Urinary tract blastomycosis is an uncommon manifestation of disseminated Blastomyces infection. Here, we report a 50-year-old male with common variable immunodeficiency who presented with urinary symptoms and a renal mass concerning for a kidney neoplasm. Urine cytology revealed typical broad-based budding yeasts with thick-walled refractile capsules, leading to diagnosis of urinary tract blastomycosis. In this case, urine cultures were negative, and urine cytology was the main method of diagnosis of blastomycosis. Thus, urine cytology represents a rapid and reliable method of diagnosing blastomycosis, which in the current case led to prompt treatment of this potentially life threatening infection.
BACKGROUND: Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been numerous reports of increased mortality in the setting of both in-hospital (IHCA) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in patients with novel coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) infection. Due to these alarming mortality rates, it has been proposed that resuscitation may represent futility when COVID-19 is suspected or confirmed in patients with cardiac arrest. However, it continues to remain unclear whether the currently available data is sufficient to be broadly applied to all patients and hospitals. HYPOTHESIS: In COVID-positive patients presenting after OHCA, resuscitation should be pursued and is not futile as has previously been suggested. METHODS: 264 consecutive patients presenting to the University of Minnesota Medical Center were obtained from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) database from March 2020 through April 2022. Patient data was obtained retrospectively for COVID19 infection status, initial documented arrest rhythm, and survival to hospital discharge. RESULTS: 264 patients were collected for analysis with 2 being excluded due to incomplete data. Of the remaining 262, 16 were found to be COVID-positive. Of these patients, 2 (12.5%) survived to hospital discharge compared to 72 (29.2%) in the group without COVID. In COVID-positive patients presenting with initially shockable rhythm (11 patients), survival was 18.2% compared with no survival noted in those with initially non-shockable rhythm. 9 patients with COVID were cannulated for ECMO, with 1 (11.1%) surviving to hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insight into resuscitation in the setting of OHCA when COVID is suspected or confirmed. Though small in overall number of patients, our study indicates that resuscitation efforts in COVID-positive patients are not futile, as has previously been suggested.
Background: Current guidelines recommend use of targeted temperature management (TTM) with goal between 32 and 36°C for all comatose adult patients with ROSC after cardiac arrest. However, refractory cardiac arrest with prolonged hypoperfusion, may cause passive cooling below goal temperature. The impact of this passive cooling and subsequent cooling strategies remains unknown. This study aims to describe the association between passive intra-arrest cooling and survival in patients suffering refractory VF/VT cardiac arrest treated with the University of Minnesota extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) protocol. Methods: Between December 2015 and October 2019, consecutive adult patients with refractory VF/VT arrest requiring ongoing CPR were transported by EMS to the CCL where ECPR, coronary angiography, and PCI were performed, as appropriate. TTM was initiated with goal temperature of 34°C unless clinically significant bleeding occurred, where a goal of 36°C was used. Patient and arrest characteristics, temperature data, and survival were collected retrospectively. Results: Data was gathered for 153 consecutive patients transferred for ECPR; 12 were excluded due to death in CCL prior to TTM. Of the remaining patients, 63 (41%) survived to discharge, where 55 (36%) had CPC scores of 1-2. Among deceased patients, 25 died from acute brain death while 47 died from other causes. Patients with CPC 1-2 had an initial temperature of 34.1°C versus 32.7°C in patients developing acute brain death (p=0.002). Survivors had shorter (p=0.0001) CPR time (52 minutes) versus deceased patients (65 minutes). If the initial temperature was below goal, patients were actively warmed to goal due to bleeding risk with ECPR. Survival to hospital discharge with CPC 1-2 was associated with lower peak warming rate compared with acute brain death (0.37°C/hr vs 0.69°C/hr; p=0.014) Conclusions: Survivors with CPC 1-2 after refractory VF/VT cardiac arrest and ECPR have preserved initial temperatures compared to more severe passive cooling in patients with acute brain death. This may be due to shorter duration of CPR. However, patients with acute brain death were noted to have higher peak rate of rewarming during TTM.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) is a rare but severe condition in adults with a clinical course similar to that described in children (MIS-C) following infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Here we describe a case of a 21-year-old, otherwise healthy female who presented with chest pain and signs of sepsis six weeks after recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Early identification of MIS-A led to a favorable clinical course and full recovery. Given the highly variable disease presentation yet potentially deadly outcome, providers must remain vigilant to recognize and treat MIS-A early Keywords: MIS-A; myocardial inflammation; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19 disease.
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