Answer to Case 626
Answer to theParasite Case of the Week 626:Trichomonas vaginalis.The images from this case show the classic morphology of this organism. Here are some of these key diagnostic features:AlthoughT. vaginaliscan be seen in vaginal secretions, male urethral secretions, and in urine, the most sensitive detection method is a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). This is what we use in my laboratory. Importantly, the NAAT we use does not cross-react with the other trichomonads found in the oral cavity and intestine. As Sam mentioned, " Treatment with metronidazole would be appropriate. This would be of concern if the ...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - February 14, 2021 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Drugs for COVID-19: A Publishing Epidemic
As of April 9, PubMed listed 2,868 scientific publications which incorporate the word “COVID”. 323 of these (11.3%) were related to drugs under study for treatment of the disease. No fewer than thirty-one such drugs had been proposed since this pandemic first appeared on the planet four months earlier.
Graph 1 depicts the cumulative numbers of COVID-19 infection (per 100,000 global population) and introductions of relevant drugs into the Literature during February 14 to April 3. Note that both increased by a factor of approximately 16-fold during this period.
In a...
Source: GIDEON blog - April 12, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Uri Blackman Tags: Epidemiology Graphs Source Type: blogs
C. difficile (C. diff): An urgent threat
Clostridioides (previously Clostridium) difficile (C. diff) is the most common cause of diarrhea among hospitalized patients and the most commonly reported bacteria causing infections in hospitals. In a 2019 report, the CDC referred to C. diff as “an urgent threat.”
Who is most at risk?
C. diff infection (CDI) occurs more commonly following antibiotic therapy or hospitalization, and among older adults or patients with weakened immune responses. In 2002, an epidemic strain of C. diff emerged, causing more severe disease with inflammation of the colon (colitis) and an increase in deaths. This strain adheres better to the...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - February 20, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Lou Ann Bruno-Murtha, DO Tags: Digestive Disorders Health Infectious diseases Prevention Source Type: blogs
Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 281
Dr Neil Long Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 281
It's Friday. Boggle your brain with FFFF challenge and some old fashioned trivia. Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 281 (Source: Life in the Fast Lane)
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - May 31, 2019 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Dr Neil Long Tags: FFFF Alice Springs Antibiotics azithromycin blepharoclonus claw hand clindamcin doxycycline Leonardo da Vinic metronidazole moxifloxacin Paget Schrotter syndrome rifampin TMP/SMX ulnar palsy Urschel's Sign Source Type: blogs
Medications That Can Cause Depression
There is nothing more frustrating than when the cure is part of the problem. Because depression is prevalent in patients with physical disorders like cancer, stroke, and heart disease, medications often interact with each other, complicating treatment. To appropriately manage depression, you and your physician need to evaluate all medications involved and make sure they aren’t cancelling each other out.
A review in the journal Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience a while back highlighted certain medications that can cause depression. The following are medications to watch out for.
Medications to Treat Seizures and Parkinso...
Source: World of Psychology - March 31, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Depression Medications Drug Interactions Mood Disorder Source Type: blogs
Distinguishing between Orbital and Preseptal Cellulitis
Some medical conditions have signs and symptoms that significantly overlap, making a diagnosis a little more difficult. Epididymitis, testicular torsion, and torsion of the testicular appendage are examples, but orbital and preseptal cellulitis are others that can cause significant diagnostic confusion.Both conditions are more common in children than in adults, and preseptal or periorbital cellulitis is more common in children under 5. The preseptal and orbital spaces are separated by only a thin membranous septum that originates in the orbital periosteum and inserts into the tarsal plates. It is only this thin septum t...
Source: M2E Too! Mellick's Multimedia EduBlog - December 31, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
If I were writing sore throat guidelines
Several tweets asked me to answer this question. How would I rewrite sore throat guidelines? Obviously I am biased. So this is my opinion and I am sticking to it!
I would not change anything about pre-adolescents. Group A strep is the most important bacterial infection and using rapid tests with backup cultures makes sense.I would change the guidelines for adolescents and young adults. I would treat patients having Centor scores of 3 or 4 with either penicillin or amoxicillin (augmentin would be fine). I would probably treat some 2s if they looked very ill. I would never use macrolides. If the patient is truly penicilli...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - December 29, 2018 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: rcentor Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs
Thoughts on a 23-year-old athlete dying from the Lemierre Syndrome
K-State football team to honor rower Samantha Scott, who died of Lemierre’s Syndrome
Every time I read such a story my heart breaks, a small piece each time. More physicians have become aware of the Lemierre syndrome. We must also educate patients and families that sore throats in adolescents and young adults can become life threatening.
Why did she die? The article does not have enough detail to develop a firm conclusion. I can speculate on several reasons from multiple discussions with both survivors and families of adolescents who died. We also have some unpublished survey data that informs my speculations.
