Bisphosphonates and Atypical Femur Fractures: Is the Relationship Causal or Casual?

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are a time-tested drug class with multivariate use cases. They are used in pathologies ranging from osteoporosis to Paget's disease, and also help in accelerated fracture healing. They have been used to treat both benign and malignant lesions of the skeletal system since a long time. However, there have been reports of increased incidences of atypical femoral fractures (AFFs) in patients exhibiting chronic use of bisphosphonates in the past years. This has led to the widespread dissuasion of physicians and practitioners from using the drug class. By means of this review of the literature, the authors aim to investigate the relationship between BP use and its association with AFFs. The review focuses on and elucidates the basic pharmacology of BPs and goes on to illustrate the indications of BPs in various pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, further exploring the effects of BPs on the healing of various bony fractures. The authors also explore the incidences of other pathologies, such as osteonecrosis of the jaw and nephropathies associated with BP use, and elaborate on their features. Through this review, the authors have tried to educate and induce critical thinking on the part of clinicians and medical professionals in regard to prescribing BPs to patients that need them, by keeping in mind the risk-reward relationship that accompanies their use.

Recent trends in anesthetic agents and techniques for ophthalmic anesthesia.

Effective and safe ophthalmic anesthesia is essential for the delivery of ophthalmic perioperative care both for children and adults. Recent years have seen a major change in form of smaller incisions for most ophthalmic surgical techniques, thus making them less invasive. Additionally, most ophthalmic surgeries are now day-care surgeries at ambulatory surgical centers. The parallel advancements in the field of anesthesiology have boosted the standard of perioperative care. The purpose of this narrative review was to evaluate current trends in anesthetic agents and techniques for ophthalmic anesthesia primarily centered around deep sedation and general anesthesia as per the concerns of practicing anesthesiologists while briefly acquainting with local anesthesia advances.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Analgesic Efficacy of Programmed Intermittent Bolus vs. Continuous Infusion of Ropivacaine and Fentanyl in Ultrasound-Guided Infraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block for Upper Limb Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Programmed intermittent bolus (PIB) is a novel method of intermittent drug delivery commonly employed in labor epidural analgesia. This study aimed to evaluate the potential benefits of PIB over continuous infusion (CI) for postoperative analgesia following upper limb surgeries distal to the mid-humerus level using ultrasound-guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block (USG-IBPB). METHODS: The USG-IBPB was performed on a total of 30 patients scheduled for upper limb surgery distal to the mid-humerus level. The patient-controlled regional analgesia pump delivered a combination of 6 mL of 0.2% ropivacaine and 2 µg/mL fentanyl via a perineural catheter as PIB in group I and as a CI in group II. The primary outcome measure was overall drug consumption, and secondary outcomes included pain scores, patient satisfaction, sensory and motor blockade, and adverse effects. RESULTS: The PIB group exhibited significantly lower overall drug consumption (306.20 ± 13.07 mL vs. 323.73 ± 11.79 mL; P = 0.001), a reduced need for patient-controlled analgesia boluses (3.87 ± 2.67 vs. 7.13 ± 2.36; P = 0.001), and higher patient satisfaction (91.93 ± 10.09 vs. 78.67 ± 17.57; P = 0.017) compared to the CI group. Pain scores at rest were significantly lower at the 24-hour mark (P = 0.007), and on movement, lower scores were observed after 1, 24, and 36 hours (P = 0.031, P = 0.031, and P = 0.011, respectively). Sensory block, motor block, and adverse effects were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: PIB demonstrated superior efficacy in postoperative analgesia compared to the CI technique for upper limb surgeries distal to the mid-humerus level. Therefore, PIB may be considered an effective alternative to CI for optimal postoperative pain management.

Dengue Infection Triggering Concurrent Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in a Case of Chronic Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura.

