scholarly journals A Retrospective Evaluation of Chemotherapy Overdoses in Dogs and Cats

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret L. Musser ◽  
Kaitlin M. Curran ◽  
Brian K. Flesner ◽  
Chad M. Johannes
Keyword(s):  
Internal Medicine ◽  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
Supportive Care ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Gastrointestinal Distress ◽  
Animal Medicine ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Chemotherapy Dose ◽  
Grade Ii ◽  
Occurrence Type

Chemotherapy overdoses (ODs) are severe complications that can occur following the use of antineoplastics. However, little is known about chemotherapy ODs in veterinary medicine. The goals of this retrospective study were to report the occurrence, type, and cause of known chemotherapy ODs in companion animal medicine. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine oncology and internal medicine listservs were solicited for chemotherapy OD cases in dogs and cats. An OD was defined as administration of a chemotherapy dose 10% higher than intended, or at a shorter interval than planned. Twelve non-anthracycline ODs in 11 dogs, and 3 cat ODs, were collected. Overdoses in dogs included carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, L-asparaginase, lomustine, mustargen, vincristine, and vinorelbine. The cat ODs included doxorubicin and vincristine. In dogs, the median OD was 2.1x (range: 1.2–10x) the intended dose. All dogs survived the OD and developed a variety of gastrointestinal and hematologic toxicities of varying grades. Both cats with a 2.4x vincristine OD died despite supportive care. The cat who received a 2x OD of doxorubicin survived the event, experiencing Veterinary Cooperative Oncology Group–common terminology criteria for adverse events (VCOG) grade I thrombocytopenia and anemia, and VCOG grade II neutropenia. Chemotherapy ODs appear to be rare in veterinary medicine and are typically 2–3xs the intended dose. Clinical effects include VCOG grade I and II gastrointestinal distress and VCOG grade III and IV hematologic effects. With appropriate supportive care, most patients will survive the event. Life-threatening events are more common in cats following vincristine ODs.

Learning Electrocardiogram Interpretation: Insights from Residents and a Proposed Solution in an Observational Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Alakchar ◽  
Abdisamad M. Ibrahim ◽  
Mohsin Salih ◽  
Mukul Bhattarai ◽  
Nitin Tandan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internal Medicine ◽  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Resident Attitudes ◽  
Internal Medicine Residents ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Degree Of Participation ◽  
Electrocardiogram Interpretation

BACKGROUND Interpretation of electrocardiograms (EKG) is an essential tool for every physician. Despite this, the diagnosis of life-threatening pathology on EKG remains suboptimal in trainees. The purpose of this study is to study resident attitudes and behaviours towards EKGs, and describe an innovative way to teach EKGs. OBJECTIVE Study attitudes and behaviours towards EKGs. Describe an innovative way to teach EKGs. METHODS Design: An observational cross-sectional study through an anonymous online survey of resident attitudes and comfort with EKG interpretation. This was followed by creation of a WhatsApp group for discussion and interpretation of EKGs with peers. At the end of the day, the official EKG interpretation was posted. Setting: Internal medicine residency at Southern Illinois University. Participants: Internal medicine residents Interventions: Creation of WhatsApp group to aid with EKG interpretation Measurements: A 17 item questionnaire, followed by detection of degree of participation in a WhatsApp group. RESULTS Forty-one out of 63 residents (65%) completed the survey. 85% of respondents thought that an interactive way to teach EKGs is the best method of teaching, and 73% did not feel confident interpreting EKGs. 30% often rely on automated EKG interpretation. Further analysis indicated that PGY-1 residents reported ordering fewer EKGs (correlation coefficient -0.399, p = 0.012) and were uncomfortable diagnosing QT prolongation on an EKG (correlation coefficient -0.310, p = 0.049). Residents in the third or greater year of training ordered more EKGs (correlation coefficient 0.379, p = 0.015), less frequently relied on the computer for EKG diagnosis (correlation coefficient 0.399, p = 0.010), and were comfortable diagnosing an acute myocardial infarction and atrial arrhythmias. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, most IM trainees do not feel comfortable interpreting EKG, however, this does improve with PGY year. WhatsApp is a possible platform for teaching EKGs.

scholarly journals A Case of Exertional Heat Stroke Complicated by Hypoxic Hepatitis

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Bertram K. Woitok ◽  
Shawki Bahmad ◽  
Gregor Lindner
Keyword(s):  
Supportive Care ◽  
Liver Failure ◽  
Acute Liver Failure ◽  
Multiorgan Failure ◽  
Heat Stroke ◽  
Exertional Heat Stroke ◽  
Hypoxic Hepatitis ◽  
Threatening Condition ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Delayed Referral

Background.Exertional heat stroke is a life-threatening condition often complicated by multiorgan failure. We hereby present a case of a 25-year-old male presenting with syncope after a 10  km run in 28°C outside temperature who developed acute liver failure. Case Presentation. Initial temperature was found to be 41.1°C, and cooling measures were rapidly applied. He suffered from acute renal failure and rhabdomyolysis and proceeded to acute liver failure (ASAT 6100 U/l and ALAT 6561 U/l) due to hypoxic hepatitis on day 3. He did not meet criteria for emergency liver transplantation and recovered on supportive care. Conclusions. Acute liver failure due to heat stroke is a life-threatening condition with often delayed onset, which nevertheless resolves on supportive care in the majority of cases; thus, a delayed referral to transplant seems to be reasonable.

