Evaluation of the returning traveler with fever and neurologic symptoms.

ABSTRACT: Exposure to infectious disease increases in tandem with international travel rates. Globally, up to 70% of travelers to developing countries report health problems while traveling, most being self-limiting. Few travelers are ill enough to seek medical care while abroad or upon returning home. Although fever is one of the more common symptoms in these travelers, little attention has been paid to those who return with fever and neurologic symptoms. This article describes conditions that can present with fever and neurologic changes and how to evaluate patients in a timely manner to prevent progression of neural dysfunction and spread of disease in local communities.

Development of an informatics system for accelerating biomedical research.

Biomedical translational research can benefit from informatics system that support the confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of data.  Such systems require functional capabilities for researchers to securely submit data to designated biomedical repositories. Reusability of data is enhanced by the availability functional capabilities that ensure confidentiality, integrity and access of data. A biomedical research system was developed by combining common data element methodology with a service-oriented architecture to support multiple disease focused research programs. Seven service modules are integrated together to provide a collaborative and extensible web-based environment. The modules - Data Dictionary, Account Management, Query Tool, Protocol and Form Research Management System, Meta Study, Repository Manager and globally unique identifier (GUID) facilitate the management of research protocols, submitting and curating data (clinical, imaging, and derived genomics) within the associated data repositories. No personally identifiable information is stored within the repositories. Data is made findable by use of digital object identifiers that are associated with the research studies. Reuse of data is possible by searching through volumes of aggregated research data across multiple studies. The application of common data element(s) methodology for development of content-based repositories leads to increase in data interoperability that can further hypothesis-based biomedical research.

Pseudotumor inflamatorio nasosinusal: reporte de un caso / Inflammatory pseudotumor sinonasal: a case report / Pseu-dotumor inflamatório nasossinusal: relatório de um caso

El pseudotumor inflamatorio (PTI) es una entidad no neoplásica, de etiología desconocida, caracterizada por la proliferación de un infiltrado inflamatorio policlonal sobre un estroma de tejido conjuntivo. Pueden ser definidos como lesiones que clínica y radiológicamente simulan neoplasias. El pseudotumor inflamatorio puede causar dolor facial, obstrucción nasal, exoftalmos y discapacidad visual y con frecuencia causa la erosión y destrucción ósea. Los corticoesteroides, la radioterapia y la cirugía se han utilizado como modalidades de tratamiento, solos o en combinación.

The inflammatory pseudotumour (IPT) is a nonneoplastic entity of unknown origin, and is characterised by a proliferation of connective tissue and a polyclonal inflammatory infiltrate. May be defined as lesions that clinically and radiologically simulate neoplasms. Inflammatory pseudotumour sometimes causes facial pain, nasal obstruction, exophthalmos and visual impairment, and often causes bone erosion and destruction. Corticosteroids, radiotherapy and surgery have been used as treatment modalities either on their own or in combination.

O pseudo-tumor inflamatório (PTI) é uma entidade não neoplásica de etiologia desconhecida, caracterizada pela proliferação de um infiltrado inflamatório policlonal em um estroma do tecido conjuntivo. Podem ser definidos como lesões que simulam neoplasias clínica e radiologicamente. O pseudo-tumor Inflamatório pode causar dor facial, obstrução nasal, exoftalmia (olhos saltados), deficiência visual e freqüentemente provoca o desgaste e a destruição óssea. Os cortiçoesteroides, a radioterapia e a cirurgia têm sido usadas como modalidades de tratamento, por si só ou em combinação.

Cessation of vital signs monitored during lethal hemorrhage: a Swine study.

INTRODUCTION: Two challenges of trauma triage are to identify wounded who are in danger of imminent death and to enable medics to determine if resuscitation is possible when making ?dead or alive? decisions on the battlefield. Hemorrhagic shock is the leading cause of death in combat injuries. The purpose of this study was to establish the sequence of vital sign cessation during lethal hemorrhage in swine. Our hypothesis was that brain electrical activity (electroencephalography [EEG]) and respiration are earlier indicators of imminent death than traditional modalities measured during triage, such as heart electrical activity (electrocardiography [ECG]) and blood pressure. METHODS: Lethal hemorrhage was induced in anesthetized Yorkshire pigs. Vital sign modalities measured were respiration, heart electrical activity (ECG), heart sound, blood pressure (systemic arterial pressure), and brain electrical activity (EEG). RESULTS: The sequence of vital sign cessation was (1) respiration, (2) brain electrical activity (EEG), (3) heart sound, (4) blood pressure, and (5) heart electrical activity (ECG). Cessation of respiration occurred at approximately the same time that brain electrical activity stopped (?flatlined?) for 2 seconds and then resumed briefly before cessation; cessation of heart electrical activity occurred almost 8 minutes later. CONCLUSIONS: A 2-second EEG flatline and final respiration are useful event markers to indicate an opportunity to prevent irreversible brain damage from lethal hemorrhage. Since the 2-second EEG flatline and final respiration occur about 8 minutes before cessation of heart electrical activity (ECG), EEG and final respiration are earlier indicators of imminent death. The use of deployable noninvasive brain monitors implementing these findings can be live-saving on the battlefield as well is in civilian environments.