Anaphylactic Reactions Caused by Nafamostat Mesylate during Hemodialysis before Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Nafamostat mesylate (NM) has been used to treat pancreatitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation during hemodialysis (HD). However, there have been some reports of adverse effects related to anaphylactic reactions. We present a case in which anaphylactic reactions caused by NM during preoperative HD caused repeated postponement of surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. Symptoms including fever, shivering, chills, low blood pressure, tachycardia, nausea, and vomiting appeared during preoperative HD, and surgery was postponed thrice. Initially, the patient was misdiagnosed with sepsis because of elevated C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels. However, since the symptoms appeared only when NM was administered and disappeared quickly after the administration of NM was terminated, the condition was diagnosed as anaphylactic reactions caused by NM. Therefore, it is essential to consider anaphylactic reactions caused by NM as differential diagnoses, when symptoms, such as fever, are observed during perioperative HD.

Clinical consequences of Hypotension in patient with organophosphate poisoning

Objective: Aim of study is to describe the clinical consequences of hypotension in patient with organophosphate poisoning. Method: In the retrospective cohort study, we analyzed data of 66 patients with organophosphate poisoning who were treated at Bir Hospital, Nams Kathmandu. Data from those with hypotension and normal blood pressure were compared to identify significant clinical consequences. Results: All together 66 patients were enrolled in this study out of which 44(66.7%) were female and 22(33.3%) were male. After analyzing data, we found 18.2% of case with severe poisoning (ACHE < 700 U/L). Among all, 41(62%) were found to have normal blood pressure and 25(37.9%) were found to have low blood pressure. Among those with hypotension, around 56% were found to have prolonged QTc interval, p < 0.003 and there was statistically significant association between QTc prolongation and vasopressor requirement, X2(1) = 22.98, P < 0.001. Patients requiring higher dose to reach atropinization had statistically significant hypotension, P < 0.001. Those with low blood pressure were found to require more days of hospital admission, P < 0.001. Patients with hypotension were found to have severe poisoning both on the basis of POP Score severity grading, 16(64%) P <0.002 and ACHE Severity scale, 7(28%) P < 0.05. In comparison with normal blood pressure group, low blood pressure group had significantly more chance of developing complications like septic shock (2), aspiration pneumonia (5), ARDS (1) and bed sore, P = 0.002. Vasopressor requirement was significantly more among those with low blood pressure, P < 0.001. Most of hypotensive patients were needing ICU care, found to have higher WBC count P = 0.002 and lower GCS Score at admission P < 0.001. There was positive correlation between hypotension and POP Score at admission P < 0.001. Conclusion: Hypotension is a common complication in patient with organophosphate poisoning and is associated with higher POP Score, lower ACHE level, lower GCS Score, increased vasopressor requirement, more hospital stays, increasing ICU admission, more chance of developing septic shock and aspiration pneumonia.

Low Blood Pressure, Comorbidities, and Ischemic Stroke Mortality in US Veterans

Background and Purpose: Low blood pressure (BP) is associated with higher stroke mortality, although the factors underlying this association have not been fully explored. We investigated prestroke BP and long-term mortality after ischemic stroke in a national sample of US veterans. Methods: Using a retrospective cohort study design of veterans hospitalized between 2002 and 2007 with a first ischemic stroke and with ≥1 outpatient BP measurements 1 to 18 months before admission, we defined 6 categories each of average prestroke systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP, and 7 categories of pulse pressure. Patients were followed-up to 12 years for primary outcomes of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. We used Cox models to relate prestroke BP indices to mortality and stratified analyses by the presence of preexisting comorbidities (smoking, myocardial infarction, heart failure, atrial fibrillation/flutter, cancer, and dementia), race and ethnicity. Results: Of 29 690 eligible veterans with stroke (mean±SD age 67±12 years, 98% men, 67% White), 2989 (10%) had average prestroke SBP<120 mm Hg. During a follow-up of 4.1±3.3 years, patients with SBP<120 mm Hg experienced 61% all-cause and 27% cardiovascular mortality. In multivariable analyses, patients with the lowest SBP, lowest diastolic BP, and highest pulse pressure had the highest mortality risk: SBP<120 versus 130 to 139 mm Hg (hazard ratio=1.26 [95% CI, 1.19–1.34]); diastolic BP <60 versus 70 to 79 mm Hg (hazard ratio=1.35 [95% CI, 1.23–1.49]); and pulse pressure ≥90 versus 60 to 69 mm Hg (hazard ratio=1.24 [95% CI, 1.15–1.35]). Patients with average SBP<120 mm Hg and at least one comorbidity (smoking, heart disease, cancer, or dementia) had the highest mortality risk (hazard ratio=1.45 [95% CI, 1.37–1.53]). Conclusions: Compared with normotension, low prestroke BP was associated with mortality after stroke, particularly among patients with at least one comorbidity.

