Clinical and Radiological Aspects of Cough-induced Rib Fractures: A Case Report.

Cough-induced rib fracture is a very rare condition, with a few cases described in the medical literature. This case report describes the case of a 77-year-old male patient with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who presented with left eighth and ninth rib fractures after severe cough secondary to upper respiratory tract infection. The patient had a good clinical outcome, followed by conservative management. Conservative treatment is the first-choice approach in cases of daily activities limiting symptoms or complications. Cough-induced rib fracture should be remembered as a possible diagnosis, as diagnostic delays increase the risk of complications.

Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Late Potentials and Other Prognostic Markers.

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an autosomal dominant genetic disease considered the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in individuals under 35 years old, especially the athletes. This study aimed to investigate the association between the presence of late potentials and a family history of sudden death, syncope, and complex ventricular arrhythmias on patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A case series study was carried out from March 2001 to December 2002, including 22 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy according to transthoracic echocardiogram criteria. Patients on a cardiac pacemaker, right bundle branch block, cardiac transplant, and under no possibilities to realize the exams were excluded. The results showed that asymmetric septal hypertrophy was the most common type (73%), 63% had a positive familial history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 55% sudden cardiac death, and 23% syncope. Also, complex ventricular arrhythmias were detected in 14% and late potentials in 23% of patients. According to this study, the presence of late potentials was not associated with familial sudden death, syncope, and complex ventricular arrhythmias.