Autonomous dysfunction in severe tetanus.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Z F Udwadia.
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Twelve patients (8 men), aged 33-67 (mean 49) years, with histologically proved sarcoidosis underwent bronchoscopy. All had symptoms, signs (wheeze in 11, high pitched inspiratory "squeaks" in six, stridor in three), and physiological abnormalities characteristic of severe or worsening airways obstruction. Eleven patients also underwent bronchography. At the time of bronchoscopy four patients had stage II, one stage III, and seven stage IV sarcoidosis. All patients had a peak expiratory flow (PEF) of 70% predicted or less and a maximum expiratory flow at 50% (MEF50) and 25% (MEF25) of vital capacity below 35% predicted. The ratio of their forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ranged from 37% to 65%. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy showed single or multiple areas of segmental bronchial stenoses in 10 patients, two of whom had stenotic webs. Bronchography showed that the sites and severity of stenoses were more widespread than suspected from the bronchoscopic findings. Five of the 11 patients undergoing bronchography had bronchiectasis, which was restricted to the upper lobes in three and a lower lobe in one and affected both upper and lower lobes in one patient. The bronchiectasis had not been suspected or diagnosed from the chest radiography or the bronchoscopy.
The optimal duration of hospital stay following admission for acute severe asthma is difficult to determine. An asthmatic is at particularly high risk of sudden death in the 6-12 weeks after admission, and too early hospital discharge may add to this risk. Thirty patients hospitalised for severe asthma recorded peak flows thrice daily for 8 weeks following discharge. Peak flow charts were reviewed at monthly intervals, and dips were divided into 'minor' (peak flow less than 75% of the patient's best), 'major' (less than 50%) and 'catastrophic' (less than 30%). Fourteen of the 30 patients had major dips (including 4 who had catastrophic dips as well). Four of these 14 patients were readmitted with acute severe asthma during the 8 weeks follow-up period; in contrast, none of the 16 patients without major dips required readmission. The only in-hospital factor that correlated with and was predictive of (p less than 0.001) multiple major dips post-discharge was the peak flow variability in the 24 hours before discharge, defined as [(highest-lowest peak flow)/highest] x 100. Thirteen of the 14 patients with major dips had pre-discharge peak flow variation greater than 20% compared with only 2 of the 16 without major dips. We believe it is unwise to discharge asthmatics from hospital until the diurnal variation in their peak flow is below 20%. Discharging them before this target is reached puts them at increased risk of further severe attacks of asthma requiring re-hospitalisation.
A case of rabies was treated with intensive medical support. This led to a prolongation of life to 25 days. The neurologic progression of the disease was monitored clinically and with serial EEG. This prolonged course enabled us to witness and manage a wide variety of unusual complications including the adult respiratory distress syndrome, hypothermia, myocarditis, and diabetes insipidus. This report documents the clinical features, diagnostic problems, complications, and management.
A patient with rabies presented with penile hypersensitivity and recurrent ejaculation. This preceded the more classical manifestations such as hydrophobia and aerophobia by approximately 8 hours. A review of the literature reveals that a variety of urogenital symptoms may rarely occur in rabies. Ours is however the first report documenting the occurrence of these symptoms at the onset of the disease in an autopsy proven case of rabies. Damage to the amygdaloid nucleus has been postulated to be the basis of these urogenital symptoms. This correlates well with our autopsy findings of extensive neuronal damage and Negri bodies in the temporal poles.
A total of 150 patients were treated for tetanus in the tetanus ward of the J. J. Hospital, Bombay, between October 1983 and January 1986. The complications of tetanus and the mode of management in the presence of restricted resources are outlined. Intensive care, proper nutrition, early tracheostomy and ventilator support in severe tetanus were chiefly responsible for an overall reduction in mortality from 30 to 12%. The mortality in severe tetanus was reduced from 70 to 23%. Sudden death due to unexpected cardiac arrest was an important complication in severe tetanus. We observed that an abrupt marked rise in rectal temperature (greater than 107 degrees F, 41.7 degrees C), if undetected, could lead to sudden circulatory collapse and death. Well-marked hypoxaemia was observed in all patients with severe tetanus, and was related to ventilation perfusion inequalities and to an increase in the true venous admixture (increased Qs/Qt) in the lungs. Bronchopulmonary infections and the adult respiratory distress syndrome added significantly to morbidity and mortality. Autonomic cardiovascular disturbances included bradycardia alternating with tachycardia, and hypertension which was either labile, paroxysmal or sustained. Persistent hypotension was of ominous significance. Amongst numerous complications involving other systems, sepsis and septic shock were associated with a high mortality.
A patient operated upon for a midline cerebellar hemangioblastoma developed failure of automatic respiration during sleep, together with central sleep apnea syndrome, approximately two years after receiving radiation therapy to the brain. Clinical and CT scan findings were compatible with a diagnosis of radiation necrosis as the cause of his abnormal respiratory control.
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We report a 59-year-old lady who presented with exertional dyspnea and was diagnosed to have sarcoidosis. She responded to steroids, but one year later developed abdominal symptoms and was found to have hepatosplenomegaly. Liver biopsy showed non caseating granulomas. As she had developed steroid-induced diabetes she was started on chloroquine and responded well with regression of the liver and spleen during one year of treatment.
A 49-year-old woman was diagnosed as autoimmune hepatitis and started on steroids and azathioprine. Subsequently, she developed fever; chest radiograph showed lower lobe nodular opacities. Bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis.
Herpes simplex esophagitis commonly occurs in immune-compromised individuals. We report the condition in two immunocompetent individuals (one presenting with retrosternal pain and diarrhea and the other with dysphagia and fever) and in two patients with obstructive airway disease who had received corticosteroid therapy. The first two did not receive treatment, one was lost to follow up and the other is asymptomatic two years later. The latter two patients received acyclovir therapy.
A 52-year-old, asymptomatic patient presented with bilateral lung nodules on chest radiograph. She was diagnosed to have "pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma" on an open lung biopsy. We review the clinical features of this rare disease.