Neuroleptic malignant syndrome variant in a patient receiving donepezil and olanzapine.

BACKGROUND: A 78-year-old man with a 22-year history of schizoaffective disorder and a 5-year history of dementia presented to the emergency department with a 5-day history of fatigue, progressive weakness, confusion and lethargy, and a 1-day history of severe muscle stiffness. For the past 10 years the patient had been treated with olanzapine for an unspecified psychiatric illness, without adverse effects. One week before presentation the patient was started on donepezil to treat mild dementia. INVESTIGATIONS: Physical examination, serum and urine laboratory evaluation, lumbar puncture, brain CT scan, brain MRI, electroencephalogram, chest X-ray, and electrocardiogram. DIAGNOSIS: A variant of neuroleptic malignant syndrome secondary to drug interaction. MANAGEMENT: Discontinuation of donepezil and olanzapine, aggressive intravenous hydration, intravenous dantrolene, and bromocriptine via a nasogastric tube. The patient was also administered intravenous antibiotics for aspiration pneumonia, and carbidopa-levodopa for residual parkinsonian features.

Compliance with Joint National Committee 7 guidelines in hypertension management in a teaching institution.

AIM: To assess compliance with Joint National Committee 7 (JNC 7) guidelines and evaluate target blood pressure (BP) goals among patients with hypertension. RESULTS: Basic laboratory workup was completed on 75% of patients, and 71% received smoking cessation counseling. Overall BP goal achievement was 45.6%; it was 27.6% and 21.1% among diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, respectively. An average of 2.6 antihypertensive medications were prescribed per patient, with beta-blockers being the most frequently used, followed by thiazide diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIS). ACEIS or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were not prescribed for 16% of diabetics, 26% of chronic renal failure patients, or 41% of those with history of stroke. Among heart failure patients, 24.1% were not on ACEI or ARBs, and 20.7% were not receiving beta-blockers. CONCLUSIONS: Certain aspects of JNC 7 are not well incorporated into clinical practice, especially among patients with coexisting diabetes and/or CKD.

Chronic osteomyelitis of humerus presenting as scrofuloderma.

Scrofuloderma is a common type of cutaneous tuberculosis usually manifests over an infected lymphnode, bone or joint that breaks down to form an undermined ulcer leading to discharging sinuses. We present a case of a 22 year old woman with diffuse swelling of right arm with overlying nodulo ulcerative skin lesions associated with seropurulent discharge. Routine investigations were normal and X-Ray of the right humerus showed the features of chronic osteomyelitis. Smears of the discharge for bacteria, fungi and acid fast bacilli were negative, but culture of skin biopsy showed Mycobacterium tuberculosis which was confirmed by PCR. Histopathology of skin biopsy showed epithelioid granulomatous inflammation suggestive of tuberculosis. After treating the patient with antitubercular therapy complete regression of the lesions occurred.