Clinical and Prognostic Features of Diabetic Ketoacidosis According to the Trigger of the Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute metabolic, life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus with a mortality rate that now stand at less than 1%. Although mortality is coupled with the etiology of DKA, literature on the influence of DKA etiology on patient outcome is scarce. OBJECTIVES: To study different triggers for DKA and their effect on outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study that include 385 DKA patients from 2004 to 2017. The study compared demographics, clinical presentation, and mortality rates by different precipitating factors. RESULTS: Patients with DKA due to infections had a higher risk to develop in-hospital mortality after controlling for age and sex (odds ratio 4.40, 95% confidence interval 1.35-14.30), had a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index score, a higher risk of being mechanical ventilated (14% vs. 3%, P < 0.01), and a longer duration of hospitalization (5 days vs. 3 days, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is crucial to find the triggers that precipitate DKA and start the treatment as early as possible in addition to the metabolic aspect of the treatment especially when the trigger is an infectious disease.

Secondary organizing pneumonia after recovery of mild COVID-19 infection.

A 36-year-old male with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma on maintenance rituximab therapy presented to the emergency department with high fever and fatigue. A chest X-ray showed a lobar infiltrate, 40 days before admission the patient suffered from a mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and fully recovered. PCR nasopharyngeal swab was negative for COVID-19. Comprehensive biochemical, radiological, and pathological evaluation including 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography and transbronchial lung biopsy found no pathogen or lymphoma recurrence. Treatment for pneumonia with antibiotic and antifungal agents was nonbeneficial. A diagnosis of secondary organizing pneumonia (OP) was made after pneumonia migration and a rapid response to corticosteroids. OP secondary to a viral respiratory infection has been well described. Raising awareness for post-COVID-19 OP has therapeutic and prognostic importance because those patients benefit from steroid therapy. We believe the condition described here is underdiagnosed and undertreated by doctors worldwide. Because of the ongoing global pandemic we are now encountering a new kind of patient, patients that have recovered from COVID-19. We hope that this case may contribute to gaining more knowledge about this growing patient population.

Outcomes of diabetic ketoacidosis in a tertiary centre with restricted intensive care unit bed capacity.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute metabolic condition, sometimes requiring admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). AIMS: To investigate the outcomes of DKA patients admitted to a hospital with restricted ICU capacity. METHODS: We included all DKA patients above age 18 who were admitted to a tertiary hospital during 2004-2017. We conducted multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for ICU bed availability to analyse parameters associated with ICU admission, and a composite outcome of mortality, DKA recurrence and mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: Among 382 DKA patients in our cohort, 94 (24.6%) were admitted to the ICU. The in-hospital mortality was 4.7%. Low bicarbonate (<10 mmoL/L) and pH (<7) levels at presentation were associated with ICU admission (P < 0.001 for both). In multivariate models availability of beds in the ICU was not associated with ICU admission, mortality or DKA recurrence of any type. CONCLUSION: In a setting of limited ICU capacity, DKA treatment does not necessarily require admission to the ICU. When the rising rates of diabetes mellitus and the associated elevated rates of DKA are taken into account, our results highlight the importance of including step-down units when devising local protocols for care of these patients.

[COMMUNITY ACQUIRED KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE LIVER ABSCESS - REPORT FROM ISRAEL].

BACKGROUND: Klebsiella pneumoniae is facultative anaerobic bacilli gram-negative bacteria. Klebsiella pneumoniae, often causes urinary tract infections and sometimes causes community acquired pneumonia. During the past two decades, a distinct syndrome of Klebsiella pneumoniae with a pyogenic liver abscess was noted. The incidence is higher among patients with diabetes mellitus, and can cause serious complications, including bacteremia, meningitis, endophthalmitis and necrotizing fasciitis. The first cases were reported from Taiwan, but later, more cases emerged in other Asian countries. During recent years the incidence of Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess has increased globally, with cases also reported in Australia, New Zealand, West Europe and the United States. To the best to our knowledge, these are the first 2 cases described in Israel.

[COMMUNITY ACQUIRED KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE LIVER ABSCESS - REPORT FROM ISRAEL].

INTRODUCTION: Klebsiella pneumoniae is facultative anaerobic bacilli gram-negative bacteria. Klebsiella pneumoniae often causes urinary tract infections and sometimes causes community acquired pneumonia. During the past two decades, a distinct syndrome of Klebsiella pneumoniae with a pyogenic liver abscess was noted. The incidence is higher among patients with diabetes mellitus, and can cause serious complications, including bacteremia, meningitis, endophthalmitis and necrotizing fasciitis. The first cases were reported from Taiwan, but later, more cases emerged in other Asian countries. During recent years the incidence of Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess has increased globally, with cases also reported in Australia, New Zealand, West Europe and the United States. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first 2 cases described in Israel.

