Cardiac Catheterization and Outcomes for Elderly Patients Hospitalized With Heart Failure.

Background: Heart failure affects over 6 million people in the United States (US) with limited evidence to support the use of cardiac catheterization. The benefit of its use remains mostly as expert opinion. This study intends to assess the benefits and risks of cardiac catheterization in elderly patients admitted for heart failure.

Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma Mimicking Pneumonia in a Young Adult.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States. Lung adenocarcinoma is a subtype of non-small cell lung cancer. On computed tomography (CT) it can appear as ground glass nodules, consolidative opacity, or solid mass lesions located in the periphery.

Correction: A Case Report of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy With Myxedema Coma.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.32652.

Abdominal Compartment Syndrome (ACS) With Sigmoid Volvulus (SV): Lost Hours Are Lost Lives.

Normal intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) ranges from 0 to 5, and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) occurs when a sustained IAP >20 mmHg causes organ dysfunction. ACS mainly occurs in patients who are critically ill. It occurs due to an injury or disease in the abdomen or pelvic area, including trauma, abdominal surgery, acute pancreatitis, pancreatic ileus, volvulus, fecal impaction, and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.

A Case Report of Sepsis Post Cardiac Catheterization.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and cardiac catheterization are clean procedures done under aseptic precautions, but studies have shown transient bacteremia following the process, mostly involving Staphylococcus. This has many complications, from localized wounds at arterial access sites to endocarditis, mycotic aneurysm, and sepsis, and are associated with high mortality. These may require surgical intervention and prolonged antibiotic use.

A Case Report of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy With Myxedema Coma.

The exact pathogenesis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) or broken heart syndrome is unclear. However, it is known to be a stress-induced cardiomyopathy. There are multiple causes of TC, and thyroid dysfunction is supposed to be one of the causes.

A Case of Delayed Treatment in Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Presenting as Hemiplegia in an Elderly Female.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a degenerative disease of the spine that occurs mainly in the elderly, along with age-related changes in the spine. It has a varied presentation, from nonspecific paraesthesia and neck pain to hemiplegia and paraplegia, even quadriplegia, due to the compression of the cervical spine or nerves in the spinal canal or foramina. The diagnosis is often delayed, and cases may present as acute worsening and even hemiplegia mimicking stroke following trauma or neck manipulation.

A Case Report of Successful Management of Refractory Polyarticular Gout With Pegloticase.

Gout is inflammatory arthritis and is easily recognizable by healthcare providers by its typical clinical presentation of acute gout flare or by the presence of chronic tophaceous deposits. However, chronic gouty arthropathy can be more challenging to diagnose in some cases, especially in the absence of a previous history of gout and other characteristic findings on exam. We present a case of chronic gouty arthropathy with features mimicking rheumatoid arthritis involving multiple small joints of hands and feet and other large joints.

Disparities in colonoscopy utilization for lower gastrointestinal bleeding in rural urban settings in the United States.

Background: Lower gastrointestinal bleeds (LGIB) is a very common inpatient condition in the United States. Gastrointestinal bleeds have a variety of presentations, from minor bleeding to severe hemorrhage and shock. Although previous studies investigated the efficacy of colonoscopy in hospitalized patients with LGIB, there is limited research that discusses disparities in colonoscopy utilization in patients with LGIB in urban and rural settings.

Hemoglobin Wayne: A Rare Variant That Can Cause Falsely Elevated Hemoglobin A1c.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) can be unreliable (falsely elevated or lowered) in certain conditions, including hemoglobinopathies, anemia, lead poisoning, chronic alcoholism, and opioid use. Hemoglobin Wayne is a rare variant of hemoglobin (Hgb) that can also result in a false elevation of HbA1c. Hence, clinicians should be aware of these underlying causes before diagnosing and treating diabetes mellitus to avoid unexpected consequences.

A Rare Case of Horseshoe Kidney With Multiple Atrial Myxomas Presenting as Cerebrovascular Accident.

Myxomas are benign tumors of mesenchymal origin, containing a few pluripotent cells in the myxomatous stroma. They usually present at 30-40 years of age and are more common in females than males. These tumors mostly arise in the atria and protrude into the atrial lumen.

A Rare Case of Sjogren's Syndrome-Related Recurrent Pleural Effusion.

