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Biomedical subjects

B Z Horowitz

Publications and source records attributed to B Z Horowitz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Should transient loss of consciousness in blunt head trauma be a pre-hospital trauma triage criterion?

The objective of this study was to evaluate pre-hospital triage of patients with an isolated brief loss of consciousness (LOC) to a regional trauma center (RTC). Data from a 6-month period were retrospectively reviewed from an existing pre-hospital data collection set. Patients were included if either they or a witness claimed a LOC, but they had regained consciousness to at least a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) > 13 by the time the paramedics arrived. Endpoints for need for trauma center services included positive head computed tomography (CT) scan, the occurrence of emergency non-orthopedic surgery in < 6 h, admission to a surgical intensive care unit (ICU), or a length of stay (LOS) greater than 3 days for surgical evaluation. There were 655 complete records available for 275 cases of vehicular trauma and 380 cases of non-vehicular trauma. There were 170 (62%) patients in the vehicular group, and 287 (76%) in the non-vehicular group evaluated in the emergency department and discharged. In the vehicular group, only one (0.4%) patient required operative intervention in less than 6 h, three (1.1%) had a positive head CT scan, 10 (3.6%) were admitted to a surgical ICU, and four (1.5%) had a LOS > 3 days. In the non-vehicular trauma group, only one (0.3%) had surgery in < 6 h, eight (2.1%) had a positive CT scan, six (1.6%) were admitted to a surgical ICU or had a LOS > 3 days. Overall, 19 (2.9%, CI 0.018-0.045) patients met any one of the end-point criteria for trauma center utilization; however, only one patient (0.2% CI < 0.0001-0.008) required immediate neurosurgical intervention. Transient LOC, in the absence of any other American College of Surgeons (ACS) trauma triage criteria, triaged 97% of patients to a trauma center, who did not require trauma center services based on our criteria.

Glasgow Coma Scale↗
PubMed2001

Lead poisoning and chelation in a mother-neonate pair.

We report the case of a pregnant woman with chronic lead toxicity and a blood lead of 57 microg/dL (2.7 micromol/L) who gave birth to a healthy-appearing neonate with a cord blood lead of 126 microg/dL (6.08 micromol/L). The mother was prescribed a single course of oral succimer late in the third trimester of pregnancy, without any appreciable change in her blood lead. The neonate was initially treated with intramuscular dimercaprol and intravenous edetate calcium disodium. After 3 days, the neonate was then switched to oral 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid because the blood lead had declined. The child received two 19-day courses of 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid and had a blood lead level of 21.5 microg/dL (1.04 micromol/L) at 5 months of age. Despite extensive investigation, the precise source of the mother's lead toxicity remained undetermined.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Intermediate syndrome after malathion ingestion despite continuous infusion of pralidoxime.

CASE REPORT: A 33-year-old female ingested an unknown quantity of malathion in a suicide attempt. Cholinergic signs consistent with severe organ, phosphate intoxication developed and were treated within 6 hours of ingestion. Intravenous atropine and a continuous infusion of pralidoxime (400 mg/h) were administered. Prolonged depression of plasma and red blood cell cholinesterases were documented. Despite an initial clinical improvement and the presence of plasma pralidoxime concentrations exceeding 4 microg/mL, the patient developed profound motor paralysis consistent with the diagnosis of Intermediate Syndrome. In addition to the dose and frequency of pralidoxime administration, other factors including persistence of organophosphate in the body, the chemical structure of the ingested organophosphate, and the time elapsed between ingestion and treatment may limit the effectiveness of pralidoxime as an antidote in organophosphate ingestions. This case study suggests that these factors should be taken into account in assessing the risk of Intermediate Syndrome after intentional organophosphate ingestions.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Fatal cardiovascular collapse following acute colchicine ingestion.

BACKGROUND: A previously published prognostic rule predicts 100% survival after ingestion of cochicine doses less than 0.5 mg/kg and 100% mortality after ingestion of more than 0.8 mg/kg. This rule inaccurately predicted survival in a recent case. CASE REPORT: We present a case of fatal colchicine poisoning in an adult who ingested a maximum of 39.6 mg of colchicine (0.40 mg/kg). He subsequently developed hypotension which was refractory to fluid resuscitation and infusion of vasopressors. He died of cardiovascular collapse approximately 35 hours after ingestion. DISCUSSION: Fatal outcomes are possible even with colchicine doses less than 0.5 mg/kg. Physicians caring for colchicine-poisoned patients must be prepared for the possibility of acute cardiovascular collapse and ventricular dysrhythmias regardless of the reported dose of colchicine.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

The futility of hemoperfusion and hemodialysis in Amanita phalloides poisoning.

Amanita phalloides mushrooms are extremely toxic. A variety of treatments have been proposed based as often on anecdotal experience as on firm evidence. General consensus exists regarding some treatments, such as the use of silibinin, penicillin, and activated charcoal. The most polarized debate concerns the value of extracorporeal elimination. We describe a case of 2 adults with confirmed Amanita phalloides poisoning treated with hemodialysis (HD) immediately after arrival at our tertiary care hospital (23 h after ingestion) and later with hemoperfusion (HP); a series blood samples were taken to determine the clearance of the toxin by each method. No amatoxin was detected before treatment, after treatment, or in the HD/HP circuits. Neither HD nor HP contributed to the clearance of amatoxin.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Life-threatening interaction of mibefradil and beta-blockers with dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers.

