abrupt onset
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Author(s):  
Paolo Barbero ◽  
Domizia Vecchio ◽  
Eleonora Virgilio ◽  
Paola Naldi ◽  
Cristoforo Comi ◽  
...  

AbstractA 35-year-old Caucasian woman presented an abrupt onset of bilateral impaired vision, and arrived to our attention two weeks later. She had a previous episode of mild dizziness. She underwent a fluorescein angiography showing branch retinal artery occlusions and a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealing several supraand infratentorial FLAIR-hyperintense white matter lesions, two with contrast enhancement. Thrombophilic, autoimmune and infective (including Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Borrelia burgdorferi, Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, Herpes Simplex Virus 1-2, Varicella Zoster Virus) screening was negative. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed intrathecal IgG synthesis. We suspected a Primary Central Nervous System Vasculitis, and intravenous steroids were started. Three months later a second brain MRI showed seven new lesions without contrast enhancement, and she revealed a cognitive impairment and bilateral hearing loss. Reviewing the clinical history and MRI, she fulfilled diagnostic criteria for Susac syndrome. She had two cycles of cyclophosphamide, and recovered in 6 months and then remained stable with metotrexate.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Whitney Jordan Adams

The abrupt onset of the COVID -19 pandemic brought devastating consequences to society as we know it. Connected to the obvious medical, societal, and economic changes, the pandemic also ushered in a world of isolation. Within this world, both media and violence are connected to imposed quarantine and confinement. During the pandemic, many studies indicated the rise of gender-based violence. For example, Mittal and Singh (2020) study the rise of quarantine violence in India. Equally disturbing is the rise of gender-based violence in digital spaces. Anon-IB is an image-based discussion board where anonymous images are posted. However, the board has become a hotbed for revenge porn and incel activity. Dutch police shut the site down in April 2018 (Vaas, 2018), but during the pandemic Anon-IB was able to find loopholes to restart itself. Users can also post headshots of a woman on the site and then ask for “wins,” which translates into nude photos. Anon-IB is location-based, and users often ask for photos of women in the surrounding area. The site also reaches aninternational audience. One example is a past thread from The University of Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia. This paper discusses the rise of extreme online violence and revenge porn during the pandemic through a discourse analysis of Anon-IB. A discussion of incel culture will also be discussed, using the work of O’Malley et al. (2020) and others as a framework to discuss the internet’s role in ideological extremism and violence.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 109-109
Author(s):  
Hanna Ulatowska ◽  
Gloria Olness

Abstract Personal stories provide insight into the experience of illness as it intersects with one’s identity. Prior studies by the first author examined identity as manifested in personal accounts of U.S. World War II veterans with and without dementia. The current study examines identity as revealed through written memoirs of middle-aged and older adults who have aphasia, from a cross-section of North American, European, and Australian cultures. The abrupt onset of stroke and associated aphasia, and the subsequent path toward re-engagement in life with an often-chronic communicative impairment, provide a unique window into the nature and evolution of the identity of the writer. The written modality offers an opportunity for reflective formulation that is not afforded to the memoir-writers in their verbal expression. Nineteen memoirs and biographical accounts of individuals with aphasia from a range of primarily individualistic cultures were examined for content reflective of the identity of the author, focused on post-stroke phases of restitution and quest. Primary authors were people with aphasia or rarely their close family member. Some were professional editors, poets or authors. Gender and life backgrounds were varietal. Manifestations of personal identity, its reinforcement, and its evolution were evidenced in: the provision of lessons learned from living with aphasia; content of letters exchanged with friends; engagement with family in life and recovery; fictional and poetic expression; spiritual insight; renewed or altered occupational pursuits; and comments on facing one’s mortality. Findings hold implications for the cross-cultural practice of narrative medicine with the older adult population.


2021 ◽  
pp. 239936932110611
Author(s):  
Marcella M Frediani ◽  
Francisco Z Mattedi ◽  
Livia B Cavalcante ◽  
Verônica T Costa e Silva ◽  
Renato A Caires ◽  
...  

The incidence of malignancy is increased in systemic sclerosis (SS). Nevertheless, only a few cases of paraneoplastic SS (pSS) have been described. Scleroderma renal crisis is an uncommon but severe complication of SS, with acute kidney failure, abrupt onset of hypertension and microangiopathy. We present the case of a previously healthy patient who was diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma and underwent chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel. In association with the cancer, she developed SS and scleroderma renal crisis. She received initial supportive treatment, but her renal function worsened, and she started on hemodialysis. Furthermore, she received adjuvant surgical treatment for the cancer. Eighty-four days after cytoreductive surgery, her renal function recovered, and her SS manifestations improved.


