigger point injections

A 54-year-old-woman presented to the emergency department with worsening bilateral shoulder pain six days after trigger point injections in the bilateral supraclavicular areas for chronic pain. A computed tomography scan of the neck revealed bilateral irregular rim enhancing fluid collections. Image-guided percutaneous drainage resulted in marked improvement and near complete resolution by 17 days post-drainage. This case demonstrates the need for early detection of soft-tissue infection and abscess formation related to interventional pain procedures to avoid potentially life-threatening complications, such as Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.     

Thrombosis of the inferior vena cava secondary to incidental portal vein aneurysm

Aneurysm of the portal vein is a rare type of visceral aneurysm that is largely asymptomatic although some patients may develop symptoms or secondary complications. In this report, we present the first case in the literature of inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis arising as a consequence of portal vein aneurysm. A 95-year-old male with past medical history significant for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type II diabetes mellitus, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and gastroesophageal reflux presented to the emergency department with several days of altered mental status, disorganized behavior, visual hallucinations, and weight loss. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the patient''s abdomen and pelvis was performed to assess for infection or malignancy. The study revealed a large saccular aneurysm of the proximal portal vein arising near the portal confluence. Compression of the adjacent IVC was also seen which contained a hypoattenuating filling defect, probably representing thrombus. Incidental large hepatic cysts were seen, and a 6 mm pancreatic cyst was also identified which likely represented an intra-ductal papillary mucinous neoplasm . He was determined not to be a surgical candidate due to age, comorbidities, and absence secondary symptoms. The patient was discharged on quetiapine and enoxaparin for management of agitation and IVC thrombosis, respectively. This case demonstrates the increasing rates of detection of portal vein aneurysm and the range of complications that may arise as a result.