A rare chemical burn due to Ranunculus arvensis: three case reports.

Ranunculus arvensis, a plant that is a member of Ranunculaceae family, generally used for local treatment of joint pain, muscle pain, burns, lacerations, edema, abscess drainage, hemorrhoids, and warts among the population. In this case report, we presented three patients who developed chemical skin burns after using R. arvensis plant locally for knee pain. The destructive effect of the plant has been reported previously to be more in fresh plants and less in dried plants. Although protoanemonin, which is considered as the main toxic substance, was reported to be absent in dried or boiled plants, the plant was boiled, cooled, and wrapped over the region with pain in our cases. Therefore, we thought that protoanemonin may be considered to be heat resistant. Also, the burn management proceeded up to surgery by using the flap technique in one of our patients in contrast to the cases found in published reports who were treated by antibiotics and dressings.

Nephroprotective potential of carnitine against glycerol and contrast-induced kidney injury in rats through modulation of oxidative stress, proinflammatory cytokines, and apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: Contrast media (CM) are a major cause of nephropathy in high-risk patients. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of carnitine (CAR) in advanced nephrotoxicity due to CM administration in rats with glycerol-induced renal functional disorder. METHODS: 40 rats were divided randomly into five groups (n = 8): (1) healthy group; (2) glycerol only (GLY); (3) glycerol and CM (GLY + CM); (4) glycerol, CM and 200 mg kg(-1) carnitine (CAR200, Carnitene(®); Sigma-tau/Santa Farma, Istanbul, Turkey); and (5) glycerol, CM and 400 mg kg(-1) carnitine (CAR400). Kidney injury was induced with a single-dose, intramuscular injection of 10 ml kg(-1) body weight (b.w.) of GLY. CAR was administered intraperitoneally. CM (8 ml kg(-1) b.w. iohexol, Omnipaque™; Opakim Medical Products, Istanbul, Turkey) was infused via the tail vein to the rats in Groups 3-5. RESULTS: l-carnitine administration significantly decreased serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione activity increased significantly in the treatment groups compared with the nephrotoxic groups. CAR400 significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels to healthy levels. In the treatment groups, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, transforming growth factor 1ß, interleukin 1ß and caspase-3 gene expression decreased compared with the nephrotoxic groups. TNF-α and nuclear factor kappa-beta (NF-κB) protein expression increased after CM and CAR administration reduced both TNF-α and NF-κB expressions. Histopathologically, hyaline and haemorrhagic casts and necrosis in proximal tubules increased in the nephrotoxicity groups and decreased in the CAR groups. CONCLUSION: The results reveal that l-carnitine protects the oxidant/antioxidant balance and decreases proinflammatory cytokines and apoptosis in CM-induced nephrotoxicity in rats with underlying pathology. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Depending on the underlying kidney pathologies, the incidence of CM-induced nephropathy (CIN) increases. Therefore, this is the best model to represent clinically observed CIN.

Can we distinguish stroke and stroke mimics via red cell distribution width in young patients?

INTRODUCTION: Discrimination of stroke and stroke mimics is problematic in young patients. The aim of the study was to determine whether arterial ischemic stroke and stroke mimics can be differentiated via the red cell distribution width (RDW) value in young patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, a total of 236 patients hospitalized at the neurology ward were investigated. The patients were divided into 3 groups: the 1(st) group included young stroke patients, the 2(nd) group included patients with epilepsy, and the 3rd group included patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Complete blood count and computed tomographic brain imaging tests were performed in all patients, and magnetic resonance imaging was done when necessary. RESULTS: A total of 236 patients were included in this study. Ninety-five (40%) patients were young stroke patients, 71 (30%) had epilepsy and 70 (30%) had MS. The mean RDW values of young patients with stroke were significantly higher than patients with epilepsy or MS (14.9 ±1.2, 13.3 ±1.2, 13.4 ±0.6, p < 0.0001, respectively). The diagnostic power of RDW in the differentiation of patients with stroke is good (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.89). When an RDW cut-off value of 14.05% is accepted for differentiating young patients with stroke from other disorders, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values were 73.7%, 87.9%, 6.1 and 0.043, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Red cell distribution width is a promising, rapid, easy and inexpensive parameter to distinguish young stroke from stroke mimics (such as epilepsy and MS) in young patients.

