Rheumatoid myositis leading to acute lower extremity compartment syndrome: a case-based review.

Muscle pain and weakness in a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient has a broad differential, and myositis should be considered early in the disease course as serious limb and life-threatening sequelae may occur. A 55-year-old woman with a past medical history of methotrexate-controlled RA presented with right leg pain for 4 days. The patient suffered sensory loss in the right foot and decreased strength in the toes. Lab tests revealed elevated creatine kinase, ESR, and anti-rheumatoid factor antibody titers. CT scan revealed myositis of posterior compartment muscles. Progressive edema, pain, and neuromuscular deficits persisted despite steroid and antibiotic therapy, so the patient was taken for urgent fasciotomy for acute compartment syndrome. The muscle biopsy showed diffuse mononuclear cell infiltration as well as perivascular and perineural involvement consistent with rheumatoid myositis (RM). The patient did well post-op on a prednisone taper. This case underlines the systemic nature of RA and exemplifies the severity of inflammation that may lead to grave consequences such as compartment syndrome. The histopathology is diagnostic when there is evidence of mononuclear cell infiltration; however, this is not entirely specific. Early, aggressive therapy with immunosuppressives is warranted in such patients. RM has not, to our knowledge, been recorded to cause acute compartment syndrome. Clinicians should be aware of this uncommon manifestation of RA keeping the various presentations of rheumatoid disease in mind when faced with these patients.

Infective endocarditis complicated by aortic graft infection and osteomyelitis: case report and review of literature.

Primary aortic graft infection early after aortic graft insertion is well described in the literature. Here, we present a unique case of late aortic graft infection 5 years after insertion secondary to mitral valve endocarditis, resulting from cellulitis in a patient with severe venous varicosities. A 63-year-old male presented for severe low back pain, constipation, and low-grade fever. An abdominal computed tomography scan with oral and intravenous contrast showed a normal spine and urinary tract. Blood and urine cultures, done at the same time, grew Staphylococcus aureus. A transesophageal echocardiogram confirmed the diagnosis of endocarditis. Subsequently, a gallium scan showed increased uptake in the vertebral bodies, aortic graft, left patella, and left ankle. After 3 months of antibiotic therapy, the patient's low back pain resolved with normalization of his laboratory values. He remained free of infection at a 2-year follow-up. We reviewed the literature concerning the atypical presentation of infective endocarditis, with a focus on distant metastases at initial presentation, such as osteomyelitis and aortic graft infection, as well as the different treatment modalities. This report describes successful medical treatment with intravenous followed by oral antibiotics for an infected endovascular graft without any surgical intervention.

Using Six Sigma methodology to reduce patient transfer times from floor to critical-care beds.

INTRODUCTION: In response to concerns regarding delays in transferring critically ill patients to intensive care units (ICU), a quality improvement project, using the Six Sigma process, was undertaken to correct issues leading to transfer delay. OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of a Six Sigma intervention to reduce transfer time and establish a patient transfer process that would effectively enhance communication between hospital caregivers and improve the continuum of care for patients. METHODS: The project was conducted at a 714-bed tertiary care hospital in Staten Island, New York. A Six Sigma multidisciplinary team was assembled to assess areas that needed improvement, manage the intervention, and analyze the results. RESULTS: The Six Sigma process identified eight key steps in the transfer of patients from general medical floors to critical care areas. Preintervention data and a root-cause analysis helped to establish the goal transfer-time limits of 3 h for any individual transfer and 90 min for the average of all transfers. CONCLUSIONS: The Six Sigma approach is a problem-solving methodology that resulted in almost a 60% reduction in patient transfer time from a general medical floor to a critical care area. The Six Sigma process is a feasible method for implementing healthcare related quality of care projects, especially those that are complex.

Association between coronary artery disease diagnosed by coronary angiography and breast arterial calcifications on mammography: meta-analysis of the data.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies evaluating breast arterial calcifications (BAC) as a risk marker for coronary artery disease (CAD) have been limited by sample size and have yielded mixed results. Our objective was to evaluate the association of BAC and CAD. METHODS: Data sources included Medline (1970-2010), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register electronic database (1970-2010), and CINAHL (1970-2010). The search strategy included the keywords, breast artery calcification, vascular calcification on mammogram, coronary angiography, and meta-analysis. Eligible studies included female patients who had undergone coronary angiography, the gold standard for diagnosing CAD, and had screening mammograms that revealed the presence or absence of BAC. Information on eligibility criteria, baseline characteristics, results, and methodologic quality was extracted by two reviewers. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. RESULTS: A total of 927 patients were enrolled in the five studies. There was a 1.59 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1-21-2.09) increased odds of angiographically defined CAD in patients with BAC seen on mammography. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of BAC on mammography appears to increase the risk of having obstructive CAD on coronary angiography; thus, BAC may not be a benign finding.

