RESUMEN
The management of acute chest syndrome (ACS) in sickle cell disease occurring concurrently with pulmonary embolism resulting from tricuspid valve endocarditis poses an atypical challenge. We present a case in which this complex interaction occurs and the prompt interventions that were utilized to give the best possible outcome.
RESUMEN
A 60-year-old female with a past medical history of hypertension presents to the ED with one day of throbbing left knee pain with associated numbness that worsened with ambulation. EKG shows lateral T-wave inversions with no prior for comparison. The patient had bloodwork drawn and a chest x-ray ordered. Her pain was improving with acetaminophen, and during further workup, she went into cardiac arrest. The advanced cardiac life support protocol was initiated, the patient was intubated, and point-of-care ultrasound revealed pericardial effusion. Despite all her efforts, she couldn't regain consciousness and was pronounced dead. An autopsy confirmed that the patient suffered a type A aortic dissection (AD), with findings indicating a predisposing genetic component. This case confirms that type A AD can present with different clinical symptoms and that a high index of suspicion is crucial in providing lifesaving measures.
RESUMEN
Background: Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis (EPTB) accounts for 15%-53% of all TB cases. In recent years, cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) has emerged as an important diagnostic tool since the diagnostic yield is higher. We conducted this study to evaluate the diagnostic yield of CBNAAT in EPTB. Methods: One hundred and four patients with EPTB were included in the study. Samples were subjected to CBNAAT, AFB smear, culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and histopathology examination (HPE). Yield of each was estimated as compared to a composite reference standard (CRS). Results: The most common EPTB was lymph node TB (48.1%). CBNAAT was positive in 30.76% of EPTB cases. The highest yield was for bone and joint TB (35.7%), followed by lymph node TB (34%) and abdominal TB (33.3%). Taking CRS as the gold standard, sensitivity of CBNAAT was 32.3%, that of AFB culture was 33.3% and that of HPE was 87.2%. Conclusion: When taken as a single diagnostic tool, HPE had highest sensitivity in diagnosing EPTB when compared to CBNAAT and AFB culture. Use of CBNAAT alone for diagnosis of EPTB may result in missing the diagnosis. A combined modality incorporating CBNAAT, histopathology and AFB culture is the best approach for diagnosis of EPTB.
