Look beneath the skin: an unlikely source of median nerve injury.

A 4 1-year-old man presented with an occult median nerve injury. This report highlights the importance of adequate wound exploration and reinforces the significance of adequate history and examination in patients with signs of nerve injury.

Management of lercanidipine overdose with hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemia therapy: case report.

This case report describes the first reported overdose of the dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (CCB) lercanidipine. A 49 yr old male presented to the Emergency Department 3 hrs after the ingestion of 560 mg of lercanidipine. In the department he had a witnessed seizure within 15 minutes of arrival attributed to the overdose. Following immediate recovery of consciousness after the seizure, he had refractory hypotension and bradycardia which failed to respond to fluid resuscitation, glucagon therapy, and intravenous calcium. He went on to require vasopressor support with noradrenaline and was treated with high dose insulin therapy which was successful in achieving cardiovascular stability. Vasopressor therapy was no longer required within one half life of lercanidipine, and the total stay on intensive care was one day before transfer to a ward.Calcium channel blocker overdose is an uncommon but life-threatening overdose. Treatment for severe toxicity is similar to b-blocker overdose. Hypotension is treated with intravenous fluid therapy, intravenous calcium and possibly glucagon with vasopressor or inotropic support as required. Atropine is used to attempt reversal of bradycardia. High doses of intravenous insulin with intravenous dextrose as required (hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemia or HIET), has also been successfully reported. Experimental animal data suggests that HIET is of benefit and potentially superior to fluid therapy, calcium, glucagon and potentially vasopressor therapy. HIET effectively and sustainably reverses hypotension, bradycardia and improves myocardial contractility and metabolism. Current advice in calcium channel blocker overdose is to begin therapy early in toxicity, starting with a 1.0 IU/kg insulin bolus followed by an infusion of 0.5 IU/kg/hr of insulin and dextrose as required titrated to clinical response.

Is there still a place for free nipple areolar grafting in breast reduction surgery? A review of cases over a three year period.

Breast reduction using the technique of free nipple areolar grafting still has a place in selected cases. The surgical technique used by the senior author is described together with an analysis of the 22 cases operated on including the results of a questionnaire from 20 of these patients. The results confirmed that the technique still has a use. Relief of pre-operative symptoms by the surgery was obtained in all and there was a high degree of satisfaction with both the cosmetic results and maintaining of shape. The main criticisms relate to scars and poor return of nipple sensation, appearance, and function. Overall this did not appear to be a major issue in this cohort of patients.