Unmasking herbal medication-induced lead poisoning in a geriatric patient with gastrointestinal symptoms.

Lead poisoning, often associated with occupational exposure, can also arise from intake of traditional and herbal medicines with high lead content. Geriatric patients displaying gastrointestinal symptoms from such sources are frequently misdiagnosed. An individual in his 70s reported to our geriatric clinic with vomiting, constipation and anaemia. A meticulous history unveiled his recent intake of herbal remedies. Heavy metal assay indicated elevated lead levels in his blood and urine, consistent with the high lead content we measured in the herbal medication. Following supportive treatment, nutritional supplementation and chelation therapy with calcium disodium EDTA, he improved. Follow-up tests indicated a decrease in lead levels and resolution of anaemia. This case emphasises the importance of considering lead poisoning as a potential diagnosis in patients with unexplained symptoms, particularly when there is a history of herbal or alternative medication intake. Timely recognition and appropriate management can lead to better outcome.

Readmission rates and predictors of avoidable readmissions in older adults in a tertiary care centre.

Context: Thirty-day readmissions are used to gauge health care accountability, which occurs as part of the natural course of the illness or due to avoidable fallacies during the index admission. The utility of this metric is unknown in older adults from developing countries. Aim: To ascertain the unplanned 30-day readmission rate and enumerate predictors of avoidable hospital readmission among early (0-7 days) and late (8-30 days) readmissions. Settings and Design: A retrospective chart audit of 140 older adults who were readmitted to a premier tertiary care teaching hospital under Geriatrics from the neighboring states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala were undertaken. Methods and Materials: Data from health records were collected from the hospital electronic database from May 2015 to May 2020. The data was reviewed to determine the 30-day readmission rate and to ascertain the predictors of avoidable readmissions among both early and late readmissions. Results: Out of 2698 older adults admitted to the geriatric wards from the catchment areas, the calculated 30-day hospital readmission rate was 5.18%, and 41.4% of these readmissions were potentially avoidable. The median duration from discharge to the first readmission was ten days (Interquartile range: 5-18 days). Patients had to spend INR 44,000 (approximately 602 USD) towards avoidable readmission. The most common causes for readmission included an exacerbation, reactivation, or progression of a previously existing disease (55.7%), followed by the emergence of a new disease unrelated to index admission (43.2%). Fifty-eight patients (41.4%) were readmitted within seven days following discharge. Early readmissions were seen in patients with malignancies [8 (13.5%) vs. 4 (4.8%); P = 0.017], on insulin (P = 0.04) or on antidepressants (P = 0.01). Advanced age was found to be an independent predictor of avoidable early readmission (OR 2.99 95%CI 1.34-6.62, P = 0.007), and admission to a general ward (as compared to those admitted in a private ward) was an independent predictor of early readmissions (OR 2.99 95%CI 1.34-6.62, P = 0.007). Conclusion: The 30-day readmission rate in a geriatric unit in a tertiary care hospital was 5.2%. Advanced age was considered to be an independent predictor of avoidable early readmission. Future prospective research on avoidable readmissions should be undertaken to delineate factors affecting 30-day avoidable hospital readmissions in developing nations.

Prevalence and factors contributing to primary sarcopenia in relatively healthy older Indians attending the outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Literature is scarce on primary sarcopenia among Indian older adults. This study was aimed to estimate the prevalence of primary sarcopenia among older persons in India using the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in the Older People 2010 (EWGSOP) diagnostic criteria and to elucidate the factors leading to its development. METHODOLOGY: Two hundred twenty-seven subjects over 60 years of age attending the geriatric outpatient clinic were recruited for the study. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on set criteria for gait speed, handgrip, and skeletal muscle mass assessment by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. RESULT: The prevalence of primary sarcopenia in the study population was 39.2% (n = 89). Male patients were more sarcopenic than women, 47% (n = 72) vs 23% (n = 17). Obese subjects (body mass index > 25 kg/m2) had a lower prevalence of sarcopenia (odds ratio = 0.10; 95% confidence interval = 0.05-0.19). There was no association between sarcopenia and other postulated risk factors like low vitamin D levels, dietary protein or carbohydrate intake, or sedentary lifestyle. CONCLUSION: Contrary to published data, primary sarcopenia appears to be higher among older Indians using presently available guidelines. Community studies with validated cutoffs suited for the Indian subcontinent may yield a lower prevalence of primary sarcopenia.

Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction in two patients admitted with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 pneumonia.

We have described two cases of severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia presenting with acute colonic pseudo-obstruction with normal liver enzymes and serum lactate. These older adults presented predominantly with constitutional symptoms, silent hypoxia, distended abdomen, sluggish bowel sounds, and colonic dilatation supported by abdominal imaging (plain X-ray and computerized tomography of abdomen) to a tertiary care center in South India. Both patients received standard treatment for severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and acute colonic pseudo-obstruction according to available guidelines but succumbed to complications during hospital stay. Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction in patients admitted with SARS-CoV-2 infection requires high index of suspicion as it warrants early mitigation by cessation of offending agents, optimizing electrolytes, and colonic decompression to prevent morbidity and mortality.

Diagnostic methods and identification challenges experienced in a Burkholderia contaminans outbreak occurred in a tertiary care centre.

