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This case report presents a rare but severe complication of polyethylene glycol (PEG) used for colonoscopic bowel preparation. A 71-year-old male developed cardiac arrest secondary to hypovolemic shock following consumption of GoLytely. Despite being hemodynamically stable prior to ingestion, the patient experienced extreme weakness, dizziness, and orthostatic hypotension post-consumption. Evaluation ruled out other causes of arrest. While serious complications from PEG are rare, this case underscores the importance of vigilance. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the relationship between PEG use and cardiac events and to identify potential risk factors for adverse outcomes associated with bowel preparation regimens.
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Introduction and importance: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a rare and unusual hypersensitivity reaction to certain drugs like allopurinol, commonly used for treating gout. SJS is recognized by extensive necrosis and detachment of skin and mucus membranes. Pancytopenia, characterized by decreased levels of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, is an exceedingly rare occurrence in the rare disorder SJS. Case presentation: The authors present a 61-year-old male who exhibited symptoms of fever and rash for 5 days accompanied by pancytopenia and liver injury. Clinical discussion: The abdomen and bilateral lower extremities exhibited several well-defined dusky-colored hyperpigmented macular lesions. Initially, these lesions were small, tender, erythematous, and raised, later transitioning to a dark red. Multiple distinct ulcerations were present on the lips and buccal cavity. Additionally, there was denudation of the skin with bleeding observed between the toes of both legs. The causality was assessed as a definite adverse drug reaction according to the Naranjo and ALDEN algorithm. The patient received treatment consisting of intravenous steroid along with prophylactics antibiotics. The individual's pancytopenia was resolved without requiring any blood cells or plasma or platelet concentrate transfusion. Conclusion: The exact pathophysiology of SJS associated with pancytopenia has not yet been fully elucidated. The authors' study hypothesized that the cause of pancytopenia in SJS could be either the direct cytotoxicity of drugs or immune-mediated damage to the bone marrow cells. Additional studies are necessary to establish the precise pathophysiology of the condition. Moreover, our study also indicates that pancytopenia can resolve in SJS without the need for blood cells or plasma or platelet concentrate transfusion. Once more, further studies are required to establish precise management strategies for managing SJS associated with pancytopenia.
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Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease in children which comprises an overriding aorta, right ventricular outflow obstruction, ventricular septal defect, and right ventricular hypertrophy. It has an elevated early mortality rate without surgical correction, with most patients dying in childhood. Only 2% of patients survive past the age of 40 years without surgical intervention. Very few cases of survival to middle age have been reported, particularly after the fourth decade. In this article, we present a case of a 66-year-old male with an unoperated tetralogy of Fallot, which is one of the longest time periods of diagnosis. Despite tetralogy and having right ventricular dysfunction, this patient presented with fatigue, exertional dyspnea, cyanosis, and systemic hypertension. Considering the patient's comorbid conditions and the risk associated with the surgery, the patient was managed conservatively. To our knowledge, this is the oldest unoperated tetralogy of Fallot case reported in Nepal.
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Background: Novel Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) can affect multiple organs, including the lungs, resulting in pneumonia. Apart from steroids, other anti-COVID drugs that have been studied appear to have little or no effect on COVID-19 pneumonia. There is a well-known history of inflammatory disease, including pneumonia, treated with low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT). It reduces the production of proinflammatory cytokines, Interleukin-1a (IL-1a), and leukocyte recruitment. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, and Google Scholar, with keywords such as "radiotherapy," "low-dose radiation therapy," "low-dose irradiation," "covid-19 pneumonia," "SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia," and "covid pneumonia." with additional filters for human studies and customized articles in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. We reviewed randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies with a clearly defined intervention, including low-dose radiotherapy alone or in combination with any therapy to treat COVID-19 pneumonia from December 2019 to May 2021. Patients receiving standard or high-dose radiotherapy, including for other diseases, were excluded. Zotero software was used to collect and organize research from various databases, remove duplicates, extract relevant data, and record decisions. Participants' demographics and baseline status were obtained from the full-text articles along with the intervention's outcome/effect on patient status. Results: Four studies with 61 participants that met the inclusion criteria were included. One was a double-blind randomized controlled trial, one a non-randomized trial, while the other two were single-arm clinical trials. Low-dose radiation therapy did not show any significant improvement in COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: Only two studies included in this review demonstrated an improvement in inflammatory markers; however, patients were also given steroids or other drugs. Therefore, the confounding effects must be considered before drawing conclusions. This systematic review does not support mortality benefit, clinical course improvement, or imaging changes with LDRT.