Characteristics of Chest X-Ray in Patients with Cancer at the Dharmais Cancer Hospital Emergency Room during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Conventional chest X-ray (chest X-ray) in Dharmais Cancer Hospital emergency room (ER) is still the primary modality to diagnose patients with cancer with dyspnoea complaints. Chest X-ray was also carried out to screen inpatients at the Dharmais Cancer Hospital ER at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. It was essential because patients in the Dharmais Cancer Hospital ER were patients with cancer, with low immunity and a high risk of being exposed to various infections. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of chest X-rays in patients with cancer at the Dharmais Cancer Hospital ER during the COVID-19 pandemic in February-May 2020. Methods: This was a descriptive study. The population involved was all patients at the Dharmais Cancer Hospital ER who received chest X-ray support, with the inclusion criteria for diagnosing lung cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, and blood cancer (Leukemia) from February to May 2020. Data analysis employed univariate analysis by utilizing tables and graphs in presenting the data.Results: 289 samples met the research criteria. The highest visits were patients with breast cancer (41.2%). The most common thoracic images were pleural effusion (34.3%), followed by bronchopneumonia (31.1%), normal lung (16.6%), lung mass (7.6%), pneumonia (5.2%), and others (5.2%), consisting of atelectasis, bronchitis, fibrosis/chronic pulmonary process, pulmonary emphysema, cardiomegaly, and specific process. Besides, the chest x-ray bronchopneumonia was 31.1% (90 samples), accompanied by pleural effusion of 44.4%. From the chest X-ray, pleural effusions were 34.3% (99 samples), with lung cancer being the most common with pleural effusions (48.4%).Conclusions: More than 80% of chest x-ray performed in the ER are abnormal. Also, breast cancer is the highest in the Dharmais Cancer Hospital ER cases, with the highest chest x-ray of pleural effusion.

A catastrophic seronegative anti-phospholipid syndrome: case and literature review

Background Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is a multisystemic autoimmune disease characterized by arterial and venous thrombosis and / or obstetric morbidity in the presence of at least one circulating anti-phospholipid antibody. The spectrum of vascular events varies from deep venous thrombosis to catastrophic APS, a rare form characterized by acute multiorgan thrombosis and high mortality. Case report We present the case of a 32-week pregnant woman arriving in the hospital emergency room with bilateral acute lower limb ischemia. In the obstetric evaluation, fetal death was declared. Computerized Tomography angiography showed pulmonary embolism of both pulmonary arteries, areas of splenic and right renal infarction and multiple arterial and venous thrombosis. The patient underwent urgent caesarean section and axillary-bifemoral bypass. No events registered. In the postoperative period, in an intensive care unit, treatment with rituximab and plasmapheresis were added to anticoagulant therapy. The laboratorial investigation was negative for thrombophilia and autoimmune diseases. Conclusion Catastrophic APS develops quickly, with multiorgan involvement and high mortality rate. The presented case poses a multidisciplinary challenge, with the surgical approach of extra-anatomical revascularization being less invasive and guaranteeing immediate perfusion of the lower limbs. Although the serological tests were negative for anti-phospholipid antibodies, this case hardly fits into another diagnosis. Therefore, it was treated as a catastrophic APS, having shown a favorable evolution.

Clinical Case of the Occurrence of Stroke Followed by Death After Vaccine Against SARS-CoV-2