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease marked by lymphocyte infiltration of the exocrine glands and a variety of systemic symptoms. The wide range of prevalence reported in different studies is due to the fact that SS respiratory symptoms are polymorphic and vary in severity. Some 9%-20% of patients with SS have clinically severe lung impairment.

A Rare Case of Delayed Onset Multi-Drug Interaction Resulting in Rhabdomyolysis in a 66-Year-Old Male.

Drug-drug interactions in medications metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes can lead to multi-organ complications. An uncommon but serious potential adverse effect of statins is rhabdomyolysis, most commonly triggered by drug interactions. Rhabdomyolysis presents with markedly elevated creatine kinase levels, dark urine, and often myoglobinuria.

A Rare Case of Pelvic Organ Prolapse in a Nulliparous Female With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) and Polycystic Liver Disease (PLD).

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a condition that most often occurs in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and less commonly as isolated liver disease. The presence of both conditions has proven to be a therapeutic challenge. Patients with ADPKD can suffer from significant renal and extra-renal complications and symptoms as a result of space-occupying cysts from polycystic kidney and liver enlargement.

Asymptomatic Left Atrial Myxoma Treated With Minimally Invasive Surgical Approach.

Myxomas, being the most common primary benign tumor among all cardiac tumors, occur rarely with a very low incidence rate. Myxomas can cause various clinical manifestations or can be diagnosed incidentally. Some patients with cardiac myxomas are completely asymptomatic.

The Epidemiology and Clinical Manifestations of Takayasu Arteritis: A Descriptive Study of Case Reports.

Takayasu's arteritis is a rare form of chronic inflammatory disorder involving large vessels, with an unclear etiology. Common early signs and symptoms are weakness, malaise, and fever. Takayasu's arteritis mainly involves the aorta and its branches as well as the subclavian and carotid arteries.

How Much Is Too Much? Exploring Pseudohyperaldosteronism in Glycyrrhizic Acid Toxicity From Chronic Licorice Root Consumption.

Licorice has been around for centuries and has been commercialized in the food, tobacco, and healthcare industry. Historically, its therapeutic benefits have been reaped in countless ways, including as a thirst sensation suppressor in battlefields, flavoring agent in medicinal preparations, antacid for gastric discomfort and peptic ulcers, and even as an estrogenic agent in postmenopausal women. Licorice and its derivatives are recognized safe by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

An Overview of Outcomes Associated With Early Versus Late Tracheostomy From a National Standpoint.

Tracheostomy is a procedure that is commonly used in critically ill patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation due to acute respiratory failure or airway problems. The best tracheostomy timing (early vs. late) and techniques (percutaneous dilatational, other new percutaneous procedures, open surgery) have been hotly debated.

Transient Complete Heart Block in a Patient With COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID-19, was first identified in Wuhan, China. Symptoms of COVID-19 are fevers, dry cough and less commonly gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as diarrhea that occur in 2 to 14 days of exposure. Infection with COVID-19 leads to hospitalizations due to respiratory compromise.

Complete Dissection of the Interventricular Septum Following Myocardial Infarction.

In this report, we present a case of interventricular septal dissection (IVSD) following inferior wall myocardial infarction (MI) in a 64-year-old patient; the patient ultimately recovered after prompt resuscitation and intervention, despite the high mortality associated with these cases. A 64-year-old male with a history of hypertension and obesity was brought to the hospital following an episode of syncope at home. He had been experiencing chest tightness over the past few days prior to the admission.

Iron deficiency anemia in IBD: an overlooked comorbidity.

: Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) is a leading cause of anemia in Inflammatory Bowel disease (IBD). IDA affects quality of life (QoL) and lead to developmental and cognitive abnormalities. Diagnosis of IDA in IBD is complicated as biochemical tests available at present cannot help distinguish between IDA and anemia of chronic disease.

The Role of Interleukin-6 Inhibitors in the Treatment of COVID-19 Infections: A Case Series.

An outbreak of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection started in December 2019 in China that resulted in a global health emergency. The World Health Organization later named the disease as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Currently, there is no effective treatment available and the data are evolving through continuous clinical trials and ongoing research.

Packed Red Blood Cell Transfusion as a Potential Treatment Option in COVID-19 Patients With Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure: A Case Report.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an ongoing pandemic that started as an outbreak in China. The clinical picture varies from asymptomatic or mild cases to critically ill patients. Most of the critically ill patients present with hypoxia due to acute respiratory distress syndrome.