Publications by authors named "Erica Merman"
Purpose: Flexible bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is commonly performed in immunocompromised patients. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether bronchoscopy with BAL leads to changes in medical management or is associated with procedural complications among critically ill acute leukemia (AL) patients.
Methods: We evaluated 71 AL patients who underwent diagnostic bronchoscopy with BAL in the intensive care unit (ICU) between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2012.
Background And Objective: While clinical symptoms of strongyloidiasis are often nonspecific, larva currens (with erythematous, serpiginous, and pruritic papules and plaques) should prompt investigation including stool microscopy, serology, and skin biopsy of the lesion. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment with ivermectin is necessary, especially in the immunocompromised patient who is at increased risk for hyperinfection syndrome and disseminated disease.
Conclusion: We present a 61-year-old immunocompromised man with presentation of larva currens of cutaneous strongyloides infection without symptoms of hyperinfection or disseminated disease.
Background And Objective: Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa, a form of vasculitis affecting the small to medium sized arteries, most commonly presents as tender subcutaneous nodules over the lower legs and feet. Other features include livedo reticularis, skin ulcers and tender indurated plaques.
Conclusion: We report a 51-year old woman with a primarily livedo reticularis presentation of cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa without a nodular component.
Background: To characterize clinically significant diagnostic imaging (DI) discrepancies by radiology trainees and the impact on emergency department (ED) patients.
Methods: Consecutive case series methodology over a 6-month period in an urban, tertiary care teaching hospital. Emergency physicians (EPs) were recruited to flag discrepant DI interpretations by radiology trainees that the EP deemed clinically significant.