RESUMO
Vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is a rare cause of ischemic stroke in young patients. The largely nonspecific symptoms and delayed presentation pose a serious diagnostic challenge. Medical management with either anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy is recommended, but there are no reports of successful dual therapy. We report a case of spontaneous bilateral vertebral artery dissections (VADs) treated with both anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy and a literature review on clinical presentation and the current medical and surgical management options. A 37-year-old healthy female presented to the emergency department with worsening neck pain and headache for two weeks despite over-the-counter medication, block therapy, yoga, and deep tissue neck massage. She denied any trauma but admitted to multiple roller coaster rides over the past few months. CT angiography was concerning for VADs, and MRI brain revealed multiple strokes in the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) territory. Cerebral arteriography confirmed the diagnosis of VADs. The patient was initiated on warfarin, along with atorvastatin and aspirin. She was discharged home with no complications and followed up with neurology as an outpatient. MR angiography after three months revealed complete resolution of the dissection. The patient did not report any bleeding complications from dual therapy.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE: Stroke is considered the most common cause of adult disability. Intensive rehabilitation protocols outperform nonintensive counterparts. The subacute stroke phase represents a potential window to recovery. Virtual reality (VR) has been shown to provide a more stimulating environment, allowing for increased patient compliance. However, the quality of current literature comparing VR with standard therapies is limited. Our aim is to measure the impact of VR versus standard therapy on the recovery of the upper limb motor function in patients with stroke in the early subacute recovery phase. METHOD: This is a randomized, controlled trial that will assign 262 patients to tailor-made standard rehabilitation (TMSR) or TMSR plus immersive VR device. The trial will be conducted in an urban rehabilitation clinic in the United States with expertise in the management of poststroke patients. Patients will be 18 to 70 years of age and in the early subacute period (30-90 days post ischemic stroke). The primary outcome will be the change of Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) score, measured at baseline and 13 weeks after randomization. The secondary outcome will be the change in the UK Functional Independence Measure and Functional Assessment Measure (UK FIM-FAM) score at the same time points. DISCUSSION: If the use of VR in the rehabilitation of patients with stroke proves to have a significant impact on their motor recovery, it will constitute an extremely important step into decreasing the functional impairment associated with stroke and the related health care expense burden.
RESUMO
Objetivos: determinar las conductas sexuales asociadas a preeclampsia severa en pacientes hospitalizadas. Material y Métodos: se realizó una encuesta a 41 pacientes con preeclampsia severa para obtener datos con respecto a edad de primera gestación y de primera relación sexual (RS), número de parejas sexuales, hijos con parejas diferentes, frecuencia de coito, duración de RS previa al embarazo, exposición a semen y tiempo de cohabitación con la pareja. Resultados: Se encontró una edad promedio de 19 años para la primera gestación y de 17 para la primera RS, el 63% refirió más de 1 pareja sexual. El 15% presentaba relaciones sexuales durante menos de 6 meses antes del embarazo y el 90% y 22% presentaba exposición a semen según método anticonceptivo usado y sexo oral respectivamente. Conclusiones: las conductas sexuales asociadas con preeclampsia severa, estuvieron presentes en nuestra población con variable correlación a los hallazgos de otros estudios.
Objectives: to determine the presence of pre-eclampsia-associated sexual behaviors in our environment.Material and Methods: Forty-one patients were surveyed in order to obtain the results for age of first pregnancy and first sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, children with different partners, sexual intercourse frequency, duration of sexual relationship, semen exposure and partner cohabitation period. Results: a mean age of 19 years-old was found for the first pregnancy and of 17 for the first sexual intercourse, 63% had more than 1 total sexual partners. Sexual relationship shorter than 6 months was present in 15% or the surveyed and semen exposure according to contraceptive methods and oral sex was of 90% and 22% respectively. Conclusions: sexual behaviors associated with pre-eclampsia were found in our population with a variable co-relation to the findings of other studies.