Allopurinol causing drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome: a challenging diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is characterized by cutaneous drug eruption, eosinophilia, and systemic symptoms. The syndrome is difficult to diagnose due to its clinical heterogeneity and long latency period (2-6 weeks). CASE REPORT: This paper describes a 73-year-old man who presented with a rash that started 1 week prior to his presentation. The rash was associated with fever, dyspnea, and cough. He was admitted for pneumonia and started on intravenous antibiotics. After 3 days, he became confused and developed multiorgan dysfunction. Work-up for possible hematologic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and pneumonia was negative. One month prior to the onset of the rash, allopurinol had been prescribed for asymptomatic hyperuricemia. The allopurinol was stopped and corticosteroids were started; 2 days later, the patient became afebrile and the dyspnea resolved. He was diagnosed with DRESS syndrome, which is associated with high mortality. CONCLUSION: The recent introduction of a drug followed by a rash, multiorgan dysfunction, and eosinophilia should raise the suspicion of DRESS syndrome. Early cessation of the introduced drug is key to survival. Clinicians should be aware of this potential adverse reaction when prescribing any new drug, including allopurinol.

Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH)-A Rare Etiology of Dysphagia.

A 72-year-old gentleman presented to the hospital with progressively worsening dysphagia to soft foods and liquids. He was diagnosed with severe pharyngeal dysphagia by modified barium swallow. A CT scan of the neck with IV contrast showed anterior flowing of bridging osteophytes from C3-C6, indicative of DISH, resulting in esophageal impingement. He underwent resection of the DISH segments. Following the surgery, a PEG tube for nutrition supplementation was placed. However, the PEG tube was removed after five months when the speech and swallow evaluation showed no residual dysphagia. DISH is a rare non-inflammatory condition that results in pathological ossification and calcification of the anterolateral spinal ligaments.

Cardiac tamponade in acute pancreatitis.

A 47-year-old man presented with severe acute pancreatitis. On hospitalisation day 8, the patient became hypotensive and developed new-onset atrial fibrillation. Echocardiography showed significant pericardial effusion with right ventricular collapse. A pericardial window was made and the effusion drained. There was rapid clinical improvement following the procedure.

Serum lipoprotein levels in takotsubo cardiomyopathy vs. myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: In the setting of myocardial infarction (MI) or acute coronary syndrome (ACS), current guidelines recommend early and aggressive lipid lowering therapy with statins, irrespective of the baseline lipoprotein levels. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) patients have a clinical presentation similar to myocardial infarction and thus receive early and aggressive statin therapy during their initial hospitalization. However, the pathology of TCM is not atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and hence we assumed the lipid profiles in TCM would be healthier than coronary artery disease patients. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we assessed fasting serum lipoprotein levels of ten TCM patients and compared them with forty, age and sex-matched myocardial infarction (MI) patients. RESULTS: Comparing serum lipoprotein levels of TCM with MI group, there was no significant difference in mean total cholesterol between the two groups (174.5 mg/dL vs. 197.6 mg/dL, p = 0.12). However, in the TCM group, mean HDL-C was significantly higher (66.87 mg/dL vs. 36.5 mg/dL, p = 0.008), the mean LDL-C was significantly lower (89.7 mg/dL vs. 128.9 mg/dL, p = 0.0002), and mean triglycerides was also significantly lower (65.2 mg/dL vs. 166.8 mg/dL, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, TCM patients in comparison to MI patients had significantly higher levels of HDL-C, lower levels of LDL-C levels and triglycerides. The lipid profiles in TCM were consistent with the underlying pathology of non-atherosclerotic, non-obstructive coronary artery disease. As lipoproteins in most TCM patients were within the optimal range, we recommend an individual assessment of lipid profiles along with their coronary heart disease risk factors for considering long term lipid-lowering therapy. A finding of hyperalphalipoproteinemia or hypotriglyceridemia in 40% of TCM patients is novel but this association needs to be confirmed in future studies with larger sample sizes. These findings may provide clues in understanding the pathogenesis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Current concepts in triglyceride metabolism, pathophysiology, and treatment.

