Pleural fluid glucose testing using a finger stick glucometer: a novel bedside test.

Background: Pleural fluid glucose (PFG) has diagnostic and therapeutic implications for the management of pleural effusion. The literature examining point-of-care testing of PFG is limited, and no studies exist for the bedside measurement of PFG using a glucometer (B-PFG). In this study, we compared the accuracy of B-PFG measurement to standard in-lab measurement (Lab-PFG).

Gas-Forming Pyogenic Liver Abscess with Septic Shock.

The pyogenic liver abscess caused by Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is a rare but rapidly fatal infection. The main virulence factor of this pathogen is its α-toxin (lecithinase), which decomposes the phospholipid in cell membranes leading to cell lysis.

Acute aortic dissection in a patient receiving gemcitabine and cisplatin.

Acute aortic dissection is often a fatal condition with in-hospital mortality rates of 27%. The incidence of acute aortic dissection is low at around 3 cases per 100,000 person-years. There is a strong relationship between hypertension and aortic dissection.