Patient Evaluation and Treatment Algorithms

Long-standing moderate to marked splenomegaly suggests several differential diagnoses, both haematological and infectious, particularly leishmaniasis and malaria in endemic areas. Non-infectious causes may be missed in these regions, especially if pitfalls of serological testing are not considered. Careful patient evaluation is necessary to arrive at the correct diagnosis. We report a case of a young male whose hereditary spherocytosis was initially missed because of RK-39 positivity, splenomegaly and the fact that he hailed from an endemic region.

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Acute reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke patients with unknown time of symptom onset or in extended time windows: an individualized approach

Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders ◽

10.1177/17562864211021182 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 175628642110211

Author(s):

Georgios Magoufis ◽

Apostolos Safouris ◽

Guy Raphaeli ◽

Odysseas Kargiotis ◽

Klearchos Psychogios ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Endovascular Treatment ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Symptom Onset ◽

Time Windows ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Treatment Algorithms ◽

Late Presenters

Recent randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) have revolutionized acute ischemic stroke care by extending the use of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular reperfusion therapies in time windows that have been originally considered futile or even unsafe. Both systemic and endovascular reperfusion therapies have been shown to improve outcome in patients with wake-up strokes or symptom onset beyond 4.5 h for intravenous thrombolysis and beyond 6 h for endovascular treatment; however, they require advanced neuroimaging to select stroke patients safely. Experts have proposed simpler imaging algorithms but high-quality data on safety and efficacy are currently missing. RCTs used diverse imaging and clinical inclusion criteria for patient selection during the dawn of this novel stroke treatment paradigm. After taking into consideration the dismal prognosis of nonrecanalized ischemic stroke patients and the substantial clinical benefit of reperfusion therapies in selected late presenters, we propose rescue reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke patients not fulfilling all clinical and imaging inclusion criteria as an option in a subgroup of patients with clinical and radiological profiles suggesting low risk for complications, notably hemorrhagic transformation as well as local or remote parenchymal hemorrhage. Incorporating new data to treatment algorithms may seem perplexing to stroke physicians, since treatment and imaging capabilities of each stroke center may dictate diverse treatment pathways. This narrative review will summarize current data that will assist clinicians in the selection of those late presenters that will most likely benefit from acute reperfusion therapies. Different treatment algorithms are provided according to available neuroimaging and endovascular treatment capabilities.

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Simplified treatment algorithm for the management of trauma-induced hemorrhage without viscoelastic testing

Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open ◽

10.1136/tsaco-2021-000779 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. e000779

Author(s):

Sebastian Casu

Keyword(s):

Major Trauma ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Treatment Algorithm ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Trauma Team ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Treatment Protocols ◽

Treatment Algorithms ◽

Number Of Treatment ◽

Uncontrolled Bleeding

Uncontrolled bleeding after major trauma remains a significant cause of death, with up to a third of trauma patients presenting with signs of coagulopathy at hospital admission. Rapid correction of coagulopathy is therefore vital to improve mortality rates and patient outcomes in this population. Early and repeated monitoring of coagulation parameters followed by clear protocols to correct hemostasis is the recommended standard of care for bleeding trauma patients. However, although a number of treatment algorithms are available, these are frequently complex and can rely on the use of viscoelastic testing, which is not available in all treatment centers. We therefore set out to develop a concise and pragmatic algorithm to guide treatment of bleeding trauma patients without the use of point-of-care viscoelastic testing. The algorithm we present here is based on published guidelines and research, includes recommendations regarding treatment and dosing, and is simple and clear enough for even an inexperienced physician to follow. In this way, we have demonstrated that treatment protocols can be developed and adapted to the resources available, to offer clear and relevant guidance to the entire trauma team.

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