It is becoming more evident that age, gender, and race play a significant role in the metabolic profiles that are seen among individuals in a clinical setting. It is important to understand these variances in metabolic profiles; and with these variances in mind it is now possible to understand why a single diet might not decrease cardiovascular disease risk profiles uniformly for everyone. Much is now understood about triglyceride metabolism and its contribution to energy storage. In this review we will focus on triglycerides; their production, metabolism and influence on daily life, as well as the various methods for the treatment of hypertryglyceridemia and prevention of its sequelae.

Out-of-Match Residency Offers: The Possible Extent and Implications of Prematching in Graduate Medical Education.

BACKGROUND: When the data from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) are used to analyze trends in medical students' career preferences, positions offered outside the match are omitted. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the extent and nature of out-of-match residency offers. METHODS: We obtained total resident complements and postgraduate year-1 positions offered in 7 specialties in 2007 and compared these with the 2007 NRMP match data. We compared the percentage of positions offered outside the match to "success" in matching United States medical doctors (USMDs) and to the availability of fellowship positions, using the Spearman rank order test (SROT). RESULTS: A total of 18 030 postgraduate year-1 positions were offered in 9 specialty areas. Of 15 205 positions offered in the match, 54% were taken by USMDs. The percentage of outside-the-match offers was found to vary by specialty, from 7% in obstetrics-gynecology to 23% in internal medicine, and was inversely correlated with the specialty's "success" in matching USMDs (SROT  =  -0.87). The 3 nonprocedural primary care specialties (internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics) accounted for 10 091 (46.2%) of the 21 845 total positions offered in the match, with 4401 (43.6%) offered almost entirely to non-USMDs. Another 2467 positions were offered outside the match, resulting in 6868 positions offered to non-USMDs (55% of all primary care positions). In internal medicine, the percentage of outside-the-match offers was significantly and inversely associated with the availability of intrainstitutional fellowship programs (P < .0001). Prematching of independent applicants was significantly higher in primary care than in procedural-lifestyle programs (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: The NRMP's match data do not account for positions filled outside the match, a finding that appears to be significant. In 2007, 1 in 5 positions in primary care was offered outside the match.

Fasting hyperglycemia upon hospital admission is associated with higher pneumonia complication rates among the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Hyperglycemia is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes during hospitalization. In patients who have pneumonia, significant hyperglycemia is associated with poor outcomes. This study evaluates the interaction of the degree of hyperglycemia and complication rates stratified by age in non-critically ill patients admitted to the hospital for care of community-acquired pneumonia. METHODS: Retrospective review of patient records coded for pneumonia. Analysis included 501 non-critically ill patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in New York City. Data were stratified by diabetes status, age (less than 65 and 65 and over), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) within the first 24 hours of hospitalization. Among patients with no history of diabetes, FBG was stratified as "normal" [FBG /=126 mg/dl (7 mmol/l)]. The diabetic group included known diabetics regardless of FBG. The Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) was calculated for all patients. Complications rates, hospital length of stay and mortality were compared among the groups. RESULTS: In patients age 65 and older, complication rates were 16.7% in normoglycemics, 27.5% in the "mild-hyperglycemia" group, 28.6% in the "severe hyperglycemia" group, and 25.5% in those with known diabetes. The mild and severe-hyperglycemics had similar complication rates (p = 0.94). Compared to the normal group, mild and severe groups had higher rates of complications, p = 0.05 and p = 0.03, respectively. PSI tended to be higher in those over the age of 65. PSI was not significantly different when the normal, mild, severe, and known diabetes groups were compared. PSI did not predict complications for new hyperglycemia (normals' mean score 87, mild 84.7, severe 93.9, diabetics 100). Hospital mortality did not differ among groups. Length of stay was longer (p = 0.05) among mild-hyperglycemics (days = 8.4 s.e. 14.3) vs. normals (days = 6.2 s.e.6.5). CONCLUSION: This study shows that FBS between 101-125 mg/dl (5.7-6.9 mmol/l) on hospital admission increases pneumonia complication rates among the elderly with no previous diagnosis of diabetes.

