Emergency department management of hematologic and oncologic complications in the patient infected with HIV.

This article discusses the various hematologic and oncologic diseases to consider when caring for a patient with HIV infection. These diseases are not only more common in this patient population, but they can often be more severe, leading to greater morbidity and mortality than would be expected for a patient without HIV infection. Among the hematologic conditions discussed are common blood dyscrasias such as anemia, leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia, as well as less common disease processes such as immune thrombocytopenic purpura, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and venous thromboses.

Levosimendan does not improve survival time in a rat model of verapamil toxicity.

Objective: Calcium channel blocker (CCB) toxicity, in particular that induced by verapamil and diltiazem, presents clinical challenges with no true antidote. Levosimendan, a calcium sensitizer, improves cardiac contractility in patients with heart failure. We tested the hypothesis that calcium channel sensitization will prolong survival in a rat model of severe verapamil poisoning.