1/25. Paroxysmal atrioventricular block induced during head-up tilt test.A 71-year-old female with vasovagal near-syncope suffered from paroxysmal second-degree AV block during Holter monitoring. AV block was easily reproduced during head-up tilt test. She was successfully treated with a dual chamber pacemaker. This treatment is unusual and the role of cardiac pacing in patients with vasovagal symptoms is reviewed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/25. cocaine-induced bradyarrhythmia: an unsuspected cause of syncope.cocaine use is associated with adverse events in nearly every organ system. Cardiovascular complications include hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, aortic dissection, cardiomyopathy, accelerated coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. syncope may be the presenting symptom in these conditions. However, cocaine-induced bradyarrhythmias have been scarcely mentioned. As this case exemplifies, clinicians should be aware of this association when they evaluate syncope, especially in young patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/25. Clinical case seminar: Riedel's thyroiditis: report of a case complicated by spontaneous hypoparathyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and Horner's syndrome.A 42-yr-old woman presented with hyperthyroidism and a large, firm, irregular goiter. Within a few weeks she became hypothyroid. Five months later she developed increasingly severe neck pain and compressive symptoms. The goiter had become rock hard. A fine needle aspiration biopsy showed features of chronic thyroiditis and fibrosis. She partially responded to a course of glucocorticoids. tamoxifen was added, with marked improvement in goiter size and pain. Both medications were tapered off. Two months later the patient experienced paresthesias of the fingertips, perioral numbness, and a seizure. She was found to have spontaneous primary hypoparathyroidism. Three months later the patient became hoarse and experienced difficulty in breathing. She was found to have a massively enlarged thyroid with compression of the right internal jugular vein and encasement of the right carotid artery as well as tracheal narrowing. She also had right vocal cord paralysis due to recurrent laryngeal nerve involvement. Because of airway compromise, an emergency isthmusectomy was performed, and the patient was given a postoperative course of glucocorticoids with gradual improvement. Postoperative diagnosis was Riedel's thyroiditis. Two months later she presented with near-syncope and was found to have bradycardia, hypotension, and right Horner's syndrome, presumably due to compression of the right carotid sheath. She was given i.v. glucocorticoids and tamoxifen. Six months later and 18 months after her initial presentation, the patient is doing remarkably well. Her goiter has regressed by more than 50%, and she no longer has any pain or difficulty breathing. She remains a little hoarse and has persistent hypothyroidism and hypoparathyroidism. She is taking prednisone (5 mg, this is being tapered very slowly) and tamoxifen (20 mg) daily. This case illustrates the protean manifestations of Riedel's thyroiditis, a rare but fascinating disease. The epidemiology of this disease, its pathophysiology and complications, and the roles of surgery and medical therapy are reviewed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/25. Swallow syncope.Swallow syncope is a rare disorder caused by hypersensitive vagotonic reflex in response to deglutition. A 26-year-old man complained of recurrent light-headedness and near syncope on swallowing was hospitalized for monitoring and evaluation. Continuous electrocardiographic and invasive arterial pressure monitoring showed ingestion of a solid meal evoked light-headedness and complete AV block without an escape rhythm that lasted for 5.6 seconds. This patient received a Medtronic Kappa (401B) DDDR pacemaker with the rate drop feature. The patient has remained asymptomatic on follow-up for the past 2 years.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/25. Mild hypothermia after near drowning in twin toddlers.INTRODUCTION: We report a case of twin toddlers who both suffered near drowning but with different post-trauma treatment and course, and different neurological outcomes. methods AND RESULTS: Two twin toddlers (a boy and girl, aged 2 years and 3 months) suffered hypothermic near drowning with protracted cardiac arrest and aspiration. The girl was treated with mild hypothermia for 72 hours and developed acute respiratory dysfunction syndrome and sepsis. She recovered without neurological deficit. The boy's treatment was conducted under normothermia without further complications. He developed an apallic syndrome. CONCLUSION: Although the twin toddlers experienced the same near drowning accident together, the outcomes with respect to neurological status and postinjury complications were completely different. One of the factors that possibly influenced the different postinjury course might have been prolonged mild hypothermia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/25. Occurrence of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex during cesarean section under spinal anesthesia--a case report.We report a 35-year-old parturient with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) history who sustained a nearly fatal Bezold-Jarisch reflex during cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. A high spinal block combined with acute massive hemorrhage may produce life-threatening Bezold-Jarisch reflex which should be treated prophylactically and aggressively during surgery. Additionally, the autonomic disturbance associated with GDM might exaggerate the reflex in this episode. The patient survived after successful resuscitation and was discharged without any sequela.