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Biomedical subjects

K I Newton

Publications and source records attributed to K I Newton.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Vertebral artery dissection.

Vertebral artery dissections (VADs) following a variety of minor traumatic mechanisms have been previously reported. This article reports 2 cases of VAD with delayed recognition following motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). The first VAD patient developed major neurologic abnormalities 28 hours after an MVC. The second VAD patient presented with 3 weeks of neck and head pain beginning 8 weeks after an MVC and subsequent chiropractic manipulation. The anatomy and pathophysiology of VAD are reviewed. Early ED recognition prior to the onset of major neurologic deficits (e.g., paresis, dysarthria, ataxia, or altered mental status) is emphasized. An algorithm for the ED management of the entity is suggested.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Nontraumatic intracranial internal carotid artery dissection: a case report.

The case presented offers a demonstration of a rare yet devastating condition that may go unrecognized and incompletely worked up by the emergency physician. Internal carotid artery dissection is seen most often in previously healthy, young patients and thus all efforts toward diagnosing this condition and providing proper stabilization must be made. Unfortunately, little advancement in the therapeutic progress of this frequently fatal condition has been made over the past decades. To date, both medical management and surgical techniques have been utilized with variable success. This case should serve to remind physicians evaluating young patients with stroke symptoms or other neurological findings that a negative head CT scan may not be the last test necessary for the definitive diagnosis.

Adult↗

Non-convulsive status epilepticus in a patient with hypocalcemia.

Non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), a neurological emergency, is reported to account for approximately 25% of patients presenting in status epilepticus. Diagnosis of NCSE can be delayed or missed because of its often subtle presentation. Hypocalcemia has rarely been reported as a precipitator of NCSE and thus should be considered in the differential. We report the case of a 46-year-old man with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism who presented in NCSE secondary to hypocalcemia. As in patients with convulsive status epilepticus, rapid diagnosis and treatment of patients in NCSE is critical to prevent permanent neurological damage.

Humans↗