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Infective Endocarditis:An update on developments in infective endocarditis by addressing a number of questions physicians commonly raise concerning prophylaxis, diagnosis, and management.
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Elephantiasis Nostras VerrucosaA 60-year-old man was hospitalized with fever and hypotension secondary to recurrent cellulitis of the left leg. He had a history of polysubstance abuse and hepatitis C. Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa was diagnosed based on bilateral nonpitting edema and hyperkeratotic verrucous lesions in the pretibial area. The patient's erythrocyte sedimentation rate and white blood cell count showed evidence of infection; osteomyelitis of the left fifth metatarsal head was suspected.
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King SyndromeThis 8-year-old girl presented with bilateral ptosis, down-slanting palpebral fissures, malar hypoplasia, mild micrognathia, and mild webbing of the neck. She also had marked lumbar lordosis and a dextroconvex thoracic scoliosis with scapular winging. There was a generalized reduction in muscle mass with proximal limb weakness, short stature, diminished deep tendon reflexes, and an awkward waddling gait.
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Bloody Diarrhea Caused by Infection With Klebsiella oxytoca in a Burn PatientClostridium difficile infections account for most cases of antibiotic-associated colitis.1 However, there is increasing evidence that Klebsiella oxytoca infection contributes to the development of C difficile–negative antibiotic-associated hemorrhagic colitis. Most cases have been reported in France,2-12
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Suture GranulomaAn 80-year-old woman presented with recurrent abdominal pain for 1 month, constipation, and vomiting. She had no diarrhea, rectal bleeding, or weight loss.
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OsteopetrosisA 30-year-old man presented to the emergency department with new-onset seizures. His past medical history included loss of vision for 1 year, deafness, and osteomyelitis of the mandible.
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Early Intervention in a Case of Migraine With DepressionThe patient presented with left-sided, throbbing headaches that had gradually increased in severity and frequency. These headaches, which occurred once or twice a month, were associated with photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea, and usually lasted 8 to 12 hours. The headaches affected the patient's job performance and attendance, and she complained of fatigue, lack of sleep, and difficulty in concentrating.
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A Comparison of the Clinical Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Treatments for Moderate to Severe PsoriasisThis study investigated the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treatments for moderate to severe psoriasis from a managed health care systems perspective. An analysis was conducted of randomized clinical trials evaluating biologic and oral systemic medications and phototherapy for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.
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Older Man With Fever and Tender RashFor 1 week, a 77-year-old man had a fever and a tender, nonpruritic rash on both palms (Figure 1) and on the anterior aspect of both knees (Figure 2). Two weeks earlier, he had hives, which ameliorated after a 10-day course of cetirizine and a tapering course of prednisone. He also had headaches almost daily for the previous 6 to 8 weeks.
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Hyperpigmented Macules: Lines of BlaschkoLines of Blashko may represent normal embryonic movements of the skin during embryogenesis.
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Hand Injuries, Part 2:When you suspect blunt nerve trauma, referral to a hand surgeon is prudent-even without evidence of acute compartment syndrome. The same is true if you discover ischemia in any part of the hand after injury. Try to control hemorrhage with compression and elevation of the involved extremity. If this is unsuccessful, use a short-duration tourniquet. Do not attempt to clamp a bleeding vessel; the risk of causing serious nerve or tendon damage is too high. Avoid exploring wounds in the region distal to the midpalmar crease and proximal to the proximal interphalangeal flexor crease because of the high risk of damaging the flexor tendons and the annular ligaments in this region. Explore more proximal injuries cautiously to determine occult injury to the flexor tendon.
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Diagnostic Images, Treatment IssuesA39-year-old man is brought to theemergency department (ED)after his car struck a tree. He experienceda transient loss of consciousnesswith a 3-minute episode of retrogradeamnesia at the scene of the accident,despite wearing a seat belt andshoulder harness. He was disorientedto date and place.
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Trigger Point Injections:What to ExpectWhat Are Trigger Points?Tender areas, swellings, or knots under the skin are referred to as“trigger points.” Injection of these trigger points with medication mayalleviate discomfort. At times you may feel pain in an area distant fromthe trigger point. Your doctor will feel the various muscle groups tolocate the trigger points and the most tender areas.
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Chronic Heart Failure:10 Questions Physicians Often AskThe past several years have witnessedimportant advances in the evaluationand management of chronic heart failure(HF). Drugs such as β-blockersand spironolactone have been shownto reduce morbidity and mortality, andstrategies that employ new devices,such as pacing and defibrillator therapy,are evolving. This has promptedthe American College of Cardiology(ACC)/American Heart Association(AHA) to update guidelines first publishedin 1995.1 The guidelines highlightthe importance of early and accuraterecognition of the clinical syndromeof chronic HF and offer anoutline for evidence-based therapeuticdecision making.
