Tuberculous myocarditis has a high mortality rate and is often associated with a delay in the diagnosis because of the low index of suspicion and insidious course. Most of the reported cases predominantly occur in young, immunocompetent patients. Delays in diagnosis may result in fatal complications. Through this case report, we aim to shed light on some of the clinical features of tuberculous myocarditis and promote a high index of suspicion for early diagnosis and timely management.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes severe bilateral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) which can lead to difficulty breathing. Many cases require mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit management. The need for mechanical ventilation and ICU admission seems to be more evident in patients that were unvaccinated for COVID-19 at the time of admission. We discuss a case of a 63-year-old African-American woman who presented as a transfer to our hospital facility with acute hypoxic respiratory failure. She was already intubated and mechanically ventilated prior to her transfer. She had a one-week history of shortness of breath and cough productive of white, blood-tinged sputum. A two-day history of diarrhea was also reported before admission to the other hospital where she stayed for a week before transfer to our intensive care unit. She had no significant past medical history and was unvaccinated for COVID-19, and was suspected to be infected with the Delta strain of COVID-19. Her primary diagnosis at admission was COVID pneumonia and acute hypoxic respiratory failure. Her condition worsened over a period of one week. Chest X-Ray, at the time of arrival, showed bilateral patchy opacities consistent with COVID-19 pneumonia. After an extensive review of her labs and reports, the patient was attributed to be at a high risk for acute decompensation (or catastrophically ill), thus requiring critical care management. Over a course of 12 days, she was aggressively treated with antibiotics, steroids, remdesivir and tocilizumab. Her condition gradually deteriorated and she eventually passed away. It can be noted that most of the severe cases, especially ICU admissions, comprise people who are unvaccinated. We can safely conclude that although vaccination may not prevent re-infection, it does result in better clinical outcomes.
Background: Health disparities have become apparent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. When observing racial discrimination in healthcare, self-reported incidences, and perceptions among minority groups in the United States suggest that, the most socioeconomically underrepresented groups will suffer disproportionately in COVID-19 due to synergistic mechanisms. This study reports racially-stratified data regarding the experiences and impacts of different groups availing the healthcare system to identify disparities in outcomes of minority and majority groups in the United States. Methods: Studies were identified utilizing PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO search engines without date and language restrictions. The following keywords were used: Healthcare, raci*, ethnic*, discriminant, hosti*, harass*, insur*, education, income, psychiat*, COVID-19, incidence, mortality, mechanical ventilation. Statistical analysis was conducted in Review Manager (RevMan V.5.4). Unadjusted Odds Ratios, P-values, and 95% confidence intervals were presented. Results: Discrimination in the United States is evident among racial groups regarding medical care portraying mental risk behaviors as having serious outcomes in the health of minority groups. The perceived health inequity had a low association to the majority group as compared to the minority group (OR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.78; P = .007), and the association of mental health problems to the Caucasian-American majority group was low (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.45 to 0.58; P < .001). Conclusion: As the pandemic continues into its next stage, efforts should be taken to address the gaps in clinical training and education, and medical practice to avoid the recurring patterns of racial health disparities that become especially prominent in community health emergencies. A standardized tool to assess racial discrimination and inequity will potentially improve pandemic healthcare delivery.
Introduction: Drug induced liver injury can be a result of many medications and remains as one of the most challenging disorders faced by GI specialists. The most common causes in the Western world include antimicrobials, antiepileptics, anticancer medications, herbal and dietary supplements. It is important to make the distinction between intrinsic and idiosyncratic types of DILI. Intrinsic DILI is capable of causing injury in a predictable pattern in humans when given in high doses. Idiosyncratic DILI only affects susceptible individuals and has less of an association to dosing. The latter being the more difficult type to diagnose and treat. An important value, the R-factor, is used to define hepatotoxicity injury patters. An R-factor , 2 suggests a cholestatic pattern, R-factor . 5 suggests a hepatocellular pattern, and in between a mixed pattern of injury. Early withdrawal of the offending agent is the treatment of choice for any cause of DILI as this prevents progression of acute liver failure. Case Description/Methods: We present a case of a 61 year old male (S, J) with acute elevations in his liver enzymes and alkaline phosphatase. Patient was admitted for alcohol withdrawal. The following day, patient was intubated secondary to hypercapnic respiratory failure and days later developed ventilator associated pneumonia for which he was started on antimicrobial therapy, cefepime and vancomycin. After 9 days of receiving cefepime, patient's alkaline phosphatase and liver transaminases acutely increased. Patient's baseline levels were normal on arrival to the hospital. His lab values were the following: ALT 263, AST 507, and alkaline phosphatase 279 with an R factor of 2.8 showing a mixed injury pattern. A right upper quadrant ultrasound showed hepatomegaly and an acute hepatitis panel was ordered which resulted negative. No episodes of significant hypotension were reported. The antibiotic was immediately discontinued with resolution of patient's levels back to normal. Discussion: Though not as commonly reported, increased ALT, AST or alkaline phosphatase can be a result of cefepime use. Our patient on admission did not have abnormal liver chemistry tests despite his history of alcohol use. R-factor for our patient showed a mixed pattern of liver injury. First line tests when suspecting DILI such as acute viral hepatitis serologies and imaging studies were ordered. Our patient was not re-started on cefepime and his liver enzymes returned to baseline.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.