Biomedical subjects

Ber-Ming Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Ber-Ming Liu.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Management of star fruit-induced neurotoxicity and seizures in a patient with chronic renal failure.

An 84-year-old Asian woman with hypertension and chronic renal failure was evaluated for incoherent speech, followed by intermittent interruptions of consciousness, and then status epilepticus after ingesting one star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) each day for 3 days. Conventional first-line anticonvulsants and hemodialysis were administered without significant control of the patient's seizures. Treatment was started with propofol, an intravenous agent that induces anesthesia with rapid onset and elimination from the central nervous system; this resulted in complete control of the seizures. Propofol may be an effective alternative when dialysis and conventional first-line anticonvulsants are unsuccessful in treating the symptoms of neurotoxicity.

Aged, 80 and over↗

PubMed2004

Fatal aeromonas hydrophila infection of soft tissue after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for gastric variceal bleeding.

Aeromonas hydrophila, an anaerobic gram-negative bacillus, can cause severe infections in immune-compromised patients. We present a 45-year-old cirrhotic man who suffered from hematemesis and received emergency endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) for gastric variceal bleeding. Twenty-one hours after EIS, painful swelling of the bilateral lower extremities and fever occurred. Severe soft-tissue infections with emergence of hemorrhagic bullae over the bilateral lower extremities followed. Even under aggressive treatment, the patient died of overwhelming sepsis 42 hours after EIS. Cultures of the blood and serosanguineous fluid from the hemorrhagic bullae revealed Aeromonas hydrophila. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of fatal Aeromonas hydrophila infection after emergancy EIS for gastric variceal bleeding reported in the English literature. It is worth emphasizing that physicians should consider Aeromonas hydrophila infection in cirrhotic patients who develop soft-tissue infections after variceal bleeding whether emergency EIS has been performed or not.

Aeromonas hydrophila↗

PubMed2003

Appendicitis complicated by hemoperitoneum.

Differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis in women of childbearing age is a challenge because of the range of gynecologic and obstetric problems with similar manifestations. We report a case of acute appendicitis with the rarely encountered complication of hemoperitoneum in a sexually active 32-year-old woman. The patient presented with right lower quadrant pain and a positive culdocentesis with non-clotting blood. Hemorrhagic corpus luteal cyst was the initial impression. Ruptured appendicitis with abscess formation and complicated hemoperitoneum was diagnosed later with the aid of abdominal computed tomographic scan, and was confirmed during operation. Hemoperitoneum may be a complication of appendicitis with abscess formation; a detailed medical history and physical examination are helpful in making the diagnosis.

Adult↗