Vnitr̆ní lékar̆ství
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Incidence of myocardial dysfunction in studies with severe sepsis patients is up to two thirds of patients. On the other side, patients with normal echocardiography have some type of myocardial injury, which can be detected by elevated serum levels of troponins and natriuretic peptides. Strong prognostic value of these markers regarding morbidity and mortality of septic patients indicates an important role of this "occult" myocardial injury. ⋯ Nowadays, because of detrimental effects of classical inotropes, new strategies are under investigation. Namely levosimendan is promising alternative, not only related to its inotropic effects. Early diagnostics, assessment of prognosis and therapeutic strategy in patients with SMD are challenging for continuing research and for clinicians of different specialities.
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Vnitr̆ní lékar̆ství · Feb 2010
Review Case Reports[Central diabetes insipidus in adult patients--the first sign of Langerhans cell histiocytosis and Erdheim-Chester disease. Three case studies and literature review].
Central diabetes insipidus with an onset in adulthood is very rare. Unlike in children, central diabetes insipidus in adults is more frequently caused by inflammatory processes and neoplastic infiltrations that do not originate from the neuronal tissue than primary neuronal tissue tumours. Rare histiocytic neoplasias (Langerhans cell histiocytosis, xanthogranulomatosis and Erdheim-Chester disease) have a specific affinity to hypothalamus and the pituitary stalk not only in paediatric patients but also when occurring in adults. ⋯ Pituitary infiltrate biopsy in this patient did not elucidate the diagnosis but resulted in complete panhypopituarism. Central diabetes insipidus in adulthood might be the first sign of so far undiagnosed extracranial disease, in our case of histiocytic neoplasias, and PET-CT has an excellent potential to detect extracranial symptoms of these conditions. Therefore, the high-risk pituitary stalk infiltrate biopsy should always be preceded by comprehensive examination aimed at identification of extracranial manifestations of the pituitary gland diseases.
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Vnitr̆ní lékar̆ství · Nov 2009
Review Case Reports[Complete remission of nephrotic syndrome and improvement of renal function in a patient with light chain deposition disease following high dose chemotherapy with transplantation of autologous haematopoietic stem cells. A case study and review of literature].
Light chain deposition disease (LCDD) damages most frequently kidneys, and less frequently other organs. The incidence of LCDD is lower than the incidence of AL-amyloidosis. Symmetric swelling of both legs was the first sign of nephrotic syndrome with renal insufficiency in our female patient. ⋯ Three years after high dose chemotherapy the patient is still in complete remission of multiple myeloma and free of nephrotic syndrome, with slightly increased creatinine (160 micromol/l) that, nevertheless, has had an improving tendency over last 3 years. The present case study illustrates accomplishment of complete haematological remission with high dose chemotherapy followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cells transplantation despite complete resistance of the disease to the standard chemotherapy VAD in a patient with MM and LCDD. We draw the reader's attention to the possibility of nephrotoxic effects of high dose melphalan (post conditioning renal insufficiency) in patients with nephrotic syndrome caused by light chain deposits as AL-amyloid or amorphous light chains deposits (LCDD)and we document the importance of plasma free light chain detection.
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Vnitr̆ní lékar̆ství · Nov 2009
Review Case Reports[Is thromboelastography able to influence management of patients in cardiology and cardiosurgery?].
Thromboelastography (TEG) is perceived as a non-specific test of hemostasis. It evaluates the global hemocoagulation, however by some modifications could be its diagnostic potential greater. With new inovations isTEG except more precise analysis of participation of blood components on final coagulation (for example rotational TEG) capable also to assess the antiplatelet drug nonresponsiveness (for example platelet mapping system). It gives more accurate information about prothrombotic conditions than routine laboratory techniques in state of ventricular assist device implantation.
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Vnitr̆ní lékar̆ství · Nov 2009
Review[Current cooling methods for induction of mild hypothermia in cardiac arrest survivors].
Induction of mild therapeutic hypothermia early after return of spontaneous circulation improves prognosis of cardiac arrest survivors. Rapid cooling of the patients and correct maintainance of the target therapeutic temperature followed by controlled slow rewarming can be achieved by several noninvasive and invasive methods of various efficacy. Elementary and the most frequently used methods are surface cooling via ice-packs and rapid intravenous administration of cold crystaloids. ⋯ Cooling caps and helmets leading to selective head cooling can be used as the complementary techniques. Several other methods are too instrumentation-intensive, too invasive or investigated in animal experiments only. Anyway, near future may bring a rapid development of new effective and safe cooling systems.