Off-label abuse of antibiotics by bacteria

Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance made news on several fronts in the past year. Many public health organizations, including the CDC, used terms such as “crisis”, “catastrophic consequences”, and “nightmare scenario” to highlight the rapid emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. A report from the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, on the fifth anniversary of the publication of its landmark 2008 report, noted that state and federal legislative efforts to limit non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in animal production were thwarted by drug and food animal industries. In its lobbying disclosures, the Farm Bureau stated that such efforts to limit use of animal antibiotics were “based on emotion and no credible peer reviewed science.” Meanwhile, there have been inexorable advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which antibiotics induce diversity and resistance in bacteria. This article reviews one study that probed the role of the bacterial general stress response in sub-inhibitory antibiotic-induced mutagenesis and antibiotic resistance.     

Multiple giant intra abdominal lipomas: A rare presentation

INTRODUCTION

Solitary or multiple lipomas, composed of mature fat, represents by far the most common benign mesenchymal neoplasm occurring throughout the whole body, but they rarely originate in the intestinal mesentery.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 60-year-old male presented with left sided abdominal distension and pain since 4 months, ultrasonography and computerized tomography abdomen was suggestive of multiple well-defined fat density lesions in the lower abdomen and pelvis. USG guided fine needle aspiration cytology was conclusive of a spindle cell lesion. Exploratory laparotomy was performed and multiple major fat tissue swellings were excised. Histopathology confirmed it to be spindle cell type of lipoma.

DISCUSSION

Because of the silent nature the exact prevalence of lipomas is unknown. It can arise in any location in which fat is normally present, reported intra abdominal lipomas have been very rare. Clinical manifestations depend on the size and location of the growth. In most patients, symptoms are few or absent. USG and CT scan abdomen are used for the diagnosis. Complete surgical excision being the only treatment.

CONCLUSION

Intra abdominal lipoma is a very rare entity, and many cases might be ignored due to their silent nature. They might or might not present with any symptoms. Complete surgical excision being the only treatment, with a very good prognosis.     

BRASH Syndrome: A Case Report

BackgroundBRASH syndrome, a relatively new entity, has been described in the recent literature. It is defined as a combination of bradycardia, renal failure, atrioventricular nodal blockade, shock, and hyperkalemia. Although it is apparent that clinical symptomatology includes shock, it is still unclear whether all patients will initially present with all five components mentioned in the BRASH acronym.Case ReportAn elderly woman presented to our Emergency Department (ED) with hyperkalemia, acute renal failure, and metabolic acidosis with bradycardia, which was refractory to antikalemic measures and atropine. The montage of clinical features put together showed a clear picture of BRASH syndrome, which helped us to streamline the management and achieve a better patient outcome.Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?Renal failure with various metabolic derangements is commonly seen in the ED. We should be aware of this new clinical entity, as its incidence will certainly increase, and the management is a bit different. Prognosis is excellent with timely recognition and management of this rare clinical entity.     

Prevalence and determinants of hypertension in a rural community

Background: There are few epidemiological studies on prevalence of hypertension and its determinants in rural population. This cross sectional study was done to determine the same in a rural community.