Multi-organ dysfunction due to bath salts: are we aware of this entity?

Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a synthetic, cathinone-derivative, central nervous system stimulant taken to produce a cocaine- or methamphetamine-like high. Physical manifestations include tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmias, hyperthermia, sweating, rhabdomyolysis, hyperkalaemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, oliguria and seizures. We report a patient who presented with severe metabolic acidosis, multi-organ dysfunction, rhabdomyolysis, hyperkalaemia and seizures.

Posterior circulation ischemic stroke following Russell's viper envenomation.

Ischemic stroke following viper bite is rare. We report a case of posterior circulation ischemic infarction following viper bite in a previously healthy woman. Soon after being bitten by the snake on the left leg, she developed local redness, echymosis and one hour later became drowsy.

Zidovudine-induced reversible pure red cell aplasia.

Hematological abnormalities are frequent among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients and may be directly attributable to the virus or may be caused by opportunistic infections, neoplasms or drugs that cause bone marrow suppression or hemolysis. Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is an uncommon hematological disorder that causes anemia. We report a 37-year-old male with HIV infection who developed PRCA 6 weeks after commencing Zidovudine and recovered following cessation of the drug.

Disseminated tuberculosis presenting as mesenteric and cerebral abscess in HIV infection: case report.

Disseminated tuberculosis in HIV infection involves multiple organs. Pulmonary and lymph node involvement are the commonest form of tuberculosis in HIV infection [1, 2]. Other forms of tuberculosis in the absence of lung and lymph node involvement are rare.

Late postpartum preeclampsia with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is a reversible syndrome characterized by headache, seizures, altered mentation, and loss of vision associated with white matter changes on imaging. We report here a 27 year-old lady three weeks postpartum, presenting with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. She was treated successfully with antihypertensives and showed dramatic improvement.

False-positive widal in melioidosis.

Enteric fever is endemic in this part of the world, and Widal test is one of the time-honored laboratory tests that are being used for years to diagnose the disease. On the other hand, melioidosis is a newly emerging disease from this region, which is most often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed by clinicians. It is well accepted that false-positive Widal reactions following certain non-typhoid Salmonella infections may occur commonly.

Wolfram syndrome - clinical and diagnostic details.

Wolfram syndrome, a rare genetic disorder is characterized by juvenile onset diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy. We describe two cases of wolfram syndrome belonging to same family; 25 year old female and her only 15 year old brother. In female, diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy were manifested in 1(st) decade, diabetes insipidus in 2(nd) decade and hypoacusis at the age of 25 years.

Radio frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) from GSM (0.9/1.8GHz) mobile phones induces oxidative stress and reduces sperm motility in rats.

Introduction: Mobile phones have become indispensable in the daily lives of men and women around the globe. As cell phone use has become more widespread, concerns have mounted regarding the potentially harmful effects of RF-EMR from these devices.

Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of RF-EMR from mobile phones on free radical metabolism and sperm quality.

Melioidosis masquerading as enteric fever.

Melioidosis is endemic in Southeast Asia and northern Australia, but it has been rarely reported from India. Recent reports have shown that melioidosis is an emerging infection in this part of the world, but enteric fever is more commonly seen in India. We present a 50-year-old male with diabetes who presented with acute onset of febrile illness.