Demographic and clinical differences of aggressive and non-aggressive suicide attempts in the emergency department in the eastern region of Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, suicide ranks among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 years. An estimated 800000 people die by committing suicide annually. OBJECTIVES: To better understand the association between aggressive suicidal attempt and non-aggressive suicidal attempt in patients with suicide attempt in the emergency department. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on suicide attempters of eastern region of Turkey between May 2008 and January 2012. Information of all adult suicide attempts was collected prospectively on a form. Suicide attempts were grouped as aggressive and non-aggressive attempts on a specially designed data-collection form. The aggressive suicide attempts contained violent suicide methods such as firearm, hanging, jumping, car exhaust or drowning. RESULTS: A total of 533 patients were included. Sixty-four of these patients admitted to ED with aggressive suicide attempt (12%). Non-aggressive suicide attempts were consulted to psychiatry more compared to aggressive ones (%73.6, n = 345 vs. %32.8, n = 21, P < 0.0001). Agitation in ED and being male increased aggressive suicide attempt risk by 3.5 (%95 CI: 1.6-7.6) and 3.2 times (%95 CI: 1.8-5.5), agitated patients in ED group and male group respectively. Patients with aggressive suicide attempt were statistically more frequent among these patients; patients with agitation, those hospitalized in intensive care or surgical services and those whose length of stay in the emergency department was less than one day (P < 0.05 for all). Patients with non-aggressive suicide attempt were statistically more frequent in these patients; patients complained of nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, fatigue, those with confusion, those tending to sleep, those hospitalized in internal services or emergency ward and finally those whose length of stay in the emergency department was more than one day (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with aggressive suicide attempt who have high risk of dying should be recognized and requested psychiatric consultation even if not in the emergency department.

Tnf-α inhibition by infliximab as a new target for the prevention of glycerol-contrast-induced nephropathy.

Contrast medium-induced nephropathy (CIN) remains as a problem with high incidence and mortality rates. The aim of this study is to examine the roles of infliximab (INF) in the glycerol (GLY) and CIN model in rats. The rats were separated into five groups (n=8): Healthy, GLY, GLY+CM, GLY+CM+INF 5mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.), and GLY+CM+INF 7 mg/kg (i.p.). Antioxidant levels in the therapy groups were observed to be quite similar to those in the healthy group. In this study, while the kidney TNF-α, IL-1ß, TGF-1ß and Caspase 3 gene expressions' levels increased in the nephrotoxic groups, these levels were found to have decreased in the treatment groups. Moreover, histopathologic examination showed that hyaline, haemorrhagic casts and necrosis were increased in nephrotoxicity group, whereas they decreased in the therapy group. Furthermore, TNF-α and NF-κB expression were decreased with infliximab administrated groups similar to control group. In conclusion, we suggest that infliximab have protective roles on CIN.

Dual-source computed tomography may define cardiac contusion in patients with blunt chest trauma in ED.

We report a 20-year-old woman with blunt chest trauma because of a motor vehicle injury who has traumatic asphyxia and hypotension. The diagnosis of blunt cardiac injury was put by using dual-energy computed tomography in the emergency department because other laboratory and imaging modalities were useless. After hospitalization in intensive care unit, she was treated with supportive and antiedema therapy. The patient was extubated on the fifth day and discharged on the ninth day without any sequel. Coexistence of traumatic asphyxia with blunt cardiac injury is rare. Several imaging techniques such as transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, contrast-enhanced multislice thorax computed tomography or initial electrocardiogram, and troponin I levels are used to detect the myocardial damage, but diagnostic capability is low. Dual-energy computed tomography is a promising new technology with the ability of defining blunt cardiac injuries and may have an indication in the emergency setting in patients with hemodynamic instability to rule in traumatic cardiac complications especially when electrocardiogram and transthoracic echocardiography are useless in the emergency department.

What is the role of bosentan in healing of femur fractures in a rat model?

