Status Epilepticus in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Morocco: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background Status epilepticus (SE) is a common neurologic emergency with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics, causes, management, and outcomes of patients with SE in a tertiary care hospital in Morocco. Methods A retrospective study was conducted from January 2019 to December 2021, including all patients admitted to the medico-surgical general intensive care unit (ICU) with a diagnosis of SE. We recorded demographic characteristics, SE clinical history, management, causes, and discharge outcomes. Results Overall, 82 patients with SE were included, the median age was 39.5 years (18-95), 61% of the patients were male, the majority of semiology was convulsive SE (93%, N: 77), epilepsy of unknown cause was the most common diagnosis (41.2%, N: 34), and the most known etiology was acute/subacute cerebrovascular events (12 patients, 14.4%). All patients received benzodiazepines, 96.4% of them received phenobarbital as a second line of treatment, 65 patients required anesthesia, 52 patients developed one complication at least - the most common complication being systemic infection, and the mortality rate was noted to be 38% among patients with SE (N: 31). In this study, the factors associated with mortality were ischemic stroke (as an etiology of SE (p=0.048), history of epilepsy (p=0.005), poor therapeutic adherence (p=0.001), cardiovascular complications, presence of multiple complications (p=0.0001), pneumonia (p=0.0001), and the recurrence of SE (p=0.050). Conclusions We provide a single-center retrospective analysis of admissions in SE and note that mortality among SE patients is high in our settings. Improving prehospital emergency care and implementing elective ICU admission for patients at high risk could improve the mortality rate.

Severe ARDS Complicating an Acute Intentional Cresol Poisoning.

Cresol is a phenol derivative used as a disinfectant that may cause gastrointestinal corrosive injury, central nervous system, cardiovascular disturbances, renal, and hepatic injury following intoxication. We present a case of a female patient who was admitted to the emergency department after ingesting an unknown amount of cresol; she was admitted with tachypnea, shortness of breath with low oxygen level in the blood. She did not develop hepatic or renal dysfunction. The gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed and showed esophagus and gastric erosins only. The patient was sedated and ventilated for 7 days. After receiving supportive intensive care, the patient recovered and was sent for psychiatric evaluation. Cresol intoxication can be fatal, and cause a respiratory failure with an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), hepatic, and renal injury. This shows the importance of intensive care in the management of cresol poisoning.

[Mount Fuji sign in postoperative period after surgery for ependymoma of the third ventricle (V3): case report and review of the literature]. / Signe de Mont Fuji en postopératoire d'un épendymome du V3: cas clinique et revue de la literature.

Mount Fuji sign also known as compressive pneumocephalus is a redoubtable postoperative neurosurgical complication. We report the clinical case of a 10 months-old patient, hospitalized in reanimation for postoperative management following surgery for ependymoma of the third ventricle. The evolution was marked by the occurrence of early postoperative compressive pneumocephalus, responsible for neurological and hemodynamic worsening. This study highlights the possibility of occurrence of such an adverse event, as well as the therapeutic and especially preventive measures for this complication.

[Retroperitoneal hematoma revealing a tumor of the inferior vena cava: about a case]. / Hématome rétro-péritonéal révélant une tumeur de la veine cave inférieure: à propos d'un cas.

Tumors of the inferior vena cava are rare, their most common histology is represented by leiomyosarcoma. They have few specific clinical features, however, the literature does not report hemorrhagic manifestations. Preoperative diagnosis is based on tomodensitometry and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); it is confirmed by histology. We report a case with retroperitoneal hematoma revealing a tumor of the inferior vena cava. The diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical and radiological findings.