Hızır Ufuk Akdemir

Wild mushroom poisonings in the Middle Black Sea region in Turkey: analyses of 6 years.

Wild mushroom poisoning (MP) is an important medical emergency that may have serious clinical outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic and clinical features of patients with wild MP. This study was designed retrospectively by examining files of the patients with wild MP who were admitted to Ondokuz Mayis University Emergency Department, between January 2002 and December 2007. Patients ≥16 years of age were included in the study. A total of 317 patients poisoned by wild mushrooms (mean age, 42.0 ± 16.3 years; 67.5% female) were studied. All poisonings were accidental, i.e. consumption of wild mushrooms collected from open fields and woodlands or purchased from local bazaars. The common symptoms and complaints on admission were nausea (86.8%) and vomiting (79.8%). The poisoning latent phase in most cases was <6 hours (86.8%). Most of the poisonings occurred in autumn (59.6%). Three patients died in the hospital due to acute liver failure and complications. The duration of hospitalization was a median 3 days (range: 1—12 days). The public should be informed about the probable hazards of wild mushroom ingestion.

The role of S100B protein, neuron-specific enolase, and glial fibrillary acidic protein in the evaluation of hypoxic brain injury in acute carbon monoxide poisoning

The main purpose of this study was to assess the role of S100B protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the evaluation of hypoxic brain injury in acute carbon monoxide (CO)-poisoned patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted among the patients with acute CO poisoning who referred to the emergency department in a 1-year period. Serum levels of S100B protein, NSE, and GFAP were determined on admission. A total of 55 CO-poisoned patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 45 ± 20.3 years; 60% women) were included in the study. The control group consisted of 25 healthy adults. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they were conscious or unconscious. The serum levels of S100B, NSE, and GFAP were higher in patients than that in the control group. There was no significant difference between unconscious and conscious patients with respect to these markers. There was a statistically significant difference between the conscious and unconscious patients and the control group in terms of S100B and NSE levels. There was also a statistically significant difference between the unconscious patients and the control group in terms of GFAP levels. Increased serum S100B, NSE, and GFAP levels are associated with acute CO poisoning. These biomarkers can be useful in assessing the clinical status of patients with CO poisoning.

Rıvaroxaban-induced severe diffuse ıntracerebral hemorrhage.

Bleeding, the most frightening adverse effect of anticoagulants,may occur in different parts of the body.When intracerebral hemorrhage in individuals used anticoagulant drugs is compared with normal coagulation function, the volume of bleeding is increased and the prognosis is worse. There are few studies in the literature regarding the presence of intracerebral hemorrhage and the volume and prognosis of bleeding associated with rivaroxaban, a new oral anticoagulant.Therefore, the clinical and radiologic findings and follow-up of an 80-year-old male patient with intracerebral hemorrhage who uses rivaroxaban for anticoagulation are presented in this article.

Has admission blood pressure any prognostic value in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage: an emergency department experience.

Hypertension is a well‐known risk factor for the development and rupture of cerebral aneurysms. The authors conducted a study to investigate the prognostic value of admission blood pressure (BP) on prognosis in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Two hundred patients with SAH were divided into two groups according to Hunt Hess score (good prognosis: 1 to 3, and poor prognosis: 4 and 5) and according to death in hospital (surveyed and died). The prognostic factors of SAH and BP changes according to Hunt Hess scores in the acute stages of the event were evaluated. Admission mean arterial BP values of the patients who died in hospital were significantly lower than in the patients who were surveyed (P=.026). The admission mean arterial BP values were found to be lower in the poor prognostic patients (Hunt Hess score of 4 and 5) (P<.001). Decreased admission BP values were found to be associated with poor prognosis and mortality.

The evaluation of different treatment protocols for trauma-induced lung injury in rats

BACKGROUND Lung contusion is an important factor that affects mortality and morbidity of lung injury after blunt chest trauma (BCT). The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment regimens on BCT-induced lung injury. METHODS A total of 35 Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five experimental groups (n=7): sham, control; BCT; BCT + MP, BCT group treated with methylprednisolone (MP; 30 mg/kg on first day and 3 mg/kg/d on the following days); BCT + Q, BCT group treated with quercetin (Q; 50 mg/kg/d for seven days); and BCT + MP + Q, BCT group treated with the same doses of MP and Q. Serum Clara Cell Protein-16 (CC-16), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were analyzed to determine histopathological changes in the lung tissues. RESULTS Elevated serum CC-16 and TBARS levels and reduced serum SOD levels were found in the BCT group compared to the Sham group. There was a significant change in the serum CC-16 levels in the BCT + MP group compared to the Sham group. Serum TBARS levels were significantly lower in the BCT + MP and BCT + Q group compared to the BCT group. The combined therapy regimen yielded significantly decreased CC-16 levels and increased serum SOD levels compared to the individual treatment groups. Serum TBARS levels did not significantly differ between the BCT + MP + Q group and the other treatment groups. Compared to the BCT + MP + Q group, the BCT + MP group showed significantly lower alveolar edema (AED) and alveolar exudate (AEX) scores, while the BCT + Q group showed significantly lower peribronchial inflammatory cell infiltration (PICI) and AED scores. CONCLUSIONS The combined usage of quercetin and low dose MP treatment after initial high dose MP at the early stage of lung injury after BCT is more effective.

