Cefepime is a 4th generation cephalosporin often used for its ability to cover gram-positives, gram negatives, anaerobic bacteria, and, most importantly, pseudomonas. Prior to initiation of cefepime, the medication is dosed based on the renal function to avoid a multitude of its toxicity profiles, including encephalopathy, aphasia, myoclonus, seizures, and nonconvulsive status epilepticus. These risks are increased in the presence of renal impairment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCase Rep Rheumatol
February 2020
Inflammatory arthritis, such as pseudogout or otherwise referred to as calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystal arthritis or calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease, is characterized by the deposition of crystal formation and deposition in large joints. CPPD is known to affect the elderly population and commonly manifests as inflammation of knees, hips, and shoulders. CPPD disease involving the spine has been infrequently encountered in practice and rarely described in the literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 30-year-old woman with a history of presumed postpartum cardiomyopathy presented to her primary care physician's office with crescendo angina and shortness of breath. She was found to be in supraventricular tachycardia, managed with the Valsalva maneuver, and was discharged home without any further workup. She again presented with exertional symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCranial polyneuropathy is commonly caused by Lyme disease. We discuss the case of a man who presented with cranial nerve deficits causing dysphagia, dysphonia and facial weakness. This diagnostic dilemma stemmed from a workup that ruled out Lyme and vascular causes leading to an expanded search for infectious explanations, which revealed varicella zoster in the cerebrospinal fluid.
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