[ETHNIC DIVERSITY AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH ACUTE PANCREATITIS].

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown a correlation between acute pancreatitis and several different risk factors that vary in different countries and ethnic groups. The aims of this study are to examine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of acute pancreatitis in patients of Jewish and Bedouin origin. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalized with acute pancreatitis in the Soroka University Medical Center between the years 2012 and 2016 and compared two groups of patients: patients of Jewish and Bedouin origin. The primary outcome was a composite outcome consisting of 30-days mortality, ICU admission, complications (defined as necrotizing pancreatitis or pseudocyst formation), surgery due to these complications and 30-days re-admission due to pancreatitis. RESULTS: A total of 560 patients were included, 483 patients (86.3%) of Jewish origin and 77 patients (13.7%) of Bedouin origin. The most common cause in both groups was biliary pancreatitis: 49.7% among Jewish, 61% among Bedouin. In our study alcohol consumption, the most common worldwide risk factor of pancreatitis, accounts for only a small percentage of the disease in the Jewish population (5.6%) and does not exist in the Bedouin population. We found no significant differences in outcomes between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Biliary pancreatitis was the most common cause in both groups of patients. The important finding of our study is that alcohol use is a minor cause of acute pancreatitis in the Negev. Moreover, it is uncommon in the Jewish population and is completely non-existent among Bedouins. No differences were found in the primary outcomes between the two groups.

High prevalence of fibromyalgia syndrome among Israeli nurses.

OBJECTIVES: Stress has extensively been shown to trigger fibromyalgia syndrome (FM). Nursing is associated with high levels of stress. Our hypothesis was that nurses suffer from an increased prevalence of FM symptoms, and that these symptoms correlate with the levels of stress to which they are exposed in the course of their occupation. METHODS: The study was conducted as a targeted survey distributed to nursing staff in Soroka University Medical Centre, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Participants were asked to answer a questionnaire evaluating symptoms of FM, based on the current diagnostic criteria, which include the widespread pain index (WPI) and the symptom severity scale (SSS). Participants were further questioned regarding stressful experiences during their work and about post-traumatic symptoms as well as regarding work performance and motivation. RESULTS: 206 participants completed the study questionnaire (84.5% females and 15.5% males). Twenty (9.7%) participants of the sample fulfilled criteria for diagnosis of FM reaching rates among females and males of 10.9% and 3.1% respectively. The prevalence of FM in our study was related to age with the highest prevalence in the older age groups (p=0.012). FM symptoms were strongly correlated with work related stress and were strongly correlated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms. Work-performance parameters did not show a significant correlation with FM parameters. CONCLUSIONS: FM is highly prevalent among nursing staff. Our findings point towards the possibility that work-related stress and traumatic events may play a major role in the development of FM symptoms among nurses. With aging this association is more significant.

Allocation of scarce resources during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Jewish ethical perspective.

The novel COVID-19 pandemic has placed medical triage decision-making in the spotlight. As life-saving ventilators become scarce, clinicians are being forced to allocate scarce resources in even the wealthiest countries. The pervasiveness of air travel and high rate of transmission has caused this pandemic to spread swiftly throughout the world. Ethical triage decisions are commonly based on the utilitarian approach of maximising total benefits and life expectancy. We present triage guidelines from Italy, USA and the UK as well as the Jewish ethical prospective on medical triage. The Jewish tradition also recognises the utilitarian approach but there is disagreement between the rabbis whether human discretion has any role in the allocation of scarce resources and triage decision-making.

The healthcare worker at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Jewish ethical perspective.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has raised many questions and dilemmas for modern day ethicists and healthcare providers. Are physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers morally obligated to put themselves in harm's way and treat patients during a pandemic, occurring a great risk to themselves, their families and potentially to other patients? The issue was relevant during the 1918 influenza epidemic and more recently severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in 2003. Since the risk to the healthcare workers was great, there was tension between the ethical duty and responsibility to treat and the risk to one's own life. This tension was further noted during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa that left hundreds of healthcare workers dead. The AMA Code of Ethics states that physicians are to 'provide urgent medical care during disasters…even in the face of greater than usual risk to physicians' own safety, health or life.'1 Classic Jewish sources have dealt with this question as well. There is an obligation 'to not stand by idly when your friends life is in danger'; however, the question arises as to whether there are limits to this obligation? Is one required to risk one's own life to save another's? There is a consensus that one is not required but the question open to debate is whether it is praiseworthy to do so. However, regarding healthcare workers, there is agreement for ethical, professional and societal reasons that they are required to put themselves in harm's way to care for their patients.