Cerebral fat embolism syndrome after long bone fracture due to gunshot injury.

Cerebral fat embolism syndrome is a lethal complication of long-bone fractures and clinically manifasted with respiratory distress, altered mental status, and petechial rash. We presented a 20-year-old male admitted with gun-shot wounds to his left leg. Twenty-four hours after the event, he had generalized tonic clonic seizures, decorticate posture and a Glascow Coma Scale of seven with localization of painful stimuli. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed a star-field pattern defining multiple lesions of restricted diffusion. On a 4-week follow-up, he had returned to normal neurological function. Despite the severity of the neurological condition upon initial presentation, the case cerebral fat embolism illustrates that, cerebral dysfunction associated with cerebral fat embolism illustrates reversible.

Three-Year Experience in the Emergency Department: The Emergency Department Approach to the Patients with Spinal Trauma and Prognosis

BACKGROUND Spinal cord injuries result in critical pecuniary and/or non-pecuniary losses due to the developing neurological problems. The objective of this study was to evaluate spinal injuries in terms of clinical severity and prognosis. Spinal injuries lead to serious clinical results due to the high rates of morbidity and mortality; however, there is a lack of reliable information on spinal injuries in our country. METHODS Following the approval of the Faculty Ethics Committee, this retrospective study was conducted on 91 patients aged ?18 (59 male, 32 female) with spinal trauma who were admitted to the Emergency Department of Ondokuz Mayis University over three years. The patients were assessed in terms of demographics, clinical severity, developing complications, and mortality. RESULTS Forty-three patients had complete injuries, while 48 had incomplete injuries. Forty-six patients suffered spinal injuries due to fall from height, 35 patients due to traffic accidents, and 10 patients due to other reasons. Several complications were observed in 52 patients, while no complication occurred in 39 patients. We determined that 19 of 92 patients involved in this study died, while 72 were discharged from the hospital. CONCLUSION Spinal cord injuries generally result in unfavorable clinical results. Therefore, an appropriate approach (early diagnosis and true treatment) in emergency services has great significance.

Malign Arrhytmia Development Due To Propafenone Over Dose: A Case Report

SUMMARY Propafenone is a group 1C antiarrhytmic agent. It is an agent used in patients with symptomatic supraventricular tachycardia requiring treatment, such as atrioventricular node tachycardia, Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. It is also used in life-threatining symptomatic ventricular tachycardia requiring treatment and with excessive intake it has serious side effects on car diovascular, gastrointestinal, nervous, haematological and dermatological systems. In this report, we present a case of propafenone intake with suicidal purpose and we aim to share our experience with malign arrhytmia development and arrhytmia management. A 22-year-old female patient presented to our emergency department with complaints of general situation distortion and feeling sick after ingesting 20 pills (6 g) of her friend’s Propafenone HCl 300 mg for suicidal purpose one hour previously. In the electrocardiography (ECG), regular rhythm, wide QRS and the absence of P-wave was observed. Pulseless ventricular tachycardia developed and defibrillation with 360 joule was performed followed by cardiopulmonary resuscitation. NaHCO 3 administration of 1 mEq/kg every 4 hours was initiated. After the therapy, QRS duration shortened. The patient became conscious with spontaneous ventilation. Early diagnosis and appropriate resuscitative interventions can be vital in propafenone intoxication. NaHCO 3 administration in the presence of hypotension and ECG abnormalities are vital.

Comparison of four scoring systems for risk stratification of upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Objective: This study aimed to compare the performances of the Glasgow–Blatchford Bleeding Score (GBS), pre-endoscopic Rockall score (PRS), complete Rockall score (CRS), and Cedars–Sinai Medical Center Predictive Index (CSMCPI) in predicting clinical outcomes in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). Methods: Patients who were admitted to the emergency department because of UGIB and underwent endoscopy within the first 24 hour were included in this study. The GBS, PRS, CRS, and CSMCPI were propectively calculated. The performances of these scores were assessed using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: A total of 153 patients were included in this study. For the prediction of high-risk patients, area under the curve (AUC) was obtained for GBS (0.912), PRS (0.968), CRS (0.991), and CSMCPI (0.918). For the prediction of rebleeding, AUC was obtained for GBS (0.656), PRS (0.625), CRS (0.701), and CSMCPI (0.612). For the prediction of 30-day mortality, AUC was obtained for GBS (0.658), PRS (0.757), CRS (0.823), and CSMCPI (0.745). Conclusion: These results suggest that effectiveness of CRS is higher than that of other scores in predicting high-risk patients, rebleeding and 30-day mortality in patients with UGIB.

A Rare Case in the Emergency Department: Holmes-Adie Syndrome

SUMMARY Holmes-Adie syndrome (HAS) is a rare syndrome characterized by tonic pupil and the absence of deep tendon reflexes. HAS was first described in 1931 and is usually idiopathic, with incidences reported to be 4-7 per 100,000. Although tonic pupil is usually unilateral, it can also be bilateral. Enlarged and irregular pupil is usually noticed by the patient. Light reflex is weak or unresponsive. Another characteristic of HAS is the absence of deep tendon reflexes, and unilateral involvement is more common. This case report emphasizes that HAS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting to the emergency department with anisocoria, and the dilute pilocarpine test can be used in diagnosis.