scholarly journals Suspected botulism outbreak after the consumption of vegetarian pâté in the south of Viet Nam

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Le Quoc Hung ◽  
Vo Ngoc Anh Tho ◽  
Do Thi Ngoc Khanh ◽  
Vo Thi Thanh Hien ◽  
Jeremy N. Day ◽  
...  

Botulism and other botulinum neurotoxins-producing clostridia  are potentially life-threatening diseases caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. Here we reported a case series of six patients who presented with botulism following ingestion of commercially made pâté. The key features of presentation were acute onset of bilateral cranial nerve palsies and symmetrical descending weakness in the absence of fever resulting in the need for mechanical ventilation in all six patients. The clinical diagnosis of botulism was confirmed through the identification of C. botulinum from the suspected food source.  Given that botulinum antitoxin was not available in Vietnam at the time, and their severe status, all patients received a trial of plasma exchange therapy, but no clear benefit was seen. Due to its rarity, diagnosing botulism is a challenge, demanding high clinical suspicion. Successful outcomes depend upon early recognition and rapid initiation of specific treatment with botulinum antitoxin. There is a need to improve global access to antitoxin.  These cases, the first in Viet Nam, serve as a reminder of the need to maintain the highest possible food hygiene and preservation practices.

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Thuy Ngan ◽  
Vo Ngoc Anh Tho ◽  
Do Thi Ngoc Khanh ◽  
Vo Thi Thanh Hien ◽  
Jeremy N. Day ◽  
...  

Botulism is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. Here we reported a case series of six patients who presented with botulism following ingestion of commercially made pâté. The key features of presentation were acute onset of bilateral cranial nerve palsies and symmetrical descending weakness in the absence of fever resulting in the need for mechanical ventilation in all six patients. The clinical diagnosis of botulism was confirmed through the identification of C. botulinum from the suspected food source.  Given that botulinum antitoxin was not available in Vietnam at the time, and their severe status, all patients received a trial of plasma exchange therapy, but no clear benefit was seen. Due to its rarity, diagnosing botulism is a challenge, demanding high clinical suspicion. Successful outcomes depend upon early recognition and rapid initiation of specific treatment with botulinum antitoxin. There is a need to improve global access to antitoxin.  These cases, the first in Viet Nam, serve as a reminder of the need to maintain the highest possible food hygiene and preservation practices.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Thuy Ngan ◽  
Vo Ngoc Anh Tho ◽  
Do Thi Ngoc Khanh ◽  
Vo Thi Thanh Hien ◽  
Jeremy N. Day ◽  
...  

Botulism is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. Here we reported a case series of six patients who presented with botulism following ingestion of commercially made pâté. The key features of presentation were acute onset of bilateral cranial nerve palsies and symmetrical descending weakness in the absence of fever resulting in the need for mechanical ventilation in all six patients. The clinical diagnosis of botulism was confirmed through the identification of C. botulinum from the suspected food source.  Given that botulinum antitoxin was not available in Vietnam at the time, and their severe status, all patients received a trial of plasma exchange therapy, but no clear benefit was seen. Due to its rarity, diagnosing botulism is a challenge, demanding high clinical suspicion. Successful outcomes depend upon early recognition and rapid initiation of specific treatment with botulinum antitoxin. There is a need to improve global access to antitoxin.  These cases, the first in Viet Nam, serve as a reminder of the need to maintain the highest possible food hygiene and preservation practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Le Quoc Hung ◽  
Vo Ngoc Anh Tho ◽  
Do Thi Ngoc Khanh ◽  
Vo Thi Thanh Hien ◽  
Jeremy N. Day ◽  
...  