scholarly journals Isoprostanes in Veterinary Medicine: Beyond a Biomarker

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Ashley K. Putman ◽  
G. Andres Contreras ◽  
Lorraine M. Sordillo
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Lipid Peroxidation ◽  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Biological Action ◽  
Clinical Applications ◽  
Animal Medicine ◽  
Inflammatory Processes ◽  
Oxidized Products ◽  
Biomarkers Of Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress has been associated with many pathologies, in both human and animal medicine. Damage to tissue components such as lipids is a defining feature of oxidative stress and can lead to the generation of many oxidized products, including isoprostanes (IsoP). First recognized in the early 1990s, IsoP are formed in numerous biological fluids and tissues, chemically stable, and easily measured by noninvasive means. Additionally, IsoP are highly specific indicators of lipid peroxidation and thereby are regarded as excellent biomarkers of oxidative stress. Although there have been many advancements in the detection and use of IsoP as a biomarker, there is still a paucity of knowledge regarding the biological activity of these molecules and their potential roles in pathology of oxidative stress. Furthermore, the use of IsoP has been limited in veterinary species thus far and represents an avenue of opportunity for clinical applications in veterinary practice. Examples of clinical applications of IsoP in veterinary medicine include use as a novel biomarker to guide treatment recommendations or as a target to mitigate inflammatory processes. This review will discuss the history, biosynthesis, measurement, use as a biomarker, and biological action of IsoP, particularly in the context of veterinary medicine.

scholarly journals ERCP-Related Duodenal Perforation Presenting as Pneumoscrotum

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Mohammad Saud Khan ◽  
Faisal Jamal ◽  
Zubair Khan ◽  
Abhinav Tiwari ◽  
Hermann Simo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supportive Care ◽  
Male Patient ◽  
Subcutaneous Emphysema ◽  
Duodenal Perforation ◽  
Close Monitoring ◽  
Air Leak ◽  
Endoscopic Retrograde ◽  
Scrotal Pain ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Life Threatening Complication

Duodenal perforation is a rare but life-threatening complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Duodenal perforation can cause air leak into the extraperitoneal space. In rare instances, the air in the extraperitoneal space could dissect along the fascial planes of the abdomen to reach scrotum, leading to pneumoscrotum. We present the case of a 35-year-old male patient who developed scrotal pain and swelling following ERCP. He was found to have extensive pneumoscrotum, pneumoretroperitoneum, pneumomediastinum, and subcutaneous emphysema. The patient was diagnosed with retroperitoneal duodenal perforation. He was managed conservatively with close monitoring and supportive care.

scholarly journals Thromboembolic Conditions, Aetiology Diagnosis and Treatment in Dogs and Cats

2010 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filip Konečný
Keyword(s):  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
Clinical Presentation ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Definitive Diagnosis ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Window Of Opportunity ◽  
Timely Manner ◽  
Human Counterpart ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Diagnostic Capabilities

In veterinary medicine, thrombo-embolism (TE) is an under-appreciated medical condition that requires immediate recognition. Since TE is multifactorial and its mode of presentation may vary, veterinarians face great difficulties in making a definitive diagnosis in a timely manner. In addition, most of the underlying conditions that give rise to TE are life-threatening and an aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approach is required. Not only does the diagnosis and treatment of this condition require the collaboration of many specialties, the costs of therapy can be excessive with a high risk of recurrence. As such, owners have to be thoroughly informed before the therapy commences. While TE has been well-characterized in humans and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, little information of similar quality is available in veterinary medicine. In addition, TE in animals is distinct from its human counterpart and we cannot simply adapt what is known from human clinical trials. With the promise of improvements in imaging modalities that improve our diagnostic capabilities, the window of opportunity to treat TE increases. This article focuses on aetiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of dogs and cats affected by TE.

scholarly journals Hyperacute graft-v-host disease in patients not given immunosuppression after allogeneic marrow transplantation

Blood ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 1172-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
KM Sullivan ◽  
HJ Deeg ◽  
J Sanders ◽  
A Klosterman ◽  
D Amos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Gvhd ◽  
Graft Function ◽  
Infectious Complications ◽  
Actuarial Survival ◽  
Host Disease ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Poor Graft Function ◽  
Allogeneic Marrow Transplantation ◽  
Grade Ii ◽  
Total Body