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects bosentan (which is a strong vasoconstrictor) on bone fracture pathophysiology, and investigate the roles of the nonselective endothelin 1 receptor blocker bosentan on the bone fractures formed in rats through radiographic, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical methods. The rats were divided into three groups (six rats in each group): a femoral fracture control group, a femoral fracture plus bosentan at 50 mg/kg group, and a femoral fracture plus bosentan at 100 mg/kg group. The femoral fracture model was established by transversely cutting the femur at the midsection. After manual reduction, the fractured femur was fixed with intramedullary Kirschner wires. The radiographic healing scores of the bosentan 100 and 50 mg/kg groups were significantly better that those of the fracture control group. The fracture callus percent of new bone in the bosentan 100 mg/kg group was significantly greater than that in the control group. Also, semiquantitative analysis showed higher positive vascular endothelial growth factor and osteocalcin staining and lower positive endothelin receptor type A staining in the treatment groups than in the control group. Bosentan treatment also decreased tissue endothelin 1 expression relative to that in the fracture control group. As a result of our study, the protective effect of bosentan was shown in experimental femoral fracture healing in rats by radiographic, histopathologic, and molecular analyses.

Spotted lipid sign floating on the blood to differentiate obscured open fractures from simple wound lacerations.

Open fractures are not so obvious sometimes, and in the case of multiorgan injuries, they may be misdiagnosed in emergency department. Here, we report a 48-year old man with motor vehicle crash injury. There were ominous facial, vertebral, thoracic, and abdominal injuries as well as distal femoral shaft fracture and multiple skin lacerations in different parts of the body in the initial examination. On the tertiary examination, we incidentally caught an important finding showing an open fracture: oily (greasy) bleeding from the wound (Video 1, Fig. 1 and 2). We think that the characteristic of the blood, namely, the spotted lipid sign floating on the blood, is a unique and pathognomonic finding differentiating between simple wound lacerations and obscured open fractures.

Red cell distribution width identifies cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in patients with headache.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) in patients referring to emergency service or neurology outpatient unit with complaints of headache is a challenging task. Magnetic resonance (MR) venography is the gold standard, but there are limitations regarding its use. AIM: To evaluate the validity of red cell distribution width (RDW) in CVST diagnosis in patients presenting with headache. METHODS: A total of 138 patients comprising 37 patients with CVST and 101 control primer headache cases were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Control group consists of hospitalized patients with primary headache. Venous blood hemoglobin (Hb), platelet, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), RDW, fibrinogen, and vitamin B12 levels of the patients were recorded at the first referral. Diagnosis of CVST was established by MR venography. RESULTS: The RDW ratio of patients with a diagnosis of CVST was significantly higher than that in patients with primary headache (15.3 ± 1.4 vs 13.3 ± 0.5; P <.0001). Fibrinogen and vitamin B12 levels were not significantly different between the 2 groups. In a total of 11 patients, there was more than 1 thrombosis. In 21 of the patients with CVST, gene mutation was detected. There was no significant difference between the patients with and without mutations regarding RDW values. Diagnostic validity of RDW was found to be excellent in differentiating patients with CVST and primary headache (area under the curve = 0.996; 95% CI: 0.990-1.000). Optimum RDW cutoff value was determined as 14.1% (sensitivity: 91.9%, specificity: 99%, positive predictive value: 92.8, negative predictive value: 0.082). CONCLUSION: We suppose that among patients presenting with the complaint of headache, RDW value may lead to diagnose CVST.

Female attempted suicide patients with low HDL levels are at higher risk of suicide re-attempt within the subsequent year: a clinical cohort study.

