Brucellosis (malta fever) is a zoonotic infection caused by a gram-negative
coccobacillus
which is a facultative intracellular pathogen. It causes a chronic granulomatous infection, similar in histology to tuberculosis. Brucellosis remains a diagnostic dilemma due to misleading, nonspecific manifestations and increasing trend of unusual presentations. In brucellosis, the nervous system involvement occurs in only 5 to 7% of untreated patients, and it may manifest with encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, radiculitis, and peripheral and cranial neuropathies. Transverse myelitis is an unusual occurrence. Here, the authors are reporting an unusual case of neurobrucellosis in an elderly male patient who visited multiple hospitals with recurring febrile encephalopathy and paraparesis. The diagnosis was suspected by his occupational history of working as an abattoir worker and was confirmed by the presence of high titers of
Brucella
immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG antibodies in the serum. The patient was managed with injection gentamicin for 2 weeks along with oral course of doxycycline and rifampicin for 6 weeks. He made a good clinical recovery and went back to work with mild residual deficits.
Background
At onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was repurposed for treatment of patients based on reports that it had in vitro activity. The aim of this study was to find out if HCQ reduces number of days of hospitalization when given to patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infections who require hospitalized care.
Methods
This was an open-label randomized control trial of HCQ administered 400 mg twice on day 1, then 400 mg once daily from day 2 to day 5 in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infection. Assessment was not blinded. Standard of care was given to both arms.Primary outcome was number of days of hospitalization till discharge or death.
Result
One hundred ten patients (55 in each arm) were included. Mean age was 58 years. Baseline characteristics were well matched. There was no difference in the primary outcome (13.67 vs 13.89; p = 0.98). Number of deaths were more in HCQ arm (RR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.13–2.93; p = 0.03). There was no difference in number of days on oxygen or normalization of oxygen saturation, number who needed ventilator, days to ventilator requirement and days on ventilator. Twenty-nine patients in control arm received remdesivir. When adjusted analysis was done after removal of these patients, there was no difference in primary or secondary outcomes. Number of deaths in adjusted analysis were not significant (RR: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.87–1.88; p = 0.37).
Conclusion
HCQ does not change the number of days of hospitalization when compared with control.
We describe the short term and intermediate efficacy of direct intra-muscular injection of Botulinum toxin in Pyriformis Syndrome, along with its safety profile. Materials and Methods: A diagnosis of pyriformis syndrome was made by exclusion, only after careful clinical assessment & MR Imaging. Patients were selected for Botox infiltration if adequate symptom relief was not noted after conservative management. Patients were placed prone on the CT table with a pillow placed under the lower pelvis for elevation of the hip joints. Subsequently a total of 03 spinal needles (22 G) were placed in the pyriformis muscle belly, at a distance of 1 to 1.5 cm apart. Finally, freshly reconstituted 50U of Botox was injected through each of the needles into the muscle belly (total dose of 150 U). Results: A total of 26 procedures were performed on 25 patients (15 male, 10 female) with one patient receiving a second procedure 15 months after the initial treatment. The mean age of the patient population was 48.6 years. 88.5% (23/26) patients reported very good pain relief when assessed on a Visual analogue scale (VAS) at 3 months, which was sustained at 6 months in 77% (20/26) patients. No procedure related complications were noted. Conclusion: CT guided Botox infiltration into the pyriformis is a safe and effective modality for pain relief in pyriformis syndrome. Three needle technique with infiltration across the length of the muscle appears be more effective in symptom alleviation, as compared to the conventional single site injection. .
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