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BACKGROUND: Renal colic is a disease in which a calculus obstructs the urinary tract, resulting in severe pain do ureteric peristaltic movements. Other symptoms, such as hematuria, nausea, and vomiting, may accompany the pain. This network meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of different analgesic agents for the treatment of acute renal colic. METHODS: Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared different analgesic agents, either alone or in combination were included. For the management of acute renal colic, analgesic agents were selected based on the current standard medical practice. The medications included intravenous acetaminophen, ketamine, ketorolac, and morphine. This study sought to evaluate the pain score on the visual analog scale (VAS) at 15, 30, and 60 min; adverse events; and the utilization of rescue therapy. The efficacy of different analgesic agents was explored through a frequentist network meta-analysis using the Netmeta statistical package in R software. All treatments were ranked using the Netrank function, yielding P-scores. RESULTS: Twelve RCTs were deemed eligible. As per the P-scores, acetaminophen was the most effective in reducing pain score at 15 min (P-score = 0.74). Ketorolac was the most effective in reducing the pain score at 30 and 60 min (P-score = 0.84) (P-score = 0.99), whereas morphine was the least effective (P-score = 0.07). Moreover, morphine was correlated with the highest odds of adverse events after treatment (P-score = 0.89). Morphine was the most frequently required rescue therapy in cases of suboptimal pain relief (P-score = 0.96). CONCLUSION: This network meta-analysis demonstrated that ketorolac and acetaminophen were the most effective analgesic agents according to the pain score. Morphine showed the highest adverse event profile and the highest rate at which rescue therapy was required for the management of acute renal colic.
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Background Trauma-scoring systems are used to triage patients and assist in clinical decision-making. Physiological trauma scores are used for quantitative evaluation of injury severity. However, only a few, such as the Revised Physiological Trauma Score (rPTS), have been proven effective in pre-clinical use. There is a constant need for clinical decision tools that aim to reduce the unnecessary use of CT scans among trauma patients. To our knowledge, no study has directly correlated the rPTS and CT findings. This study aimed to investigate whether the rPTS is correlated with CT scan results and can be used to decrease the use of CT. Methodology This retrospective chart review examined all patients who underwent a pan-CT for trauma in the Emergency Department of King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, from 2008 to 2012. Results We analyzed 235 patients. There was a significant difference in the mean rPTS between those with negative versus positive pan-CT scans (11.4 ± 1.3 vs. 10.9 ± 1.7, respectively; p = 0.032). Furthermore, the rate of positive CT scans was significantly higher in those with an rPTS <11 than those with an rPTS of 11 or 12 (87% vs. 74.1%, respectively; p = 0.044). However, 72.7% of patients with an rPTS of 12/12 had a positive pan-CT scan. Conclusions Despite the difference in the frequency of abnormal CT scans, too many patients with normal rPTS had abnormal CT findings. Therefore, the rPTS cannot be used to safely reduce the use of CT scans.
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Immunoglobulin-G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a fibro-inflammatory condition that can impact any organs/tissues, including the vascular systems, resulting in aortitis/periaortitis/periarteritis (PAO/PA). The complex nature of this disease and limited understanding have led to potential delays in identifying and managing irreversible organ damage. Herein, we report a 17-year-old female with hyper IgG4 disease, sclerosing mesenteritis, short stature, and insulin resistance who presented with symptoms of fever, epigastric pain, left flank pain, vomiting, dizziness, decreased urine output, and diarrhea. Imaging studies revealed an arterial wall thickening of the ascending aorta and aortic arch, splenic abscesses, and enlarged lymph nodes, consistent with IgG4-related aortitis. Treatment with steroids and antifungal agents was initiated. However, the patient developed septic shock and multi-organ failure requiring inotropes and mechanical ventilation. Ascending aortic aneurysm rupture, in this case, probably led to the patient's demise, but unfortunately, no autopsy was done to confirm it. This case highlights the importance of identifying and addressing vascular involvement in IgG4-RD to prevent irreversible organ damage and mortality.
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Brucellosis is a common infection that rarely causes cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). In this case, a 23-year-old male presented to the emergency department with status epilepticus. With a past medical history of drinking unpasteurized camel milk, elevated inflammatory markers, and evidence of brucellosis in the serum, the patient was diagnosed with brucellosis. Further investigations revealed left transverse sinus thrombosis extending to the jugular vein. The patient was treated with enoxaparin and a combination of doxycycline, ceftriaxone, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. This regimen led to rapid and significant clinical improvement in the signs and symptoms of the patient. CVST is a rare complication of neurobrucellosis that might present with signs and symptoms of meningitis. This case report highlights the importance of keeping neurobrucellosis as a possible cause of CVST in patients living in an area endemic to brucellosis.