Wh...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - November 3, 2018 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: rcentor Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs
Tropical Travel Trouble 011 Tonsillitis and the Bull
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blog
aka Tropical Travel Trouble 011
Peer Reviewers: Dr Jennifer Ho, ID physician QLD, Australia and Dr Mark Little, ED physician QLD, Australia.
You are working in far North Queensland and encounter a 20 year old Indigenous man with tonsillitis on your ED short stay ward round. He has been receiving IV penicillin and metronidazole overnight but is deteriorating and now cannot open his mouth beyond 1.5cm, and has a swollen neck (some might say ‘Bull neck’). In add...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - July 25, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Amanda McConnell Tags: Clinical Cases Tropical Medicine antitoxin bull neck c. diphtheriae c.ulcerans DAT pseudomembrane vaccine Source Type: blogs
Tropical Travel Trouble 011 Tonsillitis and the Bull
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blog
aka Tropical Travel Trouble 011
Peer Reviewers: Dr Jennifer Ho, ID physician QLD, Australia and Dr Mark Little, ED physician QLD, Australia.
You are working in far North Queensland and encounter a 20 year old Indigenous man with tonsillitis on your ED short stay ward round. He has been receiving IV penicillin and metronidazole overnight but is deteriorating and now cannot open his mouth beyond 1.5cm, and has a swollen neck (some might say ‘Bull neck’). In add...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - July 25, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Amanda McConnell Tags: Clinical Cases Tropical Medicine antitoxin bull neck c. diphtheriae c.ulcerans DAT pseudomembrane vaccine Source Type: blogs
Tropical Travel Trouble 009 Humongous HIV Extravaganza
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blog
aka Tropical Travel Trouble 009
The diagnosis of HIV is no longer fatal and the term AIDS is becoming less frequent. In many countries, people with HIV are living longer than those with diabetes. This post will hopefully teach the basics of a complex disease and demystify some of the potential diseases you need to consider in those who are severely immunosuppressed. While trying to be comprehensive this post can not be exhaustive (as you can imagine any patient with a low ...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - July 7, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Amanda McConnell Tags: Clinical Cases Tropical Medicine AIDS art cryptococcoma cryptococcus HIV HIV1 HIV2 PEP PrEP TB toxoplasma tuberculoma Source Type: blogs
Severe Disulfiram or Antabuse Reactions
Alcoholism has been treated with disulfiram (Antabuse) ever since the drug received FDA approval in 1951. Disulfiram is one of a number of medications that produces unwanted side effects caused by the accumulation of acetaldehyde when taken with alcohol.The story behind the discovery of disulfiram is typical of serendipitous observations. A physician noted in 1937 that workers in the rubber industry exposed to disulfiram developed a reaction after drinking alcohol. Several decades later, two Danish researchers evaluating disulfiram as an antihelminthic developed symptoms after attending a cocktail party. (Medscape, J...
Source: M2E Too! Mellick's Multimedia EduBlog - June 1, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 38-year-old man with ulcerative colitis
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 38-year-old man is evaluated in follow-up after a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. Ten days ago he was started on prednisone, 60 mg/d, but his symptoms have not improved. He has six to nine bloody bowel movements per day and moderate abdominal pain. He has decreased his oral intake because eating exacerbates his pain and diarrhea.
On physical examination, temperature is 37.0 °C (98.6 °F), blood pressure is 110/56 mm Hg, and pulse rate is 96/min. He is pale but in no distress. The abdomen is diffusely tender ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - May 5, 2018 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/mksap" rel="tag" > mksap < /a > Tags: Conditions Gastroenterology Source Type: blogs
LITFL Review 328
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blog
Welcome to the 328th LITFL Review! Your regular and reliable source for the highest highlights, sneakiest sneak peeks and loudest shout-outs from the webbed world of emergency medicine and critical care. Each week the LITFL team casts the spotlight on the blogosphere’s best and brightest and deliver a bite-sized chunk of FOAM.
Readers can subscribe to LITFL review RSS or LITFL review EMAIL subscription
The Most Fair Dinkum Ripper Beauts of the Week
Simon Carley re...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - April 22, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Marjorie Lazoff, MD Tags: LITFL review LITFL R/V Source Type: blogs
LITFL Review 325
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blog
Welcome to the 325th LITFL Review! Your regular and reliable source for the highest highlights, sneakiest sneak peeks and loudest shout-outs from the webbed world of emergency medicine and critical care. Each week the LITFL team casts the spotlight on the blogosphere’s best and brightest and deliver a bite-sized chunk of FOAM.
Readers can subscribe to LITFL review RSS or LITFL review EMAIL subscription
The Most Fair Dinkum Ripper Beauts of the Week
The New York T...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - April 2, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Marjorie Lazoff, MD Tags: Education LITFL review Source Type: blogs
