Medicine
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Observational Study
Computed tomographic findings of chest injuries following cardiopulmonary resuscitation: More complications for prolonged chest compressions?
Chest injuries are common and inevitable complications of chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This study aimed to investigate lung parenchymal and thoracic skeletal injuries after CPR by using computed tomography (CT) and to analyze the correlation between the duration of CPR and related complications. We examined 43 non-traumatic cardiac arrest patients who were successfully resuscitated after CPR and had chest CT scans within 24 hours of CPR. ⋯ The duration of CPR was associated with the number of rib fractures and the occurrence of sternal fractures, but it did not affect the extent of CPR-related lung contusions or other CPR-related chest injuries. All of the rib fractures occurred in the anterior arc, while the sternal fractures occurred predominantly in the mid-sternal body. However, since this study was conducted in a single institution, the number of patients included was relatively small, thus limiting the statistical analysis.
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Case Reports
Triphasic waves in electroencephalogram as a possible early marker of carcinomatous meningitis: a case report.
Carcinomatous meningitis is a rare neurological complication. This condition is difficult to diagnose, and misdiagnosis is common because the clinical manifestations are variable. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology is the gold standard for diagnosis. Repeated lumbar puncture is required because of the low positive rate. Our case showed triphasic waves (TWs) in an electroencephalogram (EEG) before cancer cells were detected in cytology. We report this case to demonstrate that TWs in EEG may be a prognostic marker in patients with carcinomatous meningitis. ⋯ It is difficult to make a diagnosis in the early stage of carcinomatous meningitis because the clinical manifestations lack specificity. Repeated lumbar puncture is time consuming and is painful for the patients. In our case, TWs in EEG were detected before cancer cells were found in cytology. EEG should be performed when carcinomatous meningitis is under consideration.
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Substantial advances in cardiac pacing technology have been developed in the past decades. However, efforts to improve pacing technology to achieve physiological electrical activity, such as with cardiac resynchronization therapy, are underway. Permanent His bundle pacing, which directly stimulates the His-Purkinje network and electrically activates both ventricles, simulates physiological electric activity in the heart, and has been considered an ideal pacing strategy to treat arrhythmias. For patients with atrial fibrillation complicated by third-degree atrioventricular block (AVB), permanent His bundle pacing is a better option than conventional right ventricular apical or septal pacing, the latter of which may be associated with risks, such as heart failure. However, His bundle pacing exhibits some shortcomings, including elevated pacing threshold, dislocation, and abnormal sensing. ⋯ We selected His bundle pacing as the primary pacing, but also used left bundle branch pacing as a backup approach. If His bundle pacing results in an increased sensing threshold, pacing threshold changes, or dislocations, left bundle branch pacing can compensate for dysfunction of permanent deficiencies in His bundle pacing, preserving physiological pacing.
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Observational Study
Mining prognostic factors of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer patients using nomogram model.
This study is to establish the nomogram model and provide clinical therapy decision-making for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) patients with different metastatic sites using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. A total of 10,025 patients of ES-SCLC with metastasis from January 2010 to December 2016 were enrolled from the SEER database. All samples were randomly divided into a derivation cohort and a validation cohort, and the derivation cohort was divided into 6 groups by different metastatic sites: bone, liver, lung, brain, multiple organs, and other organs. ⋯ The C-index was 0.6569777 in the derivation cohort and 0.8386301 in the validation cohort. The survival time of ES-SCLC patients with different metastatic sites was significantly different. The nomogram can effectively predict the prognosis of individuals and provide a basis for clinical decision-making.
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Case Reports
Diagnosis of ischemic optic neuropathy caused by dissection of the internal carotid artery: A case report.
Ischemic optic neuropathy (ION), due to diseases of the arteries supplying the optic nerve, is an ischemic damage of the optic nerve. This report highlights a case with monocular decreasing visual acuity caused by dissection of the internal carotid artery (ICA), which is a relatively rare cause for ION. ⋯ ION with the sign of decreasing monocular visual acuity could occur due to dissection of the ICA, with no obvious neurologic symptom at the beginning. The present case emphasizes the importance of suspicion of ICA problems as the underlying cause for ION, which could help to take in-time measure to save the vision and avoid further complications.