Introduction: The current COVID-19 pandemic has involved developing vaccines to control the virulence of SARS-CoV-2. More than 4.1 million people have died from COVID-19.1 In response to this public health emergency, several vaccines against COVID-19 have been developed, with more than 3.7 billion doses administered worldwide. After the introduction of the adenovirus vector vaccine ChAdOx1, several cases of severe venous thrombosis with thrombocytopenia were reported worldwide. Objective: It was to present a case report of a 25-year-old female patient who presented extensive left intraparenchymal hematoma and rapid progression to brain death followed by death. Case report: A 25-year-old woman, CSS, was vaccinated against COVID-19 with the adenovirus ChAdOx1, 14 days after admission, evolved with a fever that started about 13 days ago, associated with holocranial, tight, moderate-intensity headache. On the day of admission, she was found by the torporous, unresponsive, and vomiting family, referred to the hospital emergency room. The patient was admitted to Glasgow 4 with evidence of anisocoria, with the left pupils larger than the right, rapidly progressing to mydriasis. Cranial computed tomography (CT) showed extensive left intraparenchymal hematoma, performing urgent decompressive craniectomy and placement of an intracranial pressure monitoring catheter. The cerebrospinal fluid exam did not show bacteria or fungi. CT angiography showed extensive thrombosis of the anterior portions of the superior sagittal sinus and probable thrombosis of the superficial drainage veins of the frontal regions. Skull CT revealed diffuse and bilateral ischemia. Laboratory tests showed mild thrombocytopenia and no change in the coagulogram. After one day, the patient evolved with worsening neurological status. Sedation was turned off to start the brain death protocol, which was confirmed twice. Finally, an electroencephalogram was performed with evidence of a straight-line tracing, without evidence of electrical brain activity. Final considerations: Several studies have been published regarding cerebral thrombosis, stroke, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic events. Thus, safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 are an urgent need, as they can leave pathophysiological responses of hypercoagulability and thrombo inflammation associated with acute infection.

The Effect of Irrigation to the Amount of Bacterial Colony Formation in Open Fracture

Aims: To determine the effectiveness of 3, 6, and 9 liters of physiological saline for wound irrigation in grade II open fracture at lower extremity in reducing the number of bacterial colonies Study Design: This observational study determined the quantity of physiological saline for wound irrigation in grade II open fracture at lower extremity which is effective in reducing the number of bacterial colonies. Place of Study: Moewardi Hospital Emergency Room and the Microbiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret. Methodology: 16 patients with grade II open fracture at lower extremity who came and received treatment was included. Patients with grade II long bone open fracture less than six hours, patients with multiple open fractures of the long bones taken only in one place, patients who had not received medical treatment since the incident were included. Patients suffering from previous bone and/or soft tissue infections at the fracture site and suffering from multiple trauma who should receive immediate life-saving measures were included. Results: There were 12 patients who met criteria inclusion. After 3 L irrigation, there was a decrease in the amount of bacterial colony, same as 6 L irrigation, while there was no increase in the number of bacterial colonies in 9 L irrigation. There were significant differences in 3L, 6L, 9L irrigations (p = 0.001), but the most effective irrigation fluid was in 9 liters compared with 6 liters (p <0.05). Conclusion: Wound irrigation with 3, 6, and 9 liters of normal saline will significantly reduce the number of bacteria. However, irrigation with 9 liters of normal saline dilution in grade II open fracture at the lower extremity is the most effective.

Pharmacokinetic modeling of over-the-counter drug diphenhydramine self-administered in overdoses in Japanese patients admitted to hospital

Background Although the over-the-counter H1 receptor antagonist diphenhydramine is not a common drug of abuse, it was recently recognized as one of the substances causing acute poisoning in patients attempting suicide that led to admissions to our hospital emergency room. Case presentation Two patients [women aged 21 and 27 years (cases 1 and 2)] were emergently admitted after intentionally taking overdoses of 900 and 1200 mg diphenhydramine, respectively. The plasma diphenhydramine concentrations in case 1 were 977 and 425 ng/mL at 2.5 and 11.5 h after single oral overdose, and those in case 2 were 1320 and 475 ng/mL at 3 and 18 h after administration, respectively. We set up a simplified physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model that was established using the reported pharmacokinetic data for a microdose of diphenhydramine. The two virtual plasma concentrations and the area under the curve (AUC) values extrapolated using the PBPK model were consistent with the observed overdose data. This finding implied linearity of pharmacokinetics over a wide dosage range for diphenhydramine. Conclusions The determined plasma concentrations of diphenhydramine of around 1000 ng/mL at ~ 3 h after orally administered overdoses in cases 1 and 2 may not have been high enough to cause hepatic impairment because levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were normal; however, there was an increase in total bilirubin in case 1. Nonetheless, high virtual liver exposures of diphenhydramine were estimated by the current PBPK model. The present results based on drug monitoring data and pharmacokinetic predictions could serve as a useful guide when setting the duration of treatment in cases of diphenhydramine overdose.