Sixteen patients with leukemia in relapse or second to third remission, 5 to 27 years old (median, 17), were given cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg X 2) and total body irradiation (2.25 Gy for each of seven days) followed by unmodified marrow grafts from HLA-identical siblings. Patients did not receive posttransplant immunosuppression and were followed a median of nine months (range, 5–17). Prompt engraftment was sustained in 12 patients with a median time of 16 days (range, 10 to 63) to achieve 500 neutrophils/mm3. One patient failed to engraft, one had delayed engraftment, and two had late poor graft function. All 15 with engraftment developed moderate to life-threatening graft-v-host disease (GVHD, eight grade II and seven grade III-IV). This syndrome was hyperacute (median onset eight days [range, 7 to 29] posttransplant) and manifest by severe skin disease (14 patients at stage 3 and one at stage 4), fever (ten patients), and liver (four patients, stage 3–4) or gut (four patients, stage 3–4) involvement. Serial tissue biopsies confirmed acute GVHD in 13 of 15 patients. Ten were treated with antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporine (four survive), and four with corticosteroids (two survive). Actuarial survival to 17 months was 37%. Causes of death included interstitial pneumonia (four), infection (three), graft failure (one), venocclusive disease (one), and relapse of leukemia (one). Age-matched controls receiving standard methotrexate after transplant had comparable relapse-free survival but only a 25% incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD (P less than .0001). We conclude that deleting posttransplant immunosuppression is associated with frequent and severe hyperacute GVHD, infectious complications, and occasional poor graft function.

What Matters Most to Residency and Intern Selection Committees in Veterinary Medicine?

2021 ◽  
pp. e20200098
Author(s):  
Kenneth D. Royal ◽  
Kent G. Hecker
Keyword(s):  
Internal Medicine ◽  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
Residency Program ◽  
Recent Survey ◽  
Class Rank ◽  
Letter To The Editor ◽  
Veterinary Surgeons ◽  
Residency Selection ◽  
Letters Of Recommendation ◽  
What Matters

A recent survey of members of residency selection committees for the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and American College of Veterinary Surgeons boards found letters of recommendation to be the most important factor when reviewing a resident’s application followed by class rank as the second most important factor. These statistics indicate an interesting, but possibly troubling trend. This Letter to The Editor discusses the major problems concerning these findings and what residency program committees might consider as an alternative.

Hematologic and Oncologic Emergencies

2019 ◽  
pp. 170-177
Author(s):  
James McCue
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Tumor Lysis Syndrome ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Tumor Lysis ◽  
Oncologic Emergencies ◽  
First Response ◽  
Appropriate Treatment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Life Threatening

Hematologic and oncologic emergencies are an uncommon reason for people to present to the emergency department (ED), but when they do, it is important to know how to diagnose and treat these conditions because many of them are life threatening. Whether it is bleeding due to conditions such as hemophilia, von Willebrand’s disease, warfarin use, or dangerous conditions related to cancer such as tumor lysis syndrome or neutropenic fever, knowing the basics will help you manage these patients and also ace the standardized tests. This chapter presents questions related to the diagnosis, clinical effects, best first response in the ED, and most appropriate treatment of a wide range of these hematologic and oncologic emergencies.

Francisella tularensis infection

2020 ◽  
pp. 1091-1094
Author(s):  
Petra C.F. Oyston
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Supportive Care ◽  
Francisella Tularensis ◽  
Clinical Presentation ◽  
Small Rodents ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Arthropod Vector ◽  
Positive Identification ◽  
Rich Media ◽  
Life Threatening

Fransicella tularensis is a small Gram-negative coccobacillus that circulates in small rodents, rabbits, and hares, most frequently in Scandinavia, northern North America, Japan, and Russia. Clinical presentation depends on the route of infection. Most commonly this follows the bite of an infected arthropod vector, resulting in ulceroglandular tularaemia. The most acute and life-threatening disease, respiratory or pneumonic tularaemia, arises following inhalation of infectious aerosols or dusts. The organism is highly fastidious, requiring rich media for isolation and specialized reagents for positive identification; most cases are diagnosed serologically. Treatment is with supportive care and antibiotics (usually ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, or gentamicin). There is no vaccine.

Fluoropyrimidine-induced toxicity and DPD deficiency.. A case report of early onset, lethal capecitabine-induced toxicity and mini review of the literature. Uridine triacetate: Efficacy and safety as an antidote. Is it accessible outside USA?

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 747-753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitra Ioanna Lampropoulou ◽  
Konstantinos Laschos ◽  
Anna-Lea Amylidi ◽  
Ariadni Angelaki ◽  
Nikolaos Soupos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Onset ◽  
Dehydrogenase Deficiency ◽  
Colorectal Cancer Patient ◽  
Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Time Restrictions ◽  
Timely Access ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Chemotherapy Dose

Fluoropyrimidine-based regimens are among the most commonly used chemotherapy combinations for the treatment of solid tumors. Several genetic polymorphisms that are implicated with fluoropyrimidine anabolism and catabolism have been associated with the development of life-threatening toxicities. Uridine triacetate is an FDA-approved antidote for 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine overdose and early-onset, life-threatening toxicity within 96 h of last chemotherapy dose. To date, it is not accessible for Greek patients as per the current summary of product characteristic's time restrictions. We report and discuss the course and outcome of capecitabine toxicity in a 66-year-old female colorectal cancer patient with heterozygous dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency. This paper highlights the difficulty in timely access of this lifesaving medication for Greek and possibly other European patients.

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