Our aims were, to clarify the blood lipid differences [Total serum cholesterol (TC), High-density lipoprotein (HDL), Low density lipoprotein (LDL), Triglyceride (TG)] between female patients who had attempted suicide and controls and to determine whether we could use the patients׳ initial lipid profiles to predict suicide re-attempt within the subsequent year. A total of 284 participants (110 cases and 174 controls) were recruited, with no differences in body mass index, age, blood sampling time and gender. Blood samples were collected from all participants for serum lipid profiles and assayed in an auto-analyzer. We divided the suicide re-attempter group into suicide attempters in the subsequent year (SSY) and suicide attempters after the subsequent year (SASY). The TC, LDL, and TG levels were significantly lower in the suicidal group than in the control group. HDL was significantly higher in the suicidal group than in the control group. Low TG (<70mg/dL) (OR (odds ratio)=12.8; 95% CI (confidence interval)=5.4-30.5; p<0.0001)and low LDL/HDL (<1.8) (OR=4.1; 95% CI=1.8-9.3; p=0.001) were significantly associated with a current suicide attempt. HDL levels in the SSY (41.5±4.5mg/dL) were lower than in the non-suicide attempters group (NSA) (50.9±10.3mg/dL) and SASY (58.7±12.8mg/dL)(d.f.=2, F=5.2, p=0.007). Serum HDL level may be a potential candidate predictor for the future risk of suicidality.

L-carnitine alleviates sciatic nerve crush injury in rats: functional and electron microscopy assessments.

Several studies have demonstrated that L-carnitine exhibits neuroprotective effects on injured sciatic nerve of rats with diabetes mellitus. It is hypothesized that L-carnitine exhibits neuroprotective effects on injured sciatic nerve of rats. Rat sciatic nerve was crush injured by a forceps and exhibited degenerative changes. After intragastric administration of 50 and 100 mg/kg L-carnitine for 30 days, axon area, myelin sheath area, axon diameter, myelin sheath diameter, and numerical density of the myelinated axons of injured sciatic nerve were similar to normal, and the function of injured sciatic nerve also improved significantly. These findings suggest that L-carnitine exhibits neuroprotective effects on sciatic nerve crush injury in rats.

Non-operative management (NOM) of blunt hepatic trauma: 80 cases.

BACKGROUND: Liver is the most frequently injured organ upon abdominal trauma. We present a group of patients with blunt hepatic trauma who were managed without any invasive diagnostic tools and/or surgical intervention. METHODS: A total of 80 patients with blunt liver injury who were hospitalized to the general surgery clinic or other clinics due to the concomitant injuries were followed non-operatively. The normally distributed numeric variables were evaluated by Student's t-test or one way analysis of variance, while non-normally distributed variables were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U-test or Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis. Chi-square test was also employed for the comparison of categorical variables. Statistical significance was assumed for p<0.05. RESULTS: There was no significant relationship between patients' Hgb level and liver injury grade, outcome, and mechanism of injury. Also, there was no statistical relationship between liver injury grade, outcome, and mechanism of injury and ALT levels as well as AST level. There was no mortality in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: During the last quarter of century, changes in the diagnosis and treatment of liver injury were associated with increased survival. NOM of liver injury in patients with stable hemodynamics and hepatic trauma seems to be the gold standard.

Relation of uric acid and contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention in the ED.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the predictive role of serum uric acid (SUA) levels measured in the emergency department (ED) to monitor contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and correlation with severity of nephropathy in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHOD: The patients who were admitted to our ED and underwent primary PCI were enrolled retrospectively. Their baseline characteristics including SUA and creatinine levels in the ED and their creatinine levels 48 hours after PCI were noted. Nephropathy was graded as follows: grade 0, ΔCr ≤25% and ≤0.5 mg/dL; grade 1, ΔCr >25% but ≤0.5 mg/dL; and grade 2, ΔCr >0.5 mg/dL. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to define the independent predictors of CIN. RESULTS: Of a total of 744 patients, CIN was observed in 12.5% (n = 93). Serum uric acid levels were significantly higher in the CIN (+) group compared with the CIN (-) group (6.09 ± 2.01 mg/dL vs 4.89 ± 1.32 mg/dL, respectively; P < .001). Patients with grade 0 CIN had significantly lower SUA levels than did those with grades 1 and 2 (4.89 ± 1.32 mg/dL vs 5.88 ± 1.99 and 6.41 ± 2.02 mg/dL, respectively; P < .001), but there was no significant difference between grade 1 and grade 2 CIN cases in terms of SUA levels (5.88 ± 1.99 mg/dL vs 6.41 ± 2.02 mg/dL, P = .10). The cutoff value for SUA was 5.05 mg/dL for the prediction of CIN (area under the curve, 0.685; P < .001; sensitivity, 66%; specificity, 60%) in the population. CONCLUSIONS: The SUA level is a simple independent early predictor of CIN in patients who underwent primary PCI, and early detection may help prevent the progression of CIN.