We present a case report detailing the medical history of a 53-year-old female who had a well-established 10-year history of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The patient presented with fever and gum bleeding, prompting a series of laboratory investigations. These examinations revealed concurrent thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia, alongside a positive test result for serum dengue IgM antibodies. Initial treatment for the patient involved intravenous administration of glucocorticoids and intravenous immunoglobulin. Regrettably, this therapeutic intervention did not yield a favorable response. Subsequent clinical developments, including the onset of generalized tonic-clonic seizures, raised suspicions of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). A notable diagnostic indicator was the elevated PLASMIC score (platelet count; combined hemolysis variable; absence of active cancer; absence of stem-cell or solid-organ transplant; mean corpuscular volume; international normalized ratio; creatinine), reinforcing the consideration of TTP. To confirm the diagnosis, ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 13) enzyme levels were assessed and found to be low. Consequently, the patient was diagnosed with TTP. Plasmapheresis was administered, resulting in a positive clinical response after two cycles. Notably, the patient experienced a resolution of thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia. Following successful treatment, the patient was discharged with a prescription for immunosuppressants. This case underscores the critical importance of including TTP as a potential differential diagnosis when encountering patients with chronic ITP. TTP is characterized by its acute and life-threatening nature, often deviating from the typical clinical presentation. The application of the PLASMIC score serves as a valuable tool in guiding decision-making processes when TTP is suspected.

A Sensitive Approach to Managing Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), also known as extrinsic allergic alveolitis, is an immunologically mediated disorder that typically presents as a case of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in response to any identified or unidentified antigen. We present a case of a 46-year-old female with HP, who presented with fever and shortness of breath. Although negative by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), her condition was initially diagnosed as COVID-19 clinically as a result of anchoring bias due to similar symptoms and radiologic features presenting in the pandemic. A detailed further probing into history revealed the diagnosis of HP due to cat hair, and hence, was managed accordingly.

A Stitch in Time Defeats the Landry-Guillain-Barré Strohl Syndrome.

The Landry-Guillain-Barré Strohl Syndrome (LGBS) or Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute, frequently severe, potentially fatal, and fulminant polyradiculopathy. It is an autoimmune illness, which usually occurs as a sequela of certain known infections. In this case report, we are discussing the case of a 12-year-old girl who was managed in the ICU for LGBS successfully and recovered promptly. This case highlights the importance of timely administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy, which resulted in prompt recovery, reduced duration of ICU stay, and morbidity.

Gemcitabine-Induced Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in Lung Cancer: A Case Report.

Gemcitabine is a broad-spectrum anti-metabolite drug that is widely used in the therapy of numerous advanced cancers such as pancreatic, breast, ovary, lung, and bladder cancer. Gemcitabine has been reported to cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), but the underlying mechanism is not elucidated. The outcome of gemcitabine-induced HUS is often poor and associated with high mortality. We present a case report of a patient who was on chemotherapy for lung cancer and presented with the concerns of decreased urine output and shortness of breath. He was investigated and found to have HUS. He was managed with plasmapheresis, which resulted in partial recovery. This case report describes HUS caused by gemcitabine in patients with lung carcinoma and the management implemented and also aims to highlight the importance of early and timely recognition and treatment to improve clinical outcomes in these patients.

A Crucial Aftershock in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Survivors: A Case Report.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is widely prevalent, and the survivors of this disease often present to healthcare facilities with long-term sequelae of the disease. Presented here is a case of a 25-year-old male who presented with concerns of fever, cough with expectoration, and blood in sputum. The patient was managed as per protocol in suspicion of necrotizing pneumonia and re-activation of tuberculosis (TB) as suggested by investigations. The hemoptysis gradually increased over time. With suspicion of a vascular aneurysm and in view of increasing hemoptysis, an early high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan of the chest and a computed tomography (CT) scan of the bronchial angiography were performed. A diagnosis of Rasmussen's aneurysm was made radiologically, and this rare and under-reported sequelae of TB in contemporary times was brought into notice. A holistic and multi-disciplinary approach involving emergency medicine physicians, internists, anesthesiologists, critical care physicians, pulmonologists, and radiologists can ensure optimal outcomes for such cases in hospital setups if timely intervened.