A STEMI code protocol improves door-to-balloon time on weekdays and weekends.

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has emerged as the standard of care for the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMI). Only 32% of patients with STEMI receive this procedure within the recommended 90 min for door-to-balloon time (DTB). We reviewed all STEMI cases that presented to our institution before and after the implementation of a STEMI Code protocol. Before the STEMI Code protocol, 27.1% of weekday cases and 6.3% of weekend cases were performed within 90 min. After the STEMI Code protocol, there was a threefold increase in the number of patients who received PCI within 90 min (p<.0001). A STEMI Code protocol dramatically improves DTB and equalizes disparities between weekday and weekend care.

Somatostatin and gabexate for post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis prevention: meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Prior studies have suggested the efficacy of somatostatin and gabexate in post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis prevention. We examined this notion in our study. METHODS: An extensive literature search led to the inclusion of seven homogeneous high-quality studies (Jadad score >or=4), involving 3,130 patients. The studies were grouped according to the drug's length of administration: given as an infusion for 12 h (groups SOM1 and GAB1 for somatostatin and gabexate, respectively); given as an infusion for less then 12 h (groups SOM2 and GAB2 for somatostatin and gabexate, respectively); and given as a bolus (group SOM3 for somatostatin, none identified for gabexate). Separate meta-analyses investigating post-procedural pancreatitis and hyperamylasemia rates were conducted in a random effects model. RESULTS: Pancreatitis analyses yielded significant risk differences for the SOM1, SOM3 and GAB1 groups. The resulting values were 7.7% (95% confidence intervals [CI][3.4 to 12.0], P < 0.0001), 8.2% (95% CI [4.4 to 12.0], P < 0.0001) and 5.2% (95% CI [1.1 to 9.4], P = 0.01), respectively. No statistically significant risk differences were observed for the SOM2 and GAB2 groups: -2.3% (95% CI [-5.2 to 0.5], P = 0.11) and -1.1% (95% CI [-3.8 to 1.6], P = 0.41), respectively. Hyperamylasemia analyses yielded significant risk differences for the SOM1 and SOM3 groups (P = 0.017 and 0.001, respectively), although not for the SOM2, GAB1 and GAB2 groups (P = 0.44, 0.49 and 0.47, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Somatostatin administered as a bolus seems to be an efficacious measure of post-ERCP pancreatitis prevention, reducing pancreatitis and hyperamylasemia rates, and being applicable to clinical practice. Further study is required before its introduction into routine care.

Interferon and lamivudine vs. interferon for hepatitis B e antigen-positive hepatitis B treatment: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

AIMS: To compare interferon monotherapy with its combination with lamivudine for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive hepatitis B treatment. METHODS: Two independent researchers identified pertinent randomized controlled trials. The trials were evaluated for methodological quality and heterogeneity. Rates of sustained virological and biochemical responses, and HBeAg clearance and seroconversion were used as primary efficacy measures. Quantitative meta-analyses were conducted to assess differences between groups for conventional and pegylated interferon, and overall. RESULTS: Greater sustained virological, biochemical and seroconversion rates were observed with addition of lamivudine to conventional [odds ratio (OR)=3.1, 95% confidence intervals (CI) (1.7-5.5), P<0.0001, OR=1.8, 95% CI (1.2-2.7), P=0.007 and OR=1.8, 95% CI (1.1-2.8), P=0.01 respectively], although not pegylated [OR=1.1, 95% CI (0.5-2.3), P=0.8, OR=1.0, 95% CI (0.7-1.3), P=0.94, and OR=0.9, 95% CI (0.6-1.2), P=0.34 respectively] interferon-alpha, with no significant affect on HBeAg clearance rates [OR=1.6, 95% CI (0.9-2.7), P=0.09, and OR=0.8, 95% CI (0.6-1.1), P=0.26 respectively]. Excluding virological response (P<0.001), pegylated interferon monotherapy and conventional interferon and lamivudine combination therapy were similarly efficacious (P>0.05), with the former studied in harder to treat patients, as evidenced by the superior virological response observed with conventional as compared with pegylated interferon monotherapy (P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: In comparable populations, pegylated interferon monotherapy is likely to be equally or more efficacious than conventional interferon and lamivudine combination therapy, thus constituting the treatment of choice, with no added benefit with lamivudine addition. However, when conventional interferon is used, its combination with lamivudine should be considered.