BMJ case reports
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Patients with attacks of re-entrant supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) frequently present to the emergency department (ED). The Valsalva manoeuvre (VM) is the most effective and safe vagal manoeuvre and advocated as the first-line treatment in stable patients but has a relatively low cardioversion success rate. Improving its efficacy would reduce patients' exposure to the side effects and complications of second-line treatments and has other potential benefits. We describe a modification to the VM, which is currently being studied, and present the case of a 23-year-old patient who was successfully treated with this modified VM after a previous near-fatal complication of direct current (DC) cardioversion.
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Acute myocarditis may mimic myocardial infarction because the affected patients report 'classical' chest pain; the ECG changes and echocardiography are identical to those observed in acute coronary syndromes, and serum markers are increased. We describe a case with ST segment elevation on admission ECG, and coronary angiography was normal. Cardiac magnetic resonance with myocardial delayed enhancement sequences is a non-invasive alternative for diagnosing myocarditis.
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A young woman presented to our unit with pancreatitis and acute kidney injury (AKI) 4 weeks after initiation of an oral contraceptive. She subsequently developed seizures due to posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and required ongoing haemodialysis for oliguric AKI. Routine antiphospholipid antibody screen was normal, but arterial and venous thromboses were identified on renal biopsy. ⋯ She remained seizure free with control of hypertension and was established on anticoagulation. She remained haemodialysis dependent performing this independently at a new self-care unit. She provides us with valuable insights into her experience encouraging us to reconsider our current methods of education and communication in our younger population of patients living with chronic disease.
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The penetration of foreign bodies into the oropharynx can be life-threatening. Airway management in patients who have a foreign body penetrated into their oropharynx is a challenging problem for the anaesthetist. In this case report, we aimed to share our experience of endotracheal intubation performed with GlideScope video laryngoscopy in a 3-year-old, 15 kg patient. The patient underwent general anaesthesia to facilitate the removal of an umbrella wire that had become embedded in her soft palate.
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A man in his 40s developed a severe cutaneous adverse reaction following treatment of septic arthritis with flucloxacillin. The eruption had overlap features of cutaneous vasculitis and acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis which was complicated by renal and liver impairment. This case heightens the variation in presentation of a severe drug eruption.