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/25. Near-fatal amitraz intoxication: the overlooked pesticide.Amitraz is commonly used in agricultural industries throughout the world as a farm-animal insecticide. Despite its widespread use, amitraz intoxication is extremely rare and mainly occurs through accidental ingestion by young children. Severe, life-threatening amitraz intoxication in adults is very rarely recognized and reported. Described herein is a previously healthy 54-year-old patient who accidentally ingested a mouthful of liquid amitraz concentrate, and rapidly developed life-threatening clonidine-like overdose syndrome, manifested as nausea, vomiting, hypotension, bradycardia, bradypnoea, and deep coma. Supportive treatment, including mechanical ventilation, and atropine administration resulted in full recovery within 48 hr. Very few cases of near-fatal amitraz poisoning in adults have been described in the medical literature, leading to low awareness of physicians in general practice to the potential toxicity of amitraz. As a consequence, cases of amitraz poisoning are not recognised and therefore erroneously treated as the much more commonly recognized organophosphate and carbamate intoxication. In our discussion, we review the clinical and laboratory manifestations of amitraz poisoning, including clinical hints that aid in the recognition of this often-overlooked diagnosis. Differentiation of amitraz intoxication from the much more commonly seen pesticide-related organophosphate and carbamate intoxication is of utmost importance, in order to avoid erroneous, unnecessary, and often dangerous treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/25. Near-fatal yew berry intoxication treated with external cardiac pacing and digoxin-specific FAB antibody fragments.The case of a 5-year-old girl who survived a near-fatal ingestion of yew plant leaves after treatment with CPR, transcutaneous pacing, and digoxin-specific FAB antibody fragments is presented. Multiple rhythm disturbances, including profound bradycardia, occurred. She required endotracheal intubation, external chest compressions, and application of a transcutaneous pacemaker. Paced cardiac contractions produced a dramatic improvement in her blood pressure and clinical condition. Two empiric injections of digoxin-specific FAB antibody fragments were administered, after which cardiac function and rhythm gradually improved. She was discharged in her normal state of health three days later. Yew leaves and berries contain several alkaloids that can produce fatal conduction disturbances. Transcutaneous cardiac pacemakers may be lifesaving for patients with transient cardiac toxicity from drug or toxin ingestions. In addition, cross-reactivity between digoxin-specific FAB antibodies and the alkaloids in the yew plant may exist and may have therapeutic importance, although this mechanism was unlikely to have helped our patient.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/25. bronchogenic cyst with tracheal involvement.Bronchogenic cysts are uncommon developmental anomalies of the primitive foregut that can produce symptoms of ventilatory compromise in infants and children. A 2-month-old child presented with episodes of stridor and obstructive apnea due to a bronchogenic cyst compressing the trachea and causing near-total obstruction. Aspiration of the cyst during bronchoscopy resulted in severe bradycardia (from 140 to 50 beats per minute), although blood pressure was stable and oxygen saturation remained at 100%. Subsequent elective thoracotomy revealed the cyst to be intimately associated with the vagus nerve, and vagal stimulation may have caused the bradycardia. Bronchogenic cysts, although rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of infants and children undergoing direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy for airway compromise. The endoscopic aspiration of cystic tracheal and bronchial lesions may not obviate the need for more definitive surgical treatment and, as this case demonstrates, is not free of potential hazard.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/25. bradycardia and syncope as manifestations of partial epilepsy.Although transient increases in heart rate typically occur, bradycardia has infrequently been noted in association with partial seizures. Five patients with temporal lobe epilepsy are described in whom sinus bradyarrhythmias and syncope were prominent manifestations of seizure activity. Partial improvement occurred in one of two patients in whom a permanent pacemaker was implanted before a diagnosis of epilepsy was established. Treatment with phenytoin or carbamazepine resulted in nearly complete resolution of symptoms in all five patients. Because pacemaker implantation does not prevent recurrent symptoms, but anticonvulsant therapy does, this experience underscores the importance of considering the diagnosis of partial epilepsy in selected patients with sinus bradyarrhythmias and syncope.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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