Protracted hyperthermia and delayed rhabdomyolysis in ecstasy toxicity: A case report.

RATIONALE: Despite toxicity and unpredictable adverse effects, ecstasy use has increased in the United States. Onset of hyperpyrexia, rhabdomyolysis, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), among other symptoms, occurs within hours of ingestion. Moreover, patients who experience hyperpyrexia, altered mental status, DIC, and multiorgan failure, rarely survive. This case presents a chronic ecstasy user whose symptoms would have predicted mortality. The report demonstrates a patient who experiences protracted hyperthermia, with delayed rhabdomyolysis and DIC. In addition, his peak creatine kinase (CK) of 409,440 U/L was far greater than the expected 30,000 to 100,000 U/L, being the second largest CK recorded in a survivor. PATIENT CONCERNS: This case report presents a 20-year-old man who presented to the emergency department after experiencing a severe reaction to ecstasy. He was a chronic user who took his baseline dosage while performing at a music event. He experienced hyperpyrexia immediately (106.5°F) while becoming stiff and unresponsive. Before emergency medical service arrival, his friends placed cold compresses on the patient and rested him in an ice filled bathtub. DIAGNOSES: Per history from patient's friends and toxicology results, the patient was diagnosed with ecstasy overdose, which evolved to include protracted hyperthermia and delayed rhabdomyolysis. INTERVENTIONS: Due to a Glasgow coma scale score of 5, he was intubated and sedated with a propofol maintenance. Hyperpyrexia resolved (temperature dropped to 99.1°F) after start of propofol maintenance. He was extubated after 24 hours, upon which he experienced hyperthermia (101.4°F at 48 hours), delayed rhabdomyolysis, and DIC (onset at 37 hours). He remained in hyperthermia for 120 hours until carvedilol permanently returned his temperature to baseline. His plasma CK reached a peak of 409,440 U/L at 35 hours. OUTCOMES: After primary management with intravenous fluids, the patient returned to baseline health without any consequences and was discharged after 8 days. A follow-up of 3 months postdischarge revealed no complications or disability. LESSONS: Clinically, the case highlights how physicians should be aware of the unusual time course adverse effects of ecstasy can have. Lastly, as intensity and duration of hyperpyrexia are predictors of mortality, our case indicates maintenance of sedation with propofol and use of oral carvedilol; both are efficacious for temperature reduction in ecstasy toxicity.

Case Report on Fear of Falling Syndrome: A Debilitating but Curable Gait Disorder.

BACKGROUND Fear of falling syndrome is a rare and often-missed disorder among patients with new-onset gait abnormality. The disorder is often mistaken for an organic neurologic problem, with some considering it to be a medical emergency. CASE REPORT This case report presents a 70-year-old man who presented to the Emergency Department due to inability to rise from a chair or ambulate independently. Onset of his chief complaint occurred subsequent to a traumatic fall in a public location. He underwent extensive workup, and an organic neurologic cause was ruled out. He was subsequently diagnosed with fear of falling syndrome after obtaining a detailed fall history, as well as utilizing a verified survey (the Falls Efficacy Scale-International). After extensive inpatient treatment, the patient improved significantly. However, upon discharge to a skilled nursing facility, he was not offered the recommended treatment. When he was readmitted for an unrelated reason 3 months later, he had regressed to the state he was in at the time of prior admission. CONCLUSIONS This case presents a rare debilitating but reversible gait disorder, and highlights the importance of assessing "fall history" and fear of falling in older adults. Uniquely, this case presents the rapid fluctuation in outcomes dependent on treatment, and what happens when a patient fails to complete treatment regimens. The report also provides an overview of fear of falling with the corresponding gait disorder.

An unusual cause of altered mental status: the importance of monitoring a patient's blood pressure.

A 73-year-old man presented to the emergency room for acute onset altered mental status. The initial work-up yielded no definitive cause. An MRI demonstrated lesions in the bilateral posterior occipital lobes (not noted on an earlier MRI obtained from an outside institution) that were suggestive of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). He had a history of Parkinson's disease complicated by autonomic instability (wide blood pressure fluctuations) that was medically controlled in the outpatient setting. During the early course of his hospitalisation, he again displayed wide blood pressure fluctuations. After his blood pressure stabilised, his mental status eventually improved to baseline. A repeat MRI obtained demonstrated near-complete resolution of the previously noted lesions and confirmed the diagnosis of PRES.

Actinomyces naeslundii and Eikenella corrodens as rare causes of liver abscesses.

A 48-year-old man with an unremarkable medical history was admitted with vague conditions of fever, chills, myalgias and malaise. Physical examination was remarkable for only scleral icterus. Laboratory evaluation revealed elevated aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. Imaging demonstrated two masses in the right lobe of his liver, which were ultimately drained and cultures demonstrated Actinomyces and Eikenella. He continued to have fever on broad-spectrum antibiotics until catheter drainage of the abscesses was performed. He was eventually discharged in improved condition on amoxicillin-clavulanate. His aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin continued to improve and he remained afebrile and asymptomatic. A repeat CT 2 months after discharge demonstrated resolution of the abscesses. Actinomyces and Eikenella are rare causes of liver abscesses and treatment requires drainage and an extended course of antibiotics. The polymicrobial character typical of liver abscesses makes antibiotic therapy challenging when cultures reveal rare organisms such as Actinomyces and Eikenella.