BACKGROUND: Recently, a novel species contaminans belonging to the family Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is rising as a hospital pathogen. Detection of Burkholderia contaminans, a member of Bcc can be done only by MALDI TOF and sequencing techniques. We report the diagnostic challenges faced in an outbreak of bacteremia due to B. contaminans grown in diltiazem vials. METHOD: The department of microbiology notified the infection control team about a cluster of eleven patients with B. contaminans isolated from blood culture. An outbreak investigation was initiated by performing environmental surveillance and sterility testing of solutions given for the patients. Routine phenotypical methods for identification of species followed by MALDI-TOF and sequencing was performed to identify the pathogen. RESULTS: All the patients detected with B. contaminans were having cardiac disease and received diltiazem. Sterility testing of diltiazem vials given for the patient and an unopened vial of same batch has grown B. contaminans. Clonal typing has confirmed the sequence similarities between patient and solution isolates. CONCLUSION: Due to diagnostic challenge in identifying the species of Bcc, MALDI TOF and clonal typing remains the key diagnostic tools available to detect Bcc species at an earliest especially in an outbreak.

Amyloid cranial polyneuropathy: A rare neurological presentation of immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis, a disease with extracellular tissue deposition of fibrils, results in clinical manifestations based on deposition of these fibrils in multiple organ systems. Usual manifestations include nephrotic-range proteinuria, cardiac failure, hepatosplenomegaly, and skin manifestations. Common neurological manifestations include peripheral and autonomic neuropathies. Cranial neuropathy has been seldom reported and is an unusual clinical feature of amyloidosis. Here, we report an older man who presented with cranial nerve palsies along with other clinical features, including heart failure, proteinuria, weight loss, anorexia and distal symmetric polyneuropathy and was diagnosed with immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis.

Non-fatal acute haemorrhagic leukoencephalitis following snake bite: A case report.

Acute haemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (AHL) is a fulminant inflammatory disease of cerebral white matter, characterised by demyelination and haemorrhagic necrosis. The outcome is usually fatal with only few survivors. An unusual presentation of a 44-year-old South Indian farmer who developed AHL following a snake bite is reported. Though the initial brain imaging showed extensive involvement of the white matter with multiple haemorrhagic foci, the patient improved spontaneously with no specific therapy. A repeat magnetic resonance imaging of the brain 28 days after the snake bite confirmed radiological improvement.

Clinical Profile and Predictors of Outcomes in Older Inpatients with Pyelonephritis in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southern India.

BACKGROUND: Pyelonephritis is a serious infection associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the elderly with an estimated annual incidence rate of around 10% from previous studies. Older people are at a higher risk for pyelonephritis due to multiple factors including structural, functional and co-existent conditions. There is very little data on the incidence, clinical features and outcomes among elderly patients with pyelonephritis in India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of case records of 100 consecutive patients over the age of 60 years with pyelonephritis admitted to a tertiary care hospital. RESULTS: One fourth of our patients (26%) did not have fever, 49% had delirium and 52% had systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Sixty five percent of the patients were diabetic and 60% had infections caused by extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producing organisms. As in other studies, the commonest organism isolated was E.coli (49%). A low serum albumin level was a predictor of mortality (p<0.001) and increased length of hospital stay (p<0.005). Delirium was also associated with a poor outcome (p=0.009) in these patients. Patients with pyelonephritis secondary to ESBL producing organisms had a higher length of stay (p<0.005). CONCLUSION: Hypoalbuminemia and delirium predicted poor outcomes in our patients. We found a high prevalence of ESBL infections in this study. Further research is required to assess the efficacy of aggressive management of delirium and low albumin in improving health and cost outcomes.

Portosystemic Shunt Presenting as Rapidly Progressive Dementia.

Rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) is a challenging clinical problem in the elderly. It encompasses a wide range of diseases. Thorough clinical examination and a systematic approach is essential to find the cause of RPD. Early recognition of causes of RPD is important for early treatment and reversal of the pathology. We report a case of RPD due to portosystemic encephalopathy secondary to a large portosystemic shunt with preserved liver functions, in a previously healthy elderly male. He had pallidal hyperintensities on MRI brain that can be the clue to the diagnosis of portosystemic shunt and chronic liver disease in patients with RPD.

Ornidazole-induced ataxia in an Indian woman: A case report.

The nitroimidazole group of antibiotics like metronidazole have been reported to cause cerebellar ataxia as a rare side effect. Ornidazole, the newest derivative of this class, has a long half life and is very rarely known to cause cerebellar ataxia. Here, we report a 61-year-old patient who developed ataxia due to ornidazole to highlight an unusual adverse event that improved rapidly after discontinuation of the offending drug.

Acute pancreatitis and subdural haematoma in a patient with severe falciparum malaria: case report and review of literature.

Plasmodium falciparum infection is known to be associated with a spectrum of systemic complications ranging from mild and self-limiting to life-threatening. This case report illustrates a patient who had a protracted course in hospital due to several rare complications of falciparum malaria. A 21-year old man presented with a five-day history of high-grade fever, jaundice and abdominal pain and a two-day history of altered conscious state. A diagnosis of severe falciparum malaria was made based on the clinical presentation and a positive blood smear with parasitaemia of 45%. Despite adequate anti-malarial therapy with artesunate, the patient had persistent and worsening abdominal pain. Investigations suggested a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, a rare association with falciparum malaria. However, in spite of supportive therapy for acute pancreatitis and a 10-day course of intravenous artesunate and oral doxycycline at recommended doses, he continued to be febrile with peripheral blood smear showing persistence of ring forms. Antimalarial therapy was, therefore, changed to quinine on the suspicion of possible artesunate resistance. On the 17th day of stay in hospital, the patient developed generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Computerized tomography of the brain showed bilateral fronto-parietal subdural haematomas that were surgically drained. His fever persisted beyond 30-days despite broad-spectrum antibiotics, quinine therapy and negative malarial smears. A possibility of drug fever was considered and all drugs were ceased. He subsequently became afebrile and was discharged on the 38th hospital admission day. Recognition of complications and appropriate management at each stage facilitated successful outcome. This report has been presented to highlight the occurrence of several rare complications of falciparum malaria in the same patient.