Circulation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 144 (Suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongzi Shan ◽  
Xiao Hu ◽  
Noel G Boyle ◽  
Duc H Do

Introduction: Respiratory failure is a common cause of pulseless electrical activity (PEA) arrest in hospitalized patients, but how pathophysiologic changes in these conditions affect heart rate (HR) pre-arrest is not well described. We describe HR dynamics prior to in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) among PEA/asystole arrest patients with respiratory etiology. Methods: In this retrospective descriptive study, we evaluated 67 patients with ≥3 hours of continuous ECG data recorded immediately preceding PEA/asystole IHCA in a single institution from 2010-2014. We identified respiratory arrest cases (eg. pneumonia, aspiration, pulmonary embolism, acute respiratory distress syndrome) by chart review and evaluated ECG patterns up to 24 hours prior to arrest to identify patterns of HR increase, HR decrease, sinus arrest, and escape rhythms. Results: We identified 31/67 patients with respiratory etiology (age 59±17 years, 52% male, 83% return of spontaneous circulation, 41% survived to discharge); of these 23/31(74%) fit an a priori model of HR response (Figure). Twelve cases demonstrated clear onset of HR increase at a median of 44 (IQR 28-507) minutes prior to arrest, while the remaining 11 cases started the monitoring period in sinus tachycardia. The mean peak HR was 120±20 bpm. An abrupt onset of HR decrease occurred at a median of 3.4 (IQR 2.3-5.9) minutes prior to arrest. Sinus arrest occurred during the HR decrease phase in 18/23 cases; the first escape rhythm was atrial in 11 (61%), junctional in 2 (11%) and ventricular in 3 (17%) cases. Conclusion: The majority of IHCA due to respiratory etiology (74%) follow a typical model of HR increase due to physiologic compensation to hypoxia, followed by rapid HR decrease leading to PEA arrest, likely from the vagal effect of hypoxia and sinus node suppression from acidosis. Understanding HR trends can aid clinical management as well as development of artificial intelligence models for prediction of IHCA.


2021 ◽  
pp. 097275312110510
Author(s):  
Prativa Priyadarshani Sethi ◽  
Ashwin Parchani ◽  
Monika Pathania

Thyrotoxic periodic palsy (TPP) is a sporadic form of hypokalemic periodic palsy that may occur in association with hyperthyroidism mostly with Graves’ disease. Acute thyrotoxic periodic palsy is a disorder most commonly seen in Asian men and characterized by abrupt onset of hypokalemia and paralysis. The disorder primarily affects the lower extremities and can involve all four limbs and presents as acute flaccid paralysis. The diagnosis of thyrotoxic periodic palsy is not difficult, but the disease's low incidence and many differentials for acute flaccid paralysis delay and complicate the diagnosis. TPP is not related to the etiology, severity, and duration of thyrotoxicosis. The treatment is similar to hypokalemic periodic palsy with potassium supplementation and initiation of antithyroid drugs and beta-blocker therapy. Here a similar case of quadriparesis is reported, which got precipitated after abrupt cessation of carbimazole in a young male. This initially was thought to be a case of hypokalemic periodic palsy and was later diagnosed to be TPP and recovered after initiating antithyroid drugs and potassium supplementation.


Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 4053-4053
Author(s):  
Xiaopei Lily Zeng ◽  
Sherif M. Badawy

Abstract Background: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) usually is a mild and self-limited disease; however, 25-30% of children develop chronic ITP. Nordic score is a validated clinical prediction tool, yet its use in children is limited and evidence for other prognostic factors is unclear. Purpose: To evaluate clinical outcomes among pediatric ITP patients, and examine their relationship to patient characteristics, including Nordic score. We hypothesized that Nordic score and patient characteristics will be predictive of ITP resolution or development of chronic ITP. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all children diagnosed with ITP at our institution between May 2008 to May 2019. Data extraction included patients' age, sex, presenting signs and symptoms, laboratory values, treatment decisions, and clinical outcomes. Nordic score calculated with 6 clinical features from diagnosis: abrupt onset <14 days, age < 10 years, preceding infection <1 month, platelet count < 5x10 9/L, wet purpura, and male sex. High scores (10-14) predict a brief disease course (<3 months), whereas low scores (0-4) predict a more prolonged course. Primary outcomes included complete response (CR) (platelets 100 x10 9/L on 2 occasions >7 days apart), recurrence (platelets < 100 after achieving CR), development of chronic ITP, and resolution (long term normal platelet count). Secondary outcomes included early response (platelets 30 x10 9/L in <1 week), time to CR, duration of CR (months between CR and recurrence), and time to resolution. Data presented as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. OR for Nordic score presented per 5-unit increase correlating with Nordic score categories (low 0-4, moderate 5-9, high 10-14). Results: A total of 308 patients were included (median age 5 years, IQR 2.0-10.8; 54.5% male) (Table 1). About 56% presented with platelets < 10 x10 9/L and 42% had bleeding at diagnosis (bleeding score 3 or higher), only 3% were severe. Median Nordic score was 10 (IQR 6-11). Overall, 64% of patients were treated upfront, majority (98%) receiving intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Treatment at diagnosis was more likely for patients with platelets < 10 x10 9/L (OR 21, 10.4-42.5), bleeding score 3 or higher (OR 2.0, 1-4), and higher Nordic score (OR 6.2, 5.6-6.9) (Table 2). Treatment was predictive only of early response in multivariate analysis, not of CR, recurrence, development of chronic ITP, or disease resolution. Additionally, treatment at diagnosis was not associated with reduction in ITP-related complications, such as major bleeding episodes, need for platelet or red cell transfusions, or iron deficiency anemia. Overall rate of CR was 90% over a median of 1 month (IQR 0.3-4 months), while 13% had recurrence after median 19 months (IQR 8.3-26.0 months) and 32% developed chronic ITP. Overall, 80% of all study patients had resolution of ITP after median 1 month (IQR 0.3-5), with 86% achieving this before 12 months. About 36% of patients with chronic ITP had disease resolution over median 25 months (IQR 16.3-46.5 months). Univariate analysis showed significant variation across subgroups for age, viral symptoms, abrupt onset, Nordic score, hospital admission at diagnosis, platelet count, and treatment. Using multivariate regression analysis adjusted for the above variables, Nordic score was the only independent predictor of all primary outcomes. Higher Nordic score group had increased likelihood of CR (OR 6.2, 5.6-6.8) and disease resolution (OR 6.8, 5.1-8.9). Lower Nordic score group was associated with increased likelihood of recurrence (OR 6.5, 5.3-6.9) and development of chronic ITP (OR 8.6, 6.5-11.4). Additionally, higher Nordic score group was associated with increased time to recurrence and duration of response, decreased time to CR and resolution. Conclusions: In our cohort, low platelet count and bleeding symptoms were drivers of upfront treatment in pediatric ITP. Treatment initiation, associated with Nordic score, was predictive of faster increase in platelet count; however, it had no impact on overall disease trajectory or likelihood of complications. Our analysis demonstrate that Nordic score is an independent predictor of CR, resolution, recurrence, and development chronic ITP. Nordic score is a useful, simple prognostic tool that has the potential to help predict clinical course of pediatric ITP and identifying patients who may benefit from closer monitoring. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Badawy: Bluebird Bio Inc: Consultancy; Sanofi Genzyme: Consultancy; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc: Consultancy.