Case report: gastric ischemia, a fatal disease of gastric pneumatosis

Background Gastric pneumatosis indicates the presence of air within the stomach wall. The etiologies included gastric ischemia, gastric intramural infection, gastric mucosal disruption, and secondary to pneumomediastinum. Gastric ischemia is rare because of the rich collateral blood supply to the stomach. Case presentation An 82-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 2-day history of epigastric fullness, following by fever and low blood pressure. Chest X-ray and abdominal computed tomography revealed gastric pneumatosis at the gastric fundus. The esophagogastroduodenoscopy confirmed the ischemic change of mucosa at the gastric fundus. After antibiotics and medical management, the patient became better and was eventually discharged. Conclusion For the diagnosis of gastric ischemia, physicians should be alert to the hints of gastric pneumatosis from X-ray and computed tomography. It is important to distinguish between gastric ischemia and the other causes of gastric pneumatosis to judge clinical management.

Relationship between transient symptomatic hypotensive episodes and 24-hour blood pressure variability in patients with arterial hypertension

Purpose Low blood pressure may be as harmful as high. Symptomatic hypotensive episodes should be a manifestation of circulatory disorders of hypertension – mediated organs especially among hypertensive patients. However, the association of such episodes with blood pressure variability is unknown. Aim To study the relationship between the symptomatic hypotensive episodes and the daily blood pressure variability according to the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in patients with hypertension. Materials and methods 106 patients aged between 40 and 65 years with hypertension were studied. A questionnaire developed by the authors was used to identify symptomatic hypotension. During the study all the subjects had ABPM. Daily blood pressure variability was defined as standard deviation. Results Among all patients, symptomatic hypotensive episodes were observed in 60.6%. Among patients without myocardial infarction or stroke in anamnesis - 52.4%, with ones - 75% participants (p=0.05). Among patient without myocardial infarction or stroke and with symptomatic hypotensive episodes, the high variability of daily systolic BP was observed in 36% of the subjects and averaged 14.3 mm Hg, in the absence of symptomatic hypotensive episodes, the variability of daily systolic BP was 16.3 mm Hg, with a variety of blood pressure exceeding the norm, 80% of the participants (p&lt;0.05). In case of stroke or myocardial infarction in anamnesis and the presence of symptomatic hypotensive episodes, the systolic BP variability of daytime (18.0 mm Hg) and nighttime (14.8 mm Hg) was the highest. The proportion of participants with daily systolic BP variability exceeding the norm was 78%. In the absence of symptomatic hypotensive episodes, the blood pressure variability indicators did not deviate from the norm (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion Heart attack and/or stroke in anamnesis with symptomatic hypotensive episodes are associated with lower daily systolic BP variability (14.3 mm Hg) in comparison with patients without symptomatic hypotensive episodes (16.3 mm Hg). If there were stroke or myocardial infarction in anamnesis, patients with symptomatic hypotensive episodes have higher daily systolic BP variability (18.0 mm Hg) than without hypotensive episodes (14.5 mm Hg). Symptomatic hypotensive episodes are not unidirectionally associated with the variability of blood pressure, the character of the relationship is associated with the presence of heart attack and/or stroke diseases in anamnesis. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.