This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on patients with sickle cell crisis (SCC) using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data for the year 2020. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted utilizing International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes to identify adults who were admitted with a principal diagnosis of sickle cell crisis. The primary outcomes examined were inpatient mortality, while the secondary outcomes assessed included morbidity, hospital length of stay, and resource utilization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Current pharmacological options for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are not disease-specific; while it treats symptoms, mavacamten targets the underlying pathology. We aim to assess the efficacy and safety of mavacamten, a first-in-class cardiac myosin inhibitor, in symptomatic obstructive HCM.
Methods: This systematic review of the literature followed the PRISMA guidelines.
Seventy-year-old male with primary progressive multiple sclerosis that had a severe episode of oropharyngeal dysphagia following initiation of carbamazepine. He was being treated for trigeminal neuralgia. Four days after discontinuation of carbamazepine resulted in a complete resolution of the patient's dysphagia, and he returned to baseline.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWithin the specialties of infectious diseases and dermatology, few rashes involve the palms and soles. The syphilitic rash has a pathognomonic association with these body surfaces and signals physicians to investigate this disease. However, the distinct presentations and symptoms associated with syphilis and the various stages of the disease make it diagnostically challenging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this case report, we describe a rather unique case of a 37-year-old male patient suffering from schizophrenia who presented with a fixed upwards gaze diagnosed as oculogyric crisis (OGC). This presentation was attributed to the effects of risperidone, a second-generation antipsychotic, while concomitantly taking benztropine mesylate. The latter is a medication commonly used to prevent dystonia in this type of patient population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCefepime-induced neurotoxicity is well-known, but an under-recognized event that can present with a myriad of neurological findings ranging from myoclonus to seizures to comatose state. It is more prevalent in patients with impaired renal clearance as it is mainly cleared by the kidneys. We present a case of a 52-year-old female who was managed in the intensive care unit with severe encephalopathy following empiric antibiotic therapy with cefepime.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmune checkpoint inhibitors have significantly improved the prognosis of metastatic melanoma, but metastases to the adrenal glands remain highly resistant to these new treatments. Adrenal gland metastases from melanoma can present in an unusual manner, such as in this report, making it diagnostically and therapeutically challenging. In this case report, we present a patient with histologically confirmed metastatic melanoma to the adrenal glands, a large intracardiac mass suspicious for metastatic disease, and an inferior vena cava thrombus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVenous thromboembolism is a common, yet serious life-threatening condition that has many well-recognized associations which include but are not limited to pregnancy, polycythemia, trauma, immobility, and malignancy. The pathophysiology behind the pro-coagulant effects of hyperthyroidism has been well established; however, there are no current guidelines regarding deep venous thrombosis (DVT) surveillance in patients with hyperthyroidism. In this report, we discuss the case of a 36-year-old female with no significant past medical history (PMH) with the exception of a 15 pack-year smoking history, who presented to us with an extensive, rapidly-progressing lower extremity DVT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSerotonin syndrome (SS), a potentially life-threatening condition, typically occurs due to polypharmacy and interaction with multiple serotonergic agents. The case presented here is based on a serotonin syndrome (SS) diagnosis, precipitated by newly prescribed tramadol in conjunction with previously prescribed serotonergic medications. A 79-year-old woman receiving combined citalopram and trazodone for major depressive disorder alongside oxycodone for chronic pain developed generalized weakness, tremors, altered mentation, episodic auditory and visual hallucinations, fever, tachypnea, tachycardia, and diaphoresis a few days after tramadol was prescribed for pain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bronchopleural fistulas (BPF) are abnormal sinus tracts connecting the bronchi and pleural cavity and form after surgical resection of a lung lobe. It is a complication with potentially disastrous sequelae including, failure of the bronchial stump to heal, ischemia of the affected area, and/or infection of the stump. Bronchopleural fistulas caused by surgical intervention most commonly present on the right side and within 7-12 days post-operatively, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe present a case of bullous cellulitis in a 75-year-old male caused by () acquired from contact with contaminated water. Careful documentation of soft tissue infection is warranted given the rise in infections, marked antimicrobial resistance, and fatalities observed in a limited number of cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Since the publication of the 2017 ACC/AHA hypertension guideline, few studies have analyzed the epidemiology and management of hypertension across many heterogeneous subgroups in the US.
Materials And Methods: We analyzed the data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2016. Participants greater than 20 years of age, who had valid blood pressure measurements, were included in the study.