Wanis H Ibrahim | PubMed Health

PubMed2006

Rupture of spleen in a mechanically ventilated patient with falciparum malaria admitted with pulmonary edema.

Rupture of the spleen in malaria may constitute a diagnostic challenge to many clinicians particularly in non-endemic areas where experience with malaria is limited. Our aim is to increase the awareness among clinicians from non-endemic areas of serious malarial complications. We present a young American military man who was admitted to Hamad General Hospital and had 2 serious malarial complications, namely, acute pulmonary edema and rupture of the spleen. He was unusual compared with what was published previously in 4 main points: 1. The rupture of spleen occurred while the patient on mechanical ventilation and under the effect of sedation, which constituted a diagnostic challenge. 2. The 2 complications occurred in a patient with a low parasitemia. 3. The causative species for splenic rupture is Plasmodium falciparum, and 4. The first sample of peripheral blood smear for malarial parasite was negative. We treated him successfully and discharged home in a good condition.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Does pleural tuberculosis disease pattern differ among developed and developing countries.

BACKGROUND: A number of reports from developed countries have documented a rising age at which pleural tuberculosis occurs and increase in the frequency of reactivation disease being as the main cause of pleural involvement. OBJECTIVE: To determine the age at which pleural tuberculosis occurs, study its clinical pattern, and to determine whether pleural tuberculosis is a result of reactivation of pulmonary tuberculosis or it is a primary one comparing our findings with results from developed countries. METHOD: Retrospective study of 100 cases discharged from Hamad General Hospital with the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis from January 1996 to December 2002. RESULTS: Pleural tuberculosis tends to affect younger age groups (84% are below the age of 45 years, with mean age of 31.5). The disease tends to be mostly a primary infection. Fever is the most common symptom (90%) and the disease is usually an acute or sub acute one. Weight loss precedes other symptoms. Exudative pleural effusion with predominant lymphocytosis is characteristic. Majority of patients have no predisposing conditions for the disease. CONCLUSION: In contrast to what has been reported in some developed countries, Pleural tuberculosis tends to be a primary disease in the present study. Younger age groups are particularly affected.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