Botulism is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. Here we reported a case series of six patients who presented with botulism following ingestion of commercially made pâté. The key features of presentation were acute onset of bilateral cranial nerve palsies and symmetrical descending weakness in the absence of fever resulting in the need for mechanical ventilation in all six patients. The clinical diagnosis of botulism was confirmed through the identification of C. botulinum from the suspected food source.  Given that botulinum antitoxin was not available in Vietnam at the time, and their severe status, all patients received a trial of plasma exchange therapy, but no clear benefit was seen. Due to its rarity, diagnosing botulism is a challenge, demanding high clinical suspicion. Successful outcomes depend upon early recognition and rapid initiation of specific treatment with botulinum antitoxin. There is a need to improve global access to antitoxin.  These cases, the first in Viet Nam, serve as a reminder of the need to maintain the highest possible food hygiene and preservation practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen A Ezzy ◽  
Moustafa H Elshafei ◽  
Mohamed A Sharaan

Abstract Post-thyroidectomy bleeding is a fortunately rare but potentially life-threatening complication that may increase postoperative morbidity and hospital stay. In this case series, we demonstrate the relation between the measurement of neck circumference and haemorrhage following thyroid surgery and the value of this measurement in predicting post-thyroidectomy haemorrhage. Currently, there is no simple and reliable method available for the early detection of post-thyroidectomy bleeding. Continuous pressure measurement could be a potential tool for the early detection of haemorrhage but is invasive, and more data are required to recommend threshold values for revision surgery. Early recognition and prompt surgical intervention are key to the management of cervical haematoma. Measurement of the neck circumference is a valuable adjunct tool in the early recognition of post-thyroidectomy bleeding. In this case series, we concluded that a 4-cm increase in neck circumference may trigger the clinical decision for cervical exploration.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 105 (8) ◽  
pp. 3019-3025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Sanz ◽  
Martin S. Tallman ◽  
Francesco Lo-Coco

AbstractMost reviews on the state-of-the-art treatment in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) have focused mainly on the comparison of therapeutic approaches, including all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and chemotherapy. However, outcome of individual patients also depends on appropriate knowledge of several aspects related to APL management that are less appreciated and/or are underestimated in the literature. These aspects include appropriate diagnostic strategy, use of supportive care, early recognition and treatment of life-threatening complications typically associated with APL and its specific treatment, tools and timing for adequate evaluation of response, and, finally, management of the disease in special conditions such as older patients and pregnant women. Besides reviewing current consensus and controversies on the use of ATRA and chemotherapy in the distinct treatment phases (eg, induction, consolidation, maintenance), this article addresses the aforementioned issues on APL management (“tricks of the trade”) with special emphasis on several peculiar aspects that distinguish APL from other acute myeloid leukemias.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Peys ◽  
Dieter Stevens ◽  
Yannick Vande Weygaerde ◽  
Thomas Malfait ◽  
Laurens Hermie ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an ongoing pandemic that profoundly challenges healthcare systems all over the world. Fever, cough and fatigue are the most commonly reported clinical symptoms. Case presentation A 58-year-old man presented at the emergency department with acute onset haemoptysis. On the fifth day after admission, he developed massive haemoptysis. Computed tomography (CT) angiography of the chest revealed alveolar haemorrhage, more prominent in the left lung. Flexible bronchoscopy confirmed bleeding from the left upper lobe, confirmed by a bronchial arteriography, which was successfully embolized. Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) tested for SARS-CoV-2 using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) repeatedly returned negative. Surprisingly, SARS-CoV-2 was eventually detected in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Conclusions Life-threatening haemoptysis is an unusual presentation of COVID-19, reflecting alveolar bleeding as a rare but possible complication. This case emphasises the added value of bronchoscopy with BAL in the diagnostic work-up in case of high clinical suspicion and negative serial NPS in patients presenting with severe symptoms.


Author(s):  
Chandramouli M.T

AbstractLife-threatening adverse reactions of antitubercular drugs are uncommon; however, thrombocytopenia is one such rare complication encountered with rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. Rifampicin is the most effective drug and its use in the tuberculosis treatment led to the emergence of modern and effective short-course regimens. I am reporting case series of three patients with pulmonary tuberculosis presented with rifampicin-induced thrombocytopenia.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Antonio Atalaia ◽  
Rabah Ben Yaou ◽  
Karim Wahbi ◽  
Annachiara De Sandre-Giovannoli ◽  
Corinne Vigouroux ◽  
...  

