Comparison between culture-positive and culture-negative septic shock in patients in the emergency department.

Culture results of patients with septic shock affect their management strategies, including antibiotic administration. This study aimed to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with culture-negative septic shock (CNSS) and culture-positive septic shock (CPSS) in the emergency department. We also assessed the differences in duration and de-escalation timing of antibiotic administration between the two groups.

"Diabetic striatopathy": clinical presentations, controversy, pathogenesis, treatments, and outcomes.

Diabetic striatopathy (DS) is a rare medical condition with ambiguous nomenclature. We searched PubMed database from 1992 to 2018 for articles describing hyperglycemia associated with chorea/ballism and/or neuroimages of striatal abnormalities. Descriptive analysis was performed on demographic/clinical characteristics, locations of striatal abnormalities on neuroimages, pathology findings, treatment strategies, and outcomes.

Association of renal function and symptoms with mortality in star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) intoxication.

Background: Star fruit (SF) is a commonly available fruit produced and eaten in tropical and subtropical countries. Since 1993, various reports have described neurotoxicity after eating SF, but this clinical condition remains unfamiliar. We aimed to describe this clinical entity, the role of renal dysfunction in this disorder, treatment strategies, and prognosis of patients with SF intoxication.