Obstructing Trachea Tumor: Myoepithelial Carcinoma about a Case

Myoepithelial carcinoma, also called malignant myoepithelioma, is an extremely rare tumor of the salivary gland type. It is defined as a malignant neoplasm in which the tumor cells exhibit exclusively myoepithelial differentiation. Our case is a 48-year-old patient with no specific history who was presented to the hospital emergency room for respiratory difficulty and dysphagia progressively evolving for 08 weeks. A cervical CT was done which revealed a hypodense tumor process in T1 of 4 cm long axis obstructing the trachea well limited and richly vascularized. The diagnosis of tracheal myoepithelial carcinoma was made after histological and immunohistochemical analysis on a biopsy pending analysis of the operative specimen. Treatment remains initially surgical with appropriate postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

COVID-19 and the Impact on the Cranio-Oro-Facial Trauma Care in Italy: An Epidemiological Retrospective Cohort Study

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has deeply modified the organization of hospitals, health care centers, and the patient’s behavior. The aim of this epidemiological retrospective cohort study is to evaluate if and how the COVID-19 pandemic has determined a modification in cranio-oro-facial traumatology service. Methods: The dataset included hospital emergency room access of a six-month pre-pandemic period and six months into pandemic outbreak. The variables collected were: patient age, gender, type of emergency access with relative color code, Glasgow Coma Scale Score, type of discharge. Results: 537 vs 237 (pre-pandemic vs pandemic) patients accessed the hospital emergency room and the mean age decreased from 60.79 ± 25.34 to 56.75 ± 24.50 year. Yellow and green code access went from 28.9% and 66.1% to 37.5% and 57.7% (pre-pandemic vs pandemic). Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) shows an increase of 16.6% vs 27.8% of 15 grade score, a 28.7% vs 28.5% of the 14 grade score and reduction of 13 and 12 grade 40.2% and 14.5% vs 37.1 and 9.7% (pre-pandemic vs pandemic). Conclusions: Since the COVID-19 outbreak continues, epidemiological data are still necessary to perform public health intervention strategies and to appropriately predict the population needs, in order to properly manage the COVID-19 related to oral pathologies as well as the most common health problems.

Hospital Emergency Room Savings via Health Line S24 in Portugal

Hospital emergency departments are often overused by patients that do not really need urgent care. These admissions are one of the major factors contributing to hospital costs, which should not be allowed to compromise the response and effectiveness of the National Health Services (SNS). The aim of this study is to perform a detailed spatial health econometrics analysis of the non-urgent emergency situations (classified by Manchester triage) by area, linking them with the efficient use of the national health line, the Saude24 line (S24 line). This is evaluated through the S24 savings calls, using a savings index and its spatial effectiveness in solving the non-urgent emergency situations. A savings call is a call by a user whose initial intention was to go to an urgency department, but who. after calling the S24 line. changed his/her mind. Given the spatial nature of the data, and resorting to INLA in a Bayesian paradigm, the number of non-urgent cases in the Portuguese urgency hospital departments is modeled in an autoregressive way. The spatial structure is accounted for by a set of random effects. The model additionally includes regular covariates and a spatially lagged covariate savings index, related with the S24 savings calls. Therefore, the response in a given area depends not only on the (weighted) values of the response in its neighborhood and of the considered covariates, but also on the (weighted) values of the covariate savings index measured in each neighbor, by means of a Bayesian Poisson spatial Durbin model.