We describe a case of a 31-year-old woman with cerebral palsy who developed fatal acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis while being treated with valproic acid to control her seizure activity. Acute pancreatitis is usually due to alcohol ingestion or biliary tract disease, and unusual causes include trauma, metabolic diseases, or drugs. Valproic acid is considered a safe drug, although rare cases of severe toxicity such as hepatitis and acute pancreatitis, including two fatalities, have been reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo determine risk factors for carcinoma of the breast, we compared women with cancer on screening and diagnostic mammography with those in whom cancer was not detected. For 39 months, medical histories were collected by mammography technologists on 3492 women having routine screenings or diagnostic mammograms at our institution. Potential risk factors of women with biopsy-proved breast cancer were compared with those in women who had normal findings on mammograms or negative biopsy results (control subjects).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUrine microscopic evaluation of hematuria has traditionally been used to determine the need for an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) in individuals with blunt abdominal trauma. An IVP is generally advocated in cases where greater than 5-10 red blood cells per high power field (RBC/HPF) are identified. Various laboratories have advocated the use of dipstick examination of these urine specimens as a replacement for microscopic examination.
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