Long COVID Syndrome Presenting as Hyperferritenemia Associated Toxic Encephalopathy in a Deferoxamine Compliant Patient of Beta Thalassemia

Ferritin overload is a frequent problem encountered in patients with beta thalassemia amounting to various complications. One of rare but important complication of ferritin overload is ferritin overload induced toxic encephalopathy. Serum ferritin has been recognised as a important marker of inflammation and cytokine storm in COVID19.We present a case of Long COVID syndrome presenting as toxic encephalopathy in a case of beta thalassemia in spite of the patient being compliant to desferroxamine therapy.This report highlights the synergistic effect of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus. 2(SARS CoV 2) mediated neuroinflammation through direct viral invasion and the release of inflammatory cytokines including ferritin resulting in toxic encephalopathy in a beta thalassemia major patient who was already prone to develop hyperferritenemia.Ferritin functions as a pro-inflammatory cytokine and it’s level increases in both thalassemia and COVID-19 and the index case presented here had both the conditions predisoposing him to develop toxic encephalopathy even after being compliant to deferoxamine therapy. It is important to recognise and treat this condition in order to prevent mortality and morbidity in patients of beta thalassemia who contract COVID19.

And they slept happily ever after: Online interpretive repertoires on the use of benzodiazepines and z-drugs

Drawing on a critical social-psychological framework for discourse analysis, data from a popular forum for people over 50 were analysed to study how the habitual use of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (BZD/Z) is discursively negotiated by Flemish older adults. We present five different repertoires (risk and addiction; alternative pathways; suffering; rationalisation; cessation) that illustrate how a pharmaceutical imaginary of these medications is constructed online and how posters act as reflexive users taking on a health role. Most repertoires emerge from a tacit norm on the undesirability of medication use for sleeping problems. In the alternative pathways and cessation repertoires this norm is implicitly accepted by focussing on how to either prevent or overcome chronic use with various alternative solutions or through tapering off, while the risk and addiction repertoire is used to more openly defend and discursively magnify the idea that medication has to be avoided at all cost. We discuss how this reflects a prevailing imperative of health and ethos of healthicisation of sleep. The rationalisation and suffering repertoires on the other hand challenge this norm by defending medication use. We further explore how these repertoires are used to self-position as either ‘noble non-user’, ‘deserving and/or compliant patient’ or ‘rational user’, reflecting previously found moral positions in offline settings. Our data add another position that has thus far not been discussed extensively with regard to prescription medication use, namely that of a ‘recovered user’. As such, this study shows how this particular online community is a site for contestation of health promotion and medical/pharmaceuticalised discourses on sleep by users and non-users alike and offers a unique insight into how people in the age group that is known to use most BZD/Z discursively negotiate the use of these medications in pseudonymised online interactions.

The Challenge of the Non-Compliant Patient: A Case of Caesarean Section Scar Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy is a quite common and life-threatening pregnancy. The most common site of ectopic implantation of a fertilized embryo is the fallopian tube. In extremely rare situations, the embryo can implant in other locations, which makes the diagnosis and management even more complex. Although close observation of a new pregnancy is key in the diagnosis and treatment of an ectopic pregnancy, there is still a major risk of life-threatening outcomes. This is a case report of a 31-year-old patient with a history of multiple pregnancies who presented to a community hospital in the spring of 2021 with an ectopic caesarean scar pregnancy. A diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was on a timely basis, and surgical management was advised. Upon refusal of treatment and admission, pharmacological management was initiated, but patient compliance challenged the success of the therapy. Patient non-compliance to close follow-up resulted in a ruptured uterus. Emergency laparotomy with supracervical hysterectomy was performed as a life-saving procedure.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome and pituitary macroadenoma a deadly combination with good outcome

We are presenting here a case of polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder, afflicting 5-13% females of reproductive age, causing 70-80% infertility associated with pituitary macroadenoma i.e. size >10 mm & prolactin level >250 ng/mI. PCOS has a higher relationship with metabolic disturbance and hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis function disorder. Prolactinoma is present in about 50% women with hyperprolactinemia and 33% present with galactorrhea. Our patient was a 22 yrs nulligravida married since 3 yrs first presenting 5 yrs back with complaints of secondary amenorrhea with galactorrhea and infertility. On evaluation she was diagnosed as PCOS and pituitary macroadenoma on MRI. We medically treated her with tab. cabergoline in consultation with endocrinologist and neurosurgeons opinion. Being a compliant patient with regular follow up she conceived twice with good outcome and breastfed her babies on medical management only. Now she has 2 children (male child of 3 yrs and 1 month). Dilemma in management options will be discussed.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome and pituitary macroadenoma a deadly combination with good outcome

We are presenting here a case of polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder, afflicting 5-13% females of reproductive age, causing 70-80% infertility associated with pituitary macroadenoma i.e. size >10mm& prolactin level >250 ng/mI. PCOS has a higher relationship with metabolic disturbance and hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis function disorder. Prolactinoma is present in about 50% women with hyperprolactinemia and 33% present with galactorrhea. Our patient was a 22 yrs nulligravida married since 3 yrs first presenting 5 yrs back with complaints of secondary amenorrhea with galactorrhea and infertility. On evaluation she was diagnosed as PCOS and pituitary macroadenoma on MRI. We medically treated her with tab. cabergoline in consultation with endocrinologist and neurosurgeons opinion. Being a compliant patient with regular follow up she conceived twice with good outcome and breastfed her babies on medical management only. Now she has 2 children (male child of 3 yrs and 1 month). Dilemma in management options will be discussed. Summary: Inspite of having both Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) & Pituitary Macroadenoma, which warrant surgical management (major causes of Infertility) selected cases like ours can be managed medically successfully.

Rare case of gigantic ulcerating phyllodes tumour in developed country with a review of the literature

Phyllodes tumour (PT) is a rare type of fibroepithelial breast tumour that can present in a wide spectrum of biological behaviours, accounting for <1% of breast malignancies. Herein, we present a case of a rare gigantic ulcerating PT in a middle-aged woman from regional Western Australia, who presented with a rapidly growing right breast mass. Core biopsy showed spindle cell lesion with differentials being PT of at least borderline variety or metaplastic carcinoma. The ulcerations over the fungating tumour showed heavy growth of Staphylococcus aureus. The treating team subsequently proceeded to right total mastectomy with level 1 and 2 axillary clearance. This report emphasizes the rare presentation of PT, dilemma in investigations and the difficulties in managing non-compliant patient where treatment protocol needs to be modified.

Choice, Voice, and Coproduction in Intermediate Care: Exploring Geriatric Patients’ and Their Relatives’ Perspectives on Patient Participation

Geriatric patients in intermediate care (IC) often do not feel involved in their rehabilitation process. We conducted interviews with 15 patients and 12 relatives to explore their experiences and preferences regarding patient participation in IC and identify types of patient participation and their potential empowering or disempowering effect. The analysis disclosed a lack of patient choice in a predetermined IC pathway. Being deserving of help meant being sick enough and was associated with the compliant patient who fits the system. Some main additional features were the need of a rehabilitation perspective and patient engagement to enable coproduction as well as the important contribution of relatives as advocates and allies. Finally, the results show the patients’ vulnerable voice in the meeting with the experts’ views. The study will add important knowledge on how staff can contribute to the tailoring of good interventions in IC and improve the understanding of underlying structures.