Background: Variants in the LMNA gene, encoding lamins A/C, are responsible for a growing number of diseases, all of which complying with the definition of rare diseases. LMNA-related disorders have a varied phenotypic expression with more than 15 syndromes described, belonging to five phenotypic groups: Muscular Dystrophies, Neuropathies, Cardiomyopathies, Lipodystrophies and Progeroid Syndromes. Overlapping phenotypes are also reported. Linking gene and variants with phenotypic expression, disease mechanisms, and corresponding treatments is particularly challenging in laminopathies. Treatment recommendations are limited, and very few are variant-based. Objective: The Treatabolome initiative aims to provide a shareable dataset of existing variant-specific treatment for rare diseases within the Solve-RD EU project. As part of this project, we gathered evidence of specific treatments for laminopathies via a systematic literature review adopting the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) guidelines for scientific data production. Methods: Treatments for LMNA-related conditions were systematically collected from MEDLINE and Embase bibliographic databases and clinical trial registries (Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, clinicaltrial.gov and EudraCT). Two investigators extracted and analyzed the literature data independently. The included papers were assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 Levels of Evidence. Results: From the 4783 selected articles by a systematic approach, we identified 78 papers for our final analysis that corresponded to the profile of data defined in the inclusion and exclusion criteria. These papers include 2 guidelines/consensus papers, 4 meta-analyses, 14 single-arm trials, 15 case series, 13 cohort studies, 21 case reports, 8 expert reviews and 1 expert opinion. The treatments were summarized electronically according to significant phenome-genome associations. The specificity of treatments according to the different laminopathic phenotypical presentations is variable. Conclusions: We have extracted Treatabolome-worthy treatment recommendations for patients with different forms of laminopathies based on significant phenome-genome parings. This dataset will be available on the Treatabolome website and, through interoperability, on genetic diagnosis and treatment support tools like the RD-Connect’s Genome Phenome Analysis Platform.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuya Kato ◽  
Yoshikazu Ogawa ◽  
Teiji Tominaga

Abstract Background Pregnancy is a known risk factor for pituitary apoplexy, which is life threatening for both mother and child. However, very few clinical interventions have been proposed for managing pituitary apoplexy in pregnancy. Case presentation We describe the management of three cases of pituitary apoplexy during pregnancy and review available literature. Presenting symptoms in our case series were headache and/or visual disturbances, and the etiology in all cases was hemorrhage. Conservative therapy was followed until 34 weeks of gestation, after which babies were delivered by cesarean section with prophylactic bolus hydrocortisone supplementation. Tumor removal was only electively performed after delivery using the transsphenoidal approach. All three patients and their babies had a good clinical course, and postoperative pathological evaluation revealed that all tumors were functional and that they secreted prolactin. Conclusions Although the mechanism of pituitary apoplexy occurrence remains unknown, the most important treatment strategy for pituitary apoplexy in pregnancy remains adequate hydrocortisone supplementation and frequent hormonal investigation. Radiological follow-up should be performed only if clinical symptoms deteriorate, and optimal timing for surgical resection should be discussed by a multidisciplinary team that includes obstetricians and neonatologists.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 232470962110264
Author(s):  
Taylor Warmoth ◽  
Malvika Ramesh ◽  
Kenneth Iwuji ◽  
John S. Pixley

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a form of hemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis that occurs in patients with a variety of inflammatory rheumatologic conditions. Traditionally, it is noted in pediatric patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and systemic lupus erythematous. It is a rapidly progressive and life-threatening syndrome of excess immune activation with an estimated mortality rate of 40% in children. It has become clear recently that MAS occurs in adult patients with underlying rheumatic inflammatory diseases. In this article, we describe 6 adult patients with likely underlying MAS. This case series will outline factors related to diagnosis, pathophysiology, and review present therapeutic strategies.


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