The American journal of emergency medicine
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Case Reports
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy after anti-influenza vaccination: catecholaminergic effects of immune system.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a well-known condition, which leads to sudden transient regional systolic dysfunction. It mostly affects aging women and is usually precipitated by emotional or physical stress. ⋯ In our case, an elderly woman presented with an acute episode of TTC 24 hours after anti-influenza vaccination without any obvious stressor for sudden rise in the catecholamine level. Sudden postvaccination change in the cardiac sympathetic discharge is the most likely precipitant of TTC in this case.
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Household stoves are a common source of injury in the United States. ⋯ This is the first comprehensive study of stove-related injuries in the United States using a nationally representative sample. Strategies to prevent stove-related injuries should address the multiple mechanisms of injury.
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Bezold abscess is a rare complication of mastoiditis in which patients are often well appearing but require urgent intervention to prevent serious sequelae. We describe the case of a Bezold abscess in a 12-year-old girl.
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Catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy, including takotsubo, neurogenic stunned myocardium, and pheochromocytoma-related cardiomyopathy, is a reversible and generally benign condition. We are reporting a case series of young women who had cardiogenic shock and pulmonary edema due to severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction, which completely recovered in the course of 2 to 3 weeks. ⋯ We suggest that screening for pheochromocytoma should be considered in patients who present with takotsubo cardiomyopathy without obvious cause. Most importantly, widely used intravenous catecholamines may cause severe transient left ventricular dysfunction, and consideration should be given to noncatecholamine vasopressors.