Intracranial Hemorrhage in a Patient With Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A Potential Complication, a Coincidental Finding or a Treatment-Related Complication.

This case report demonstrates the difficulty of diagnosing and managing the pharyngeal-cervical-brachial (PCB) variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), as well as the rare complication of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). A male patient in his mid-60s, presented with bilateral upper limb weakness, bilateral ptosis, and bulbar symptoms. The clinical presentation combined with paraclinical findings supported the diagnosis of PCB. During the course of PCB, the patient required tracheostomy and gastrostomy due to the worsening of his symptoms. Eleven days after hospitalization, and six days after the course of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), the patient developed intracranial bleeding. All clinicians should consider the PCB syndrome in patients with bilateral upper extremity weakness and oropharyngeal involvement, in order to develop a personalized treatment plan and closely monitor potential life-threatening complications such as ICH.

Extensive Testing and Public Health Interventions for the Control of COVID-19 in the Republic of Cyprus between March and May 2020.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly affected the well-being of individuals worldwide. We herein describe the epidemiology of COVID-19 in the Republic of Cyprus during the first epidemic wave (9 March-3 May 2020). We analyzed surveillance data from laboratory-confirmed cases, including targeted testing and population screening. Statistical analyses included logistic regression. During the surveillance period, 64,136 tests (7322.3 per 100,000) were performed, 873 COVID-19 cases were diagnosed, and 20 deaths were reported (2.3%). Health-care workers (HCWs) represented 21.4% of cases. Overall, 19.1% of cases received hospital care and 3.7% required admission to Intensive Care Units. Male sex (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 3.04; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.97-4.69), increasing age (aOR: 1.56; 95%CI: 1.36-1.79), symptoms at diagnosis (aOR: 6.05; 95%CI: 3.18-11.50), and underlying health conditions (aOR: 2.08; 95%CI: 1.31-3.31) were associated with hospitalization. For recovered cases, the median time from first to last second negative test was 21 days. Overall, 119 primary cases reported 616 close contacts, yielding a pooled secondary attack rate of 12% (95%CI: 9.6-14.8%). Three population-based screening projects, and two projects targeting employees and HCWs, involving 25,496 people, revealed 60 positive individuals (0.2%). Early implementation of interventions with targeted and expanded testing facilitated prompt outbreak control on the island.

Number of negative acid-fast smears needed to adequately assess infectivity of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between the number of negative acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear results and infectivity of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. METHODS AND SUBJECTS: We examined 122 index cases in Harris County, TX, reported in 1998 and 1999. All cases had only negative AFB smear results during the infectious period and were categorized in two groups: group A consisted of cases with only one or two sputum specimens collected and processed, and group B consisted of cases with at least three sputum specimens or at least one bronchoscopic specimen. Tuberculin skin test (TST) results of contacts were ascertained from the results of contact investigations performed by the City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services, Tuberculosis Control Division. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to explore index case and contact attributes associated with tuberculosis (TB) transmission using positive TST results of contacts as a measure of recent transmission. RESULTS: We found male gender and younger age of index cases along with Hispanic ethnicity of contacts to be independently associated with positive TST results, while younger contacts were less likely to be TST positive. Smear category of the index case (group A vs group B) was not independently associated with transmission. We also found that the first two sputum specimens in cases where three or more were performed yielded 90% of all positive culture results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that two sputum specimens negative for AFB stain are adequate for both assessing infectivity and for isolating MTB from patients with pulmonary TB.

Mucin is produced by clara cells in the proximal airways of antigen-challenged mice.

Airway mucus hypersecretion is a prominent feature of many obstructive lung diseases. We thus determined the ontogeny and exocytic phenotype of mouse airway mucous cells. In naive mice, ciliated (approximately 40%) and nonciliated (approximately 60%) epithelial cells line the airways, and > 95% of the nonciliated cells are Clara cells that contain Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP). Mucous cells comprise < 5% of the nonciliated cells. After sensitization and a single aerosol antigen challenge, alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff's positive mucous cell numbers increase dramatically, appearing 6 h after challenge (21% of nonciliated/nonbasal cells), peaking from Days 1-7 (99%), and persisting at Day 28 (65%). Throughout the induction and resolution of mucous metaplasia, ciliated and Clara cell numbers identified immunohistochemically change only slightly. Intracellular mucin content peaks at Day 7, and mucin expression is limited specifically to a Clara cell subset in airway generations 2-4 that continue to express CCSP. Functionally, Clara cells are secretory cells that express the regulated exocytic marker Rab3D and, in antigen-challenged mice, rapidly secrete mucin in response to inhaled ATP in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, Clara cells show great plasticity in structure and secretory products, yet have molecular and functional continuity in their identity as specialized apical secretory cells.

Enteral administration of naloxone for treatment of opioid-associated intragastric feeding intolerance.

Intragastric enteral feeding intolerance, common in the intensive care setting, is attributed to many causes. Opioid antagonists such as naloxone may have a role in reversing the intolerance when it is associated with intravenous opioid infusions. A 38-year-old woman hospitalized for acute respiratory distress syndrome was supported with low tidal volume mechanical ventilation. She required lorazepam and morphine administered by continuous intravenous infusion to achieve ventilator synchrony and pain control. While receiving these therapies, the patient developed persistent intolerance to intragastric feeding. Intravenous metoclopramide and laxatives did not decrease gastric volume residuals, and insertion of a jejunal tube was deemed unsafe due to worsening of her respiratory status. Total parenteral nutrition was begun to meet her caloric needs, but she experienced repeated catheter-related bloodstream infections. Naloxone 2 mg by gastric tube every 8 hours for 8 days was started; the dosage then was increased to 4 mg every 8 hours. Tube feeding was restarted, which provided the patient with more than 90% of her daily caloric needs and allowed for discontinuation of parenteral nutrition. With this dosage of naloxone, tolerance to intragastric feeding was maintained until the patient's death due to refractory respiratory failure. Enterally administered naloxone is an effective, noninvasive means of reversing intolerance to intragastric feeding associated with opioids.

Sarcoidosis confined to the airway masquerading as asthma.

A rare case of sarcoidosis is presented. A 32-year-old white woman initially diagnosed with asthma was to undergo thyroidectomy to eliminate what was thought to be the real source of her symptoms. Instead, the cause was found to be sarcoidosis involving only the major airways, without intrathoracic adenopathy, atelectasis, pulmonary parenchymal infiltrates or evidence of extra pulmonary disease. She rapidly responded to systemic glucocorticoids, which later was supplemented successfully by inhaled glucocorticoids for persistent cough.