2021 ◽  
pp. 892-900
Author(s):  
Amaal J. Starling ◽  
David W. Dodick

In the evaluation of a patient with headache, the first task is to differentiate between a secondary headache and a primary headache. This step is essential because secondary causes of headache may require vastly different evaluation and treatment than primary headache disorders. Thunderclap headache (TCH) is an acute, severe headache with an abrupt onset, reaching maximum intensity in less than 1 minute. TCH is a neurologic emergency and should immediately prompt an urgent evaluation for a secondary headache.


Author(s):  
Liaquat Ali ◽  
◽  
Ahmad Muhammad ◽  
Islam Ahmed ◽  
Khawaja Hassan Haroon ◽  
...  

Introduction: Acute spinal cord infarction represents 1% of all strokes. The neurological presentation of spinal cord infarction is defined by vascular territory i.e. anterior or posterior spinal arteries. A broad spectrum of diseases can cause spinal cord infarction, most common cause is surgical repair or diseases of the thoracoabdominal aorta. MRI of the spine shows hyperintensities on T2WI, restricted diffusion on DWI and vertebral body infarction adjacent to a cord signal abnormality. Poor prognostic factors for recovery are severe impairment at presentation, female sex, advanced age, and lack of improvement in the first 24 hours. We describe clinical presentation, radiological findings and 3-month outcome of four patients who presented with ischemic spinal cord infarction. Methods: We retrospectively analysed our prospectively collected data and found four cases of spinal cord infarction for the period of May 2020 to April 2021. Total of 1,326 stroke patients (1125 i.e. 85% ischemic and 201 i.e. 15% haemorrhagic) were admitted in Hamad General Hospital. At our centre, spinal cord infarction accounts 0.30% of total stroke and 0.35% of ischemic strokes. We describe four young patients, presented with abrupt onset of focal neurologic deficit. Their MRI of the spine revealed hyperintensity signals in T2WI, restricted diffusion on DWI of spinal cord. Two patients had vertebral artery occlusion or dissection. One patient was discharged home and three patients underwent multidisciplinary rehabilitation program. Discussion: Spinal cord infarction may present with acute paraparesis or quadriparesis with devastating consequences. Blood flow to the spinal cord is influenced by perfusion pressure. The most common cause of spinal cord infarction in this case series was vertebral artery dissection or occlusion. Our case series suggests early recognition of spinal cord stroke, appropriate investigations and early treatment with further rehabilitation could improve patient outcome. Conclusion: Spinal cord infarction, a rare but devastating condition, represents 1% of all strokes but 0.3% of total strokes at our centre. Early recognition of spinal cord ischemia especially when presenting with abrupt onset focal neurological deficit, focus on underlying pathology with appropriate imaging and further investigations, secondary stroke prevention and rehabilitation are vital factors to improve neurological recovery. Future randomized trails are needed to establish the efficacy and safety of drug therapy including rt-PA in spinal cord infarction. Abbreviations: ASA: Anterior spinal artery; PSA: Posterior spinal artery; MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging; MRA: Magnetic resonance arteriogram; DWI: Diffusion weighted imaging; ICP: Intra-cranial pressure.


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