Mibefradil is a T-type and L-type calcium channel blocker (CCB) released in the United States in 1997 for management of hypertension and chronic stable angina. Postmarketing surveillance revealed a potential serious interaction between mibefradil and beta-blockers, digoxin, verapamil, and diltiazem, especially in elderly patients. The manufacturer voluntarily withdrew mibefradil on June 8, 1998. We describe 4 cases of cardiogenic shock in patients taking mibefradil and beta-blockers who began taking dihydropyridine CCBs. One case resulted in death; the other 3 survived episodes of cardiogenic shock with intensive support of heart rate and blood pressure. Physicians who are preparing to switch patients' medications from mibefradil to other antihypertensive agents should be aware of these potentially life-threatening drug-drug interactions.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1998

An unusual exposure to methyl bromide leading to fatality.

INTRODUCTION: Methyl bromide has been responsible for deaths that usually occur from its accidental inhalation during fumigation. CASE REPORT: We report an accidental fatality that occurred after methyl bromide seeped through underground conduits from a fumigated building to an adjacent guest house on the same property. The patient developed refractory seizures, intermittent fever, and multiorgan system failure before dying 19 days after exposure. The initial serum bromide was 27 mg/dL. Postmortem analysis detected methyl bromide concentrations of 2.9 mg/dL in the blood, 1.7 mg/dL in the bile, 24 micrograms/g in the liver, and 28 micrograms/g in the adipose tissue. CONCLUSION: Methyl bromide, although applied under acceptable safety standards, led to the inadvertent death of a young woman. Extreme care must be used when fumigating to insure no unsuspected seepage routes exist.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The case of the salad shooters: intravenous injection of wild lettuce extract.

Three young adult drug users obtained wild lettuce and valerian root, prepared a crude aqueous extract of the wild lettuce, and injected the extract i.v. One also injected an alcohol extract of the valerian root. All 3 rapidly became ill with fevers, chills, abdominal pain, flank and back pain, neck stiffness, headache, leucocytosis and mild liver function abnormalities, but recovered over the next 3 d. Various literature and internet sources claim that wild lettuce has opiate properties not demonstrated in this case.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Calcium polysulfide overdose: a report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Calcium polysulfide or lime-sulfur solution is a common agricultural product used as a fungicide. Despite its easy availability, only two prior cases of intentional ingestion, both from Japan, have been reported in the literature. CASE REPORTS: Two cases of calcium polysulfide ingestion are presented. In the first case severe acidosis, coma and cardiac arrest occurred. Despite aggressive supportive therapy, the patient expired. Autopsy examination revealed hemorrhagic necrosis of the gastric mucosa. The second patient also exhibited altered mental status and metabolic acidosis. He experienced liver dysfunction, rhabdomyolysis, renal dysfunction, and aspiration pneumonia. He had endoscopically proven esophageal and gastric mucosal burns which developed into esophageal strictures. CONCLUSIONS: Calcium polysulfide ingestions cause direct caustic injury to the upper gastrointestinal tract, coma and severe metabolic acidosis.

Acidosis↗
PubMed1997

Bromism from excessive cola consumption.

BACKGROUND: Bromism is an unusual occurrence. Historically bromism has been known to occur with chronic ingestion of bromide salts used as sleep medications. In this case, excessive consumption of a cola with brominated vegetable oil caused a severe case of bromism. CASE REPORT: The patient presented with headache, fatigue, ataxia, and memory loss which progressed over 30 days. He consumed 2 to 4 L of cola containing brominated vegetable oil on a daily basis before presenting with these symptoms. His significantly elevated serum chloride, as measured by ion specific methods, and negative anion gaps were overlooked during a prior hospitalization and emergency department visits. A focal neurologic finding of right eyelid ptosis led to an extensive evaluation for a central nervous system lesion. The patient continued to deteriorate, until he was no longer able to walk. A diagnosis of severe bromism was eventually made and his serum bromide was confirmed at 3180 mg/L (39.8 mmol/L). Despite saline loading the patient failed to improve but subsequent hemodialysis dramatically cleared his clinical condition, and reduced his serum bromide levels. The unilateral eyelid ptosis, a rarely reported finding in bromism, also resolved with hemodialysis. CONCLUSIONS: A negative anion gap or an elevated serum chloride should prompt an evaluation for bromism. In this case hemodialysis dramatically improved the patient's clinical condition and reduced the half-life of bromide to 1.38 h.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗
PubMed1997

Health care professionals' willingness to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

To assess the willingness of physicians and nurses with training in basic cardiac life support to provide mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in both hospital and out-of-hospital settings, we surveyed all attendees at a monthly advanced life support course over a 1-year period. Of 622 attendees, 379 (61%) responded to our survey describing a variety of cardiac arrest scenarios. Less than half of the participants surveyed were willing to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on an unknown adult, male or female, who had collapsed in a supermarket. Overall, the group was willing to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on victims known to them: their neighbors (84%), children at a pool (88%), spouses (94%), and parents (93%). In the hospital setting, knowing a patient's human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status greatly influenced the willingness to do mouth-to-mouth rescue. If a patient's HIV status was unknown, only a third of providers would do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation; if the HIV status was known to be negative, two thirds would do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (P < 0.002), Children in the hospital whose HIV status was unknown would receive mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by 57% of the respondents. Children known to be HIV-negative would be resuscitated by 79% of the respondents. Co-workers were more willing to resuscitate a known physician or nurse than an unknown co-worker, with physicians more willing than nurses to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on an unknown co-worker. A third of the group has performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation previously. Although an increased percentage of this subgroup was willing to provide mouth-to-mouth in all adult hospital scenarios, experienced providers of mouth-to-mouth wanted to receive mouth-to-mouth resuscitation less frequently (75%) than inexperienced providers (84%) (P = 0.02). The self-reported willingness to provide mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is influenced by patient characteristics; as the level of familiarity with the victim decreased, so did the willingness of the health care professional to do mouth-to-mouth.

Adult↗