Efficacy of methylene blue in an experimental model of calcium channel blocker-induced shock.

Study Objective: Calcium channel blocker poisonings account for a substantial number of reported deaths from cardiovascular drugs. Although supportive care is the mainstay of treatment, experimental therapies such as high-dose insulin-euglycemia and lipid emulsion have been studied in animal models and used in humans. In the most severe cases, even aggressive care is inadequate and deaths occur.

The Novel Development of an Experimental Model of Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blocker Poisoning using Intravenous Amlodipine.

Background: Cardiovascular drug poisoning remains a leading cause of fatality. Within this class, calcium channel blockers (CCBs) account for the majority of deaths. CCBs are typically categorized as dihydropyridines (i.

Cardiac troponin elevation predicts mortality in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation.

Introduction. While patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) have high cardiovascular event rates, preoperative risk stratification may not necessarily predict those susceptible patients. Troponin T (TnT) may help predict patients at risk for cardiovascular complications.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of neonatal suppurative parotitis: a report of two cases and review of the literature.

Suppurative parotitis is an uncommon entity identified in newborns. While Staphylococcus aureus has been frequently identified as the causative pathogen among the few patients diagnosed with neonatal suppurative parotitis (NSP), there has only been one prior case described in the literature that was due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Because of its virulence, MRSA presents new and substantial challenges for the surgeon; we describe two cases of NSP caused by MRSA and the subsequent surgical intervention necessitated for cure.

An unusual cause of heart failure.

Pelvic arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are uncommon entities that can present with symptoms resulting from compression of adjacent structures, ischemia due to 'steal phenomenon' or, rarely, heart failure. We present a case of heart failure in a patient who presented to our facilities for heart transplant and a prior diagnosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy; further evaluation revealed a massive pelvic AVM as causative for the heart failure. This case emphasizes the importance of a thorough physical examination to guide appropriate diagnostic testing.

Pneumatosis intestinalis: a case report and approach to management.

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI), defined as gas within the bowel wall, is an uncommon radiographic sign which can represent a wide spectrum of diseases and a variety of underlying diagnoses. Because its etiology can vary greatly, management of PI ranges from surgical intervention to outpatient observation (see, Greenstein et al. (2007), Morris et al.

Endovascular thoracic aortic aneurysm repair: evaluating the utility of intravascular ultrasound measurements.

Purpose: To compare intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and computed tomography (CT) measurements of aortic diameter for the determination of stent-graft sizes used in thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR).

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 71 IVUS measurements performed in 33 patients (17 men; mean age 69 years) undergoing endovascular repair for thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). For comparison, an inanimate model of the aortic arch and the great vessels was created; 5 independent operators took multiple blinded IVUS measurements.

Adventitial cystic disease of the axillary artery.

Adventitial cystic disease (ACD) is an extremely rare cause of arterial and venous insufficiency, with only 317 reported cases in the world literature. These lesions have been previously described in the popliteal fossa, external iliac artery, and distal brachial, radial, and ulnar arteries as well as in the proximal saphenous vein at the ankle. We describe here the first reported case of this disease in a proximal vessel, the axillary artery.