28 May 2018

May 28, 2018

Written by REBEL Core

Background: Patients with penetrating neck trauma can present with a variety of injury patterns including hemorrhagic shock, airway obstruction and neurologic injury. Serious injuries may not be clinically obvious making diagnosis and prompt treatment challenging. Due to the large number of critical structures in the neck, a clear knowledge of the anatomy is necessary for proper evaluation and management.

Epidemiology (Evans 2018)

  • Represent 1% of all trauma admissions in the US and have a 5% mortality rate
  • 80% of morality secondary to cerebral infarction
  • ~ 20% of mortality secondary to uncontrolled hemorrhage

Medical Categories: Trauma
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17 May 2018

May 17, 2018

Written by REBEL Core

Definition: Salicylate toxicity is characterized by a constellation of symptoms caused by acute or chronic overdose of salicylate containing compounds. The most common salicylate is aspirin, but the group also includes topical forms of salicylates, methyl salicylate (Oil of Wintergreen), and bismuth subsalicylate (such as in Pepto-Bismol).

Medical Categories: Toxicology
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15 Jan 2018

January 15, 2018

Written by REBEL Core

Definition: Blood loss > 500 ml after a delivery (or > 250 ml after an abortion). The management of post-abortion hemorrhage is similar to that of post-partum hemorrhage (PPH).

Causes

  • Uterine atony (~ 50% of cases)
  • Retained products of conception (POCs)
  • Cervical lacerations
  • Uterine perforation
  • Uterine Inversion
  • Abnormal placentation (accreta, increta, percreta)
  • Coagulopathy

Background:

  • Occurs in 1-2% of patients undergoing a first trimester surgical abortion
  • Most common cause of abortion-related mortally in 2nd trimester
  • Risk increases with increasing maternal age
Medical Categories: Obstetrics and Gynecology
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4 Dec 2017

December 4, 2017

Written by REBEL Core

Background:

  • Definition
    • Infective Endocarditis (IE) = Inflammation of the endothelium of the heart, heart valves (or both) (Osman 2013)
  • Epidemiology
    • Annual incidence = 5-7 cases per 100,000 (Fraimow 2013)
    • 40,000 to 50,000 new cases in the US per year. Average hospital charges in excess of $120,000 per patient (Bor 2013)
    • Slightly higher male predominance (1.5:1 - 2:1) (Moreillon 2010)
    • In-hospital mortality of 14–22% and 1-year mortality of 20-40% (Gomes 2017, (Habib 2006)
    • Before antibiotics and surgery it was almost universally fatal  (Aretz 2010, Osman 2013)
  • Pathophysiology (Moreillon 2010, Faza 2013, Tan 2014, Osman 2013, Kokowski 2018)
    • The normal, undamaged valve endothelium is very resistant to colonization and infection by circulating bacteria
    • Micro-trauma (caused by turbulent flow, intracardiac devices, etc) or chronic diseases (rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, prosthetic valves, previous IE) can cause damage to the endothelium
    • Damage to endothelium produces a fibin and platelet sterile thrombus.  Microbes can seed that thrombus during transient episodes of bacteremia, fungemia and viremia
  • Risk factors –  (Faza 2013, Moreillon 2010).
    • Diseased/damaged heart (highest risk)
    • IV drug use (IVDU)
    • Low immune function –
    • Poor oral hygiene. (Faza 2013)
    • Nosocomial
Medical Categories: Infectious Disease
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