The American journal of emergency medicine
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We report a case of triple acid-base disorder with metabolic alkalosis as the primary disorder in a 65-year-old man due to ingestion and application to leg ulcers of baking soda (calcium bicarbonate). The blood pH was 7.65 with hypochloremia, hypokalemia, and prerenal azotemia. He was treated with isotonic saline with K replacement, and the patient improved without any adverse clinical consequences. We discuss the causes, mechanisms, and management of Cl-responsive (depletion) metabolic alkalosis.
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Harlequin syndrome is rare and typically characterized by asymmetric flushing and sweating. Although it is usually considered idiopathic, literature review shows that it may be caused by lesion over lung apex or after central venous catheterization in the internal jugular vein. We present a 74-year-old woman who had been experiencing recurrent chest pain and right shoulder pain since 2 weeks ago. ⋯ This case showed that history taking and physical examination are very important in the emergency department. It is particularly vital to observe the microchanges in the patient's symptoms and signs. It is also imperative to reassess the patient whose symptoms fail to improve under treatment, to look for other underlying lesions.
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In case of failure of peripheral vascular access, classical alternatives are central venous or intraosseous access. We report a new site of vascular access necessitating no specific material. A 53-year-old patient with cirrhosis-induced coagulopathy, portal hypertension, and collateral abdominal portosystemic circulation required parenteral antibiotherapy. ⋯ After skin preparation, a 20-gauge peripheral venous catheter was inserted in a dilated subcutaneous vein of abdominal wall. To our knowledge, it is the first human report of insertion of a catheter in a superficial vein of abdominal wall. It could be an alternative approach for vascular access after failure of peripheral venipuncture in patients with portal hypertension.
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Hiccups, which are usually benign and self-limited, occasionally serve as markers of a serious underlying pathology. We present this case report to inform emergency physicians about the potential for hiccups to serve as the only presenting symptom of a myocardial infarction. The patient, a 68-year-old man with a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and current tobacco use, was first seen in the emergency department after 4 days of intractable hiccups with no other complaints or symptoms. ⋯ Stents were placed in these sites, and the patient recovered uneventfully. This is the first case in which hiccups were the single presenting symptom of a myocardial infarction in the last 50 years. Although extremely common and usually benign, hiccups can occasionally be a sole symptom of serious underlying pathology, which in this case, was a non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
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Patients with renal failure who are taking trimethoprim have an increased risk of developing hyperkalemia, which can cause muscle weakness. In patients with postpolio syndrome, a normal creatinine level could be abnormally high, renal failure is possible because of lack of creatinine production, and the muscle weakness from resultant hyperkalemia could be more severe because of their underlying condition. This abnormally high creatinine level has been termed from this point relative renal failure. ⋯ A patient on trimethoprim with renal failure is at an increased risk of developing hyperkalemia. Patients with postpolio syndrome could have severe muscle weakness from the hyperkalemia and could have renal failure even with a normal creatinine level. This case report will remind treating physicians to evaluate such patients for hyperkalemia if they present with muscle weakness, especially if the patient has renal failure and is on trimethoprim.