Torsade de pointes, prolonged QT intervals, and patients with cancer.

Many kinase inhibitors, chemotherapeutic agents, antiemetics, antibiotics, and antifungal agents can prolong QT intervals, placing the patient as risk for the life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia Torsade de pointes (Tdp). In addition, common electrolyte imbalances experienced by many patients with cancer compound the risk. Because numerous medications used in oncology and common electrolyte imbalances in patients with cancer increase the risk for Tdp, oncology nurses must be informed about this life-threatening arrhythmia.

Anatomy of the brainstem.

Understanding the anatomy of the brainstem is essential when evaluating disorders of swallowing and breathing. We present a review of the neuroanatomy of the brainstem and related cranial nerves.

Acute painful neuropathy (insulin neuritis) in a boy following rapid glycemic control for type 1 diabetes mellitus.

We report a case of acute, painful polyneuropathy in a boy with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus associated with a precipitous drop in hemoglobin A1c. After initiation of insulin, the patient's hemoglobin A1c dropped from 14.1 to 7.