Relationship between Serum Gamma-glutamyl Transferase Levels with Ascending Aortic Dilatation.

OBJECTIVE: Increased serum gamma-glutamyl transferase levels (GGT) have been shown to directly promote oxidative stress. Previous studies have shown the relationship between the dilatation of the ascending aorta and oxidative stress. This study was designed to examine the relationship between serum GGT concentrations with dilatation of the ascending aorta. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety patients with ascending aortic dilatation and 90 age-sex-matched patients without aortic dilatation were included in the study. The patients were evaluated by a complete transthoracic echocardiographic examination including measurement of the aortic dimensions, where a diameter of 3.7 cm and above was accepted as ascending aortic dilatation. Serum GGT concentration was measured in all patients. RESULTS: In the group with aortic dilatation, HT frequency, serum uric acid, hs-CRP and GGT levels, the LV mass index, and the left atrial volume index were found to be higher than the control group. The logistic regression analysis showed that only HT frequency (OR:1.23, 95% CI 1.11-1.35, p value: 0.02), the LA volume index (OR: 1.34, 95% CI 1.21±1.4, p:0.005) and serum GGT levels (OR: 1.12, 95% CI 1.01±1.20, p:0.03) were found to be independent predictors. There was a significant correlation between serum GGT levels and ascending aortic diameter (r: 0.268, p<0.001). In the ROC curve analysis, AUC was 0.659 (0.580±0.738) for a 23.5 serum GGT cut-off value (64% sensitivity and 53% specificity). CONCLUSION: We found that serum GGT concentration was significantly associated with ascending aortic dilatation. Large epidemiological studies are required to correlate the findings from this study with clinical outcome.

Patient-staff safety applications: the evaluation of blue code reports.

OBJECTIVE: Blue code systems (BCS) are communication systems that ensure the most rapid and effective resuscitation when a patient is in respiratory or cardiac arrest. A hospital employee faced with the situation of a cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) starts the system by dialing 6666 from any phone in the hospital. We created a five-person team that includes a doctor, nurse, anesthesia technician, stretcher officer and security guard. The purpose of this study is to share our experiences in initiating the use of the BCS in our hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our hospital, the records of calls that were made by Callvision BCS were analyzed retrospectively from May 2010 to the end of January 2011. RESULTS: A total of 474 calls were made using the blue code system. Of those calls, 402 (84.5%) were determined to be inappropriate calls. The remaining 72 calls were responded to. Of the 72 patients who were treated, 21 were discharged after they were hospitalized in the service or intensive care unit, 45 cases resulted in exitus, and 5 cases were referred to the Ataturk University faculty of medicine. CONCLUSION: The BCS has achieved its goal. The discharge rate of 29.5% that we achieved is a successful result.

Intracranial hemorrhage with electrocardiographic abnormalities and troponin elevation.

Electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities and cardiac troponin I elevation are seen in addition to the classic clinical symptoms and signs of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We aimed to show that, in patients with ST elevation, troponin elevation, and altered consciousness, the reason may be SAH. A 36-year-old man presented to emergency service with ECG abnormalities, high level of cardiac troponin I, and neurologic symptoms. In the patient's initial ECG, there were sinus arrhythmia, bradycardia, T-wave inversions inferiorly, and concave ST elevations in V1 to V4. Three hours later, his ECG showed increased ST-segment elevations with normal heart rate. The patient's troponin I value was 10 mg/L. Ejection fraction was 60%, and there were no wall motion abnormalities on echocardiography. Computed tomographic scan of the brain demonstrated SAH with falx sign and midline cerebellar hematoma (3 × 4 cm in size) in the occipital region. The patient died on the 10th day of follow-up because of severe metabolic acidosis, multiorgan failure, and bradycardia. Cardiac evaluation is recommended in patients with intracranial hemorrhage in many studies. In our opinion, if there are neurologic symptoms or signs in patients diagnosed as acute myocardial infarction with ECG changes and troponin elevation, requesting threshold of brain computed tomography should be low before the thrombolytic therapy.