Clinical, Epidemiological, and Etiological Changes in Erythema Nodosum.

BACKGROUND: Erythema nodosum (EN) is the most common type of panniculitis, commonly secondary to infectious diseases. OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the causative factors and the clinical presentation of patients with EN (2004-2014) and to compare their data to those reported in a previous study. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of all patients diagnosed with EN who were hospitalized at Soroka University Medical Center (2004-2014). The clinical, demographic, and laboratory characteristics of the patients were compared to those in a cohort of patients diagnosed with EN from 1973-1982. RESULTS: The study comprised 45 patients with a diagnosis of EN. The most common symptoms of patients hospitalized with EN were arthritis or arthralgia (27% of patients). Patients with EN, compared to those reported in 1987, has significantly lower rates of fever (18% vs. 62% P < 0.001), streptococcal infection (16% vs. 44%, P = 0.003), and joint involvement (27% vs. 66%, P < 0.001). In addition, fewer patients had idiopathic causes of EN (9% vs. 32%, P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In the past decades, clinical, epidemiological, and etiological changes have occurred in EN patients. The lowering in rate of fever, streptococcal infection, and joint involvement in patients with EN are probably explained by improvements in socioeconomic conditions. The significantly decreasing rate of idiopathic causes of EN is possibly due to the greater diagnostic accuracy of modern medicine. The results of the present study demonstrate the impact of improvements in socioeconomic conditions and access to healthcare on disease presentation.

Reflections on Cultural Preferences and Internal Medicine: The Case of Jehovah's Witnesses and the Changing Thresholds for Blood Transfusions.

Jehovah's witnesses oppose receiving blood transfusions based on religious grounds. This refusal raises complex medical, legal and ethical issues for the treating medical staff. In the past physicians attempted to force patients and children to accept transfusions when deemed medically necessary through the use of court orders. However, in recent years the threshold for blood transfusion has been gradually raised by medical experts as expressed in consensus guidelines, which means that Jehovah's witnesses' aversion to transfusion would have been partially justified medically. This article will further discuss these current trends.

[HEALTH SCARES: A CHRONICLE UNNECESSARY ANXIETY].

INTRODUCTION: A health scare is an event characterized by fear of catastrophic consequences with little actual results. Regardless of these negligible results, the health, social and economic impacts of such events may be significant. Health scares are spread throughout four major groups: the media, relevant medical experts, policy makers and the public at large. In this review, we described two recent cases in Israel: the case of Eltroxin exchange that occurred in Israel as well as other countries, in addition to the polio virus spread in sewage, in the context of health scares. Furthermore, we summarized the interaction between these groups, focusing on their functioning in selected health scares from the previous two decades. There is increased need for creating a priori coordinating methods, in order to deal efficiently with such events in the future. In that way, the implications of health scares can be reduce to minimum.

The role of icatibant-the B2 bradykinin receptor antagonist-in life-threatening laryngeal angioedema in the ED.

Angioedema is a localized, sudden, transient, and often recurrent swelling of the deeper layers of the skin or mucosa with no epidermal component. It is caused by vasoactive substances that produce a transient increase in endothelial permeability. Angioedema involving the laryngeal components is a life-threatening situation for the patient,and it is a challenge for the emergency medicine physician to rapidly achieve a safety airway. Most cases of laryngeal angioedema are induced by histamine release; but 10% are bradykinin induced, which does not respond to the conventional algorithm of treating allergic induced angioedema. We present a case report of an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor­induced laryngeal angioedema alleviated only after treatment with the new bradykinin receptor inhibitor medication icatibant which was licensed only for use in hereditary angioedema. We reviewed the literature for the use of icatibant in acquired drug-induced angioedema; and because of the similar pathogenesis between the hereditary angioedema and the ACE inhibitor­induced angioedema,we propose an algorithm for careful use of icatibantin life-threatening angioedema in the emergency department.

[Differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in Jewish and Bedouin patients].

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in the Jewish and Bedouin populations. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of hospital admissions for diabetic ketoacidosis in adult patients between 2003 and 2010. The clinical and biochemical characteristics and outcomes of diabetic ketoacidosis patients of Jewish origin were compared with those of Bedouin origin. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The study cohort included 220 consecutive patients for whom the admission diagnosis was diabetic ketoacidosis. The cohort was categorized according to Jewish and Bedouin origin as follows: 177 (80.5%) Jewish and 43 (19.5%) Bedouin patients. The Jewish patients were significantly older than the Bedouin patients (45.8 +/- 18.9 vs. 32.9 +/- 15.3, p < 0.001). The majority of the patients with diabetic ketoacidosis in both the Jewish and Bedouin groups had type 1 diabetes mellitus. No differences were found for in-hospital mortality, 30 days mortality or complication rates in groups of Jewish and Bedouin patients. The Length of hospital stay was significantly Longer in the Jewish compared to the Bedouin groups of patients (median 4 days (IQR 2; 6 days) vs. median 3 days (IQR 2; 4 days) respectively, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We did not find significant differences in the outcomes between Bedouin and Jewish patients with diabetic ketoacidosis. The Bedouin patients in the present study were younger compared to Jewish patients and the Length of the hospital stay was shorter in the Bedouin compared to the Jewish group. Advanced age, mechanical ventilation and bed-ridden state were independent predictors of 30-day mortality in both ethnic groups.