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Prompt diagnosis and therapy are keys to reducing mortality Extrapulmonary tuberculosis, part 5: Pericardial involvement key words: Tuberculosis, Pericarditis, Pericardial effusionabstract: Tuberculous pericarditis, while relatively rare in the United States, is an important cause of pericardial disease in countries where tuberculosis is prevalent. Patients are most likely to present with chronic disease--effusive and/or constrictive. Those with effusive pericarditis often present with tamponade. Patients with constrictive pericarditis exhibit features of systemic and pulmonary venous congestion. An elevated level of adenosine deaminase in pericardial fluid is a good marker for tuberculosis. The presence of granulomas or case-ation necrosis in pericardial tissue confirms the diagnosis. If treatment of effusive tuberculous pericarditis is delayed, constrictive or effusive-constrictive disease usually develops, resulting in a high mortality risk. In addition to a standard antituberculosis regimen, treatment of tuberculous pericarditis may include adjuvant therapy with corticosteroids, pericardiocentesis, and/or pericardiectomy. (J Respir Dis. 2007;28(7):278-282)
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Herniation of a Lung Bulla Through a Thoracostomy SiteFor 3 months, a 63-year-old man had experienced progressively worsening dyspnea. He denied fever, weight loss, and hemoptysis. Eight months earlier, he had had a right thoracotomy to drain a right empyema. Comorbidities included morbid obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. However, he did not have any intrinsic lung disease.
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Profound Weakness in a Young WomanA 33-year-old woman presents with arm and leg weakness of about 2 months’ duration.
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What’s The “Take Home”? Severe, Persistent Abdominal Pain in a Young WomanA 24-year-old woman presents with severe, persistent, left-sided abdominal pain that began about 12 hours earlier. Over-the-counter medications have provided no relief. The pain is not associated with dietary intake, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or dysuria. The patient denies fevers, chills, and recent trauma to her abdomen.
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Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, part 2: TreatmentABSTRACT: In general, the management of invasive pulmonaryaspergillosis is based on antifungal therapy and reversal of immunosuppression.Voriconazole is the preferred treatment inmost cases. Liposomal preparations of amphotericin B, caspofungin,and posaconazole are alternatives in patients whocannot tolerate voriconazole or have refractory aspergillosis.Prophylaxis in high-risk patients has gained popularity withthe availability of oral extended-spectrum azoles; posaconazoleis approved for prophylaxis in patients with acute leukemia,myelodysplastic syndrome, and graft versus host disease.(J Respir Dis. 2008;29(11):429-434)
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Congenital ClubfootThis 3-month-old boy has an untreated right clubfoot deformity. The foot is stiff and uncorrectable. The vertical midfoot crease indicates significant deformity. An anteroposterior (AP) simulated weight-bearing radiograph shows parallelism of the long axis of the talus and calcaneus; this indicates varus alignment of the hindfoot. There is also forefoot adduction.
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Eczema Herpeticum in a 4-Year-Old GirlThis diagnosis is a relative dermatologic emergency; presumptive treatment with antivirals should at least be considered if any suspicion exists.
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Transient Global Amnesia: A Confusing Companion of MigraineClinician: The patient’s symptom profile is confusing, especiallybecause his test results are normal. Are his amnesicepisodes related to his migraine?
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Bronze DiabetesDiabetes mellitus recently had been diagnosed in a 58-year-old woman. The patient claims that her skin had darkened significantly over the past 5 years.
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The USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines: Current and Future ImplicationsSeveral months have passed since the publication of the latest US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) breast cancer screening guidelines. The initial, sharp outcry, mainly over the task force’s recommendation against routine screening mammography for women aged 40 to 49 years, has somewhat subsided, but the overall significance of the group’s decision remains undetermined.
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Using Passive Measures to Improve Patient Medication AdherenceAdherence is a complex behavioral process strongly influenced by environmental factors. Six posters designed to improve medication adherence were displayed in a medical clinic, with each poster displayed for 1 month. These posters were seen by clinic patients but, as passive measures, required no additional time on the part of clinicians. Medication adherence to antidepressant therapy was assessed for two 18-month periods. Days of therapy and median gap (the number of days a patient goes without medication before filling the next prescription) were similar between the periods. Medication possession ratio (MPR) was increased in the intervention period (0.974 vs 0.994 days). During the 6-month period that the adherence posters were displayed, persistence decreased by only 10% (versus 22% for the nonintervention period). Use of passive measures may improve patient medication adherence. In this prospective study, both the MPR and persistence were improved. (Drug Benefit Trends. 2008:20:17-24)
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Woman With Dull Daily Headaches and Episodic “Knockout” AttacksA 40-year-old woman reports increasingly frequent and severe headaches during the past few months. She has had boutsof severe headaches since college, and episodic migraine was diagnosed a decade ago. She uses over-the-counter products(ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or aspirin) at the onset of an attack; if these fail to relieve symptoms, she takes hydrocodone/acetaminophen. During her worst attacks, she is typically forced to halt her activities, is unable to eat or drink, and mayvomit. For unresponsive or persistent (more than 24-hour) attacks, her husband drives her to the urgent care centerfor intravenous hydration, intramuscular promethazine, and additional doses of hydrocodone/acetaminophen. Accordingto the patient, a visit to the urgent care center “completely ruins our day.”
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Ruptured Aortic AneurysmSevere abdominal pain radiating to the back prompted a 72-year-old man to go to the emergency department (ED). The patient had experienced similar pain 2 days earlier and was treated at another hospital for renal colic on the basis of concomitant microscopic hematuria. He had a history of poorly controlled hypertension.
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Oral HistoplasmosisA 39-year-old woman complained of excruciating pain that radiated from a chronic lesion on the left upper lip to the entire left side of the face. She had AIDS but was not receiving antiretroviral therapy.
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Woman With Daily Headaches That Have Become Refractory to TriptansA 30-year-old woman complains that her headaches no longer respond to triptans; instead, they have increased in frequencyand severity. The pain interferes with her ability to work part-time and to take care of her 16-month-old daughter.
