Fatal oxalic acid poisoning from sorrel soup.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Reig.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
INTRODUCTION: The secondary encephalitis disorders are due to an immunological mechanism which causes demyelinating lesions of the central and peripheral nervous systems, with very variable clinical features. The pathogenesis and localization of benign encephalitis of the brain stem and the Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) are still subject to debate. It is suggested that they may both belong to different extremes of the same nosological spectrum known as the ophthalmoplegia-ataxia-areflexia syndrome. CLINICAL CASE: We report the case of an 11 year old boy with encephalitis of the brain stem who had electromyographic alterations compatible with the Guillain-Barré syndrome, and MR images characteristic of an acute demyelinating disorder of the brainstem. CONCLUSIONS: The encephalitis of the brain stem is an uncommon condition in children which leads to diagnostic difficulty at its onset, since this is similar in other disorders such as MFS, tumours, cerebrovascular accidents and less often in the initial stages of multiple sclerosis. The clinical course is very useful to distinguish between these conditions. MR is the imaging technique of choice for diagnosis in these patients. Although there is currently no specific treatment for post-infectious encephalitis, the use of high doses of immunoglobulins may be justified in view of the physiopathological origin of the condition.
INTRODUCTION: Necrosis of the basal ganglia (NBG) is an uncommon condition in childhood. Cases of NBG have been reported in connection with metabolic disorders, infections, degenerative conditions, intoxications, head injuries and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathies. The commonest clinical features include alteration of consciousness, chorea-athetoic or dystonic movements, spasticity, contractures of the limbs and convulsions. CLINICAL CASE: We describe the case of an eight year old girl, who after having clinical gastroenteritis, developed acute neurological dysfunction, associated with images on cranial computerized axial tomography (CAT) showing a possible intracranial tumour and magnetic resonance (MR) studies showing bilateral hypodensity of the basal ganglia. Three months later magnetic resonance showed that these lesions had almost completely disappeared. This supports the diagnosis of post-infectious lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical course is very variable. Cases with a previous history of infection have a better prognosis. In our patient treatment was started with corticosteroids. She made a good recovery and was sent home with no sequelae five days later. The new imaging techniques (CAT and MR) have led to more cases of selective involvement of the basal ganglia being diagnosed. MR is the most specific technique for diagnosis in these patients. Although there is no effective specific treatment, treatment with biperidine, thyrotropic hormone and corticosteroids have been used with no apparent effect on the course of the disorder.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Two cases of fatal hydrogen sulfide poisoning are described which occurred during cleaning of a tank that had transported polysulfides. The most characteristic findings of the autopsy were: a blackish-green pigmentation at macroscopic examination; pulmonary edema, steatosis, intrahepatic cholestasis and renal tubular necrosis at microscopic examination. The blood concentration of sulfide ions exceeded 3.5 mg/l. These cases are compared to others described in the literature. The preventive measures that should be adopted to avoid this type of poisoning are stressed.
Three cases of occupational poisoning by trichloroethylene, one of them fatal, are presented. The etiologic, clinical and diagnostic aspects of each case are discussed, along with a broad literature review, emphasizing preventive measures and the substitution of this chloric solvent by other, less toxic solvents, as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
BACKGROUND: Strains of Escherichia coli are frequently plasmid carriers. In this species, resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics is almost always conditioned by the production of enzymes coded by plasmidic genes. The present is a study of the plasmids of 44 ampicillin-sensitive strains and 134 ampicillin-resistant (ampS and ampR). The possibility that the number and size of the plasmids are different and that this data may be added to the information to be considered in these two groups of strains is suggested. METHODS: The 178 strains selected had been isolated from human products. Sensitivity to ampicillin was studied by diffusion and was confirmed with the study of MIC (Mueller-Hinton agar, innoculum: 5 x 10 CFU). The plasmid type beta-lactamases were identified by analytical isoelectrofocus. Characterization of the plasmids was performed according to a variant of the Birnboim and Doly alkaline lysis technique. RESULTS: Among the ampR and ampS strains no plasmid were observed in 9 (6.72%) and 11 (25%) respectively. The mean number of plasmids was 2.53 and 1.57, ranging between 0-10 and 0-5. The number of strains with plasmids larger than, or equal to, 38 Kb was 113 and 27 respectively. The largest plasmids observed in the ampS strains were of 99 Kb and in the ampR of 109 Kb. A total of 3.73% of the ampR strains presented plasmids larger than 99 Kb and 8.20% more than 5 plasmids. CONCLUSIONS: No plasmids, presence of up to five and sizes smaller than or equal to 99 Kb were observed in strains of ampS and ampR. The presence of more than five and/or plasmids larger than or equal to 100 Kb was observed in 11.94% of the ampR.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.