Community-based serum chloride abnormalities predict mortality risk.

INTRODUCTION: This population-based study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of ambulatory serum chloride abnormalities, often ignored by physicians. METHODS: The study population included all non-hospitalized adult patients, insured by "Clalit" Health Services in Israel's southern district, who underwent at least 3 serum chloride tests in community-based clinics during 2005-2016. For each patient, each period with low (≤97 mmol/l), high (≥107 mmol/l) or normal chloride levels were recorded. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the mortality risk of hypochloremia and hyperchloremia periods. RESULTS: 664,253 serum chloride tests from 105,655 subjects were analyzed. During a median follow up of 10.8 years, 11,694 patients died. Hypochloremia (≤ 97 mmol/l) was independently associated with elevated all-cause mortality risk after adjusting for age, co-morbidities, hyponatremia and eGFR (HR 2.41, 95%CI 2.16-2.69, p<0.001). Crude hyperchloremia (≥107 mmol/L) was not associated with all-cause mortality (HR 1.03, 95%CI 0.98-1.09 p = 0.231); as opposed to hyperchloremia ≥108 mmol/l (HR 1.14, 95%CI 1.06-1.21 p<0.001). Secondary analysis revealed a dose-dependent elevated mortality risk for chloride levels of 105 mmol/l and below, well within the "normal" range. CONCLUSION: In the outpatient setting, hypochloremia is independently associated with an increased mortality risk. This risk is dose-dependent where the lower the chloride level, the higher is the risk.

Management of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute life-threatening emergency in patients with diabetes, it can result in serious morbidity and mortality. Management of DKA requires reversing metabolic derangements, correcting volume depletion, electrolyte imbalances and acidosis while concurrently treating the precipitating illness. There are still controversies regarding certain aspects of DKA management. Different society guidelines have inconsistencies in their recommendations, while some aspects of treatment are not precise enough or have not been thoroughly studied. These controversies may include issues such as optimal fluid resuscitation, rate and type of Insulin therapy, potassium and bicarbonate replacement. Many institutions follow common society guidelines, however, other institutions either develop their own protocols for internal use or do not routinely use any protocols, resulting in inconsistencies in treatment and increased risk of complications and suboptimal outcomes. The objectives of this article are to review knowledge gaps and controversies in the treatment of DKA and provide our perspective on these issues. Moreover, we believe that special patient factors and comorbidities should receive more careful attention and consideration. Factors like pregnancy, renal disease, congestive heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, older age, use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and site of care all impact the treatment approach and require tailored management strategies. However, guidelines often lack sufficient recommendations regarding specific conditions and comorbidities, we aim to address unique circumstances and provide an approach to managing complex patients with specific conditions and co-morbidities. We also sought to examine changes and trends in the treatment of DKA, illuminate on aspects of latest research with a perspective towards future developments and modifications.

The Risk of Rectal Temperature Measurement in Neutropenia.

BACKGROUND: Avoiding rectal thermometry is recommended in patients with neutropenic fever. Permeability of the anal mucosa may result in a higher risk of bacteremia in these patients. Still, this recommendation is based on only a few studies. METHODS: This retrospective study included all individuals admitted to our emergency department during 2014-2017 with afebrile (body temperature <38.3°C) neutropenia (neutrophil count <500 cells/microL) who were over the age of 18. Patients were stratified by the presence or absence of a rectal temperature measurement. The primary outcome was bacteremia during the first five days of index hospitalization; the secondary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: The study included 40 patients with rectal temperature measurements and 407 patients whose temperatures were only measured orally. Among patients with oral temperature measurements, 10.6% had bacteremia, compared to 5.1% among patients who had rectal temperature measurements. Rectal temperature measurement was not associated with bacteremia, neither in non-matched (odds ratio [OR] 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.07-1.77) nor in matched cohort analyses (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.04-3.29). In-hospital mortality was also similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with neutropenia who had their temperature taken using a rectal thermometer did not experience a higher frequency of events of documented bacteremia or increased in-hospital mortality.