Rafi Ahmad Jan

Vitamin D Toxicity in Adults: A Case Series from an Area with Endemic Hypovitaminosis D

Vitamin D deficiency state is endemic to the Kashmir valley of the Indian subcontinent. Physicians often treat patients with high doses of vitamin D for various ailments and on occasion the prescribed doses far exceed the requirements of the patients. Ten cases of hypercalcemia due to vitamin D intoxication are presented with features of vomiting, polyuria, polydipsia, encephalopathy and renal dysfunction. All the patients had demonstrable hypercalcemia and vitamin D levels were high in nine of the 10 cases. The patients had received high doses of vitamin D and no other cause of hypercalcemia was identified. Treatment of hypercalcemia resulted in clinical recovery in nine cases. We conclude that hypervitaminosis D must be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with hypercalcemia in endemically vitamin D deficient areas. A careful history and appropriate biochemical investigation will unravel the diagnosis in most of the cases.

Comparison and agreement between venous and arterial gas analysis in cardiopulmonary patients in Kashmir valley of the Indian subcontinent.

BACKGROUND: Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis is routinely performed for sick patients but is fraught with complications, is painful, and is technically demanding. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain agreement between the arterial and peripheral venous measurement of pH, pCO2, pO2, and bicarbonate levels in sick patients with cardiopulmonary disorders in the valley of Kashmir in the Indian subcontinent, so as to use venous gas analysis instead of arterial for assessment of patients. SETTING: Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Kashmir, a 650-bedded tertiary care hospital in North India located at an altitude of 1584 m. METHODS: One hundred patients who required ABG analysis were admitted. Peripheral venous blood was drawn within 5 min of an ABG measurement, and the samples analyzed immediately on a point of care automated ABG analyzer. Finger pulse oximetry was used to obtain oxygen (SpO2) saturation. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and bias (Bland Altman) methods. RESULTS: The venous measurements of pH, pCO2, pO2 and bicarbonate, and the digital oxygen saturation were highly correlated with their corresponding arterial measurements. Bland Altman plots demonstrated a high degree of agreement between the two corresponding sets of measurements with clinically acceptable differences. The difference in pO2 measurements was, however, higher (−22.34 ± 15.23) although the arterial saturation and finger oximetry revealed a good degree of agreement with clinically acceptable bias. CONCLUSION: Peripheral venous blood gas assessment in conjunction with finger pulse oximetry can obviate the routine use of arterial puncture in patients requiring ABG analysis.

Osmotic demyelination syndrome following slow correction of hyponatremia: Possible role of hypokalemia.

A 47-year-old male presented with hyponatremia that was corrected slowly as per the recommended guidelines. The patient improved initially but went on to develop a quadriparesis with a locked-in state due to a central as well as extrapontine myelinolysis and subsequently succumbed to an intercurrent infective illness. The patient had associated hypokalemia. Hyponatremia can result in central pontine myelinolysis even when the electrolyte disorder is treated slowly, and the concomitant hypokalemia seems to play a contributory role in the pathogenesis of the neurological disorder.

Intrathoracic gossypiboma causing intractable cough

A 45-year old woman presented with a 5-month history of coughing, eight months after surgery for post-tubercular fibrosis with bronchiectasis. Upon computerized tomography (CT) scanning, a sponge-like structure was seen in the pneumonectomy cavity near the stump of the right main bronchus. Bronchoscopic examination revealed a whitish mass blocking the right main bronchial stump which, upon attempted retrieval, yielded long threads of cotton fibres from a retained surgical gauze. The gossypiboma was removed surgically and the patient became symptom-free. Although rare after thoracic surgery, gossypibomas need to be considered in symptoms following surgery.

Fat embolism syndrome in long bone trauma following vehicular accidents: Experience from a tertiary care hospital in north India

Background: Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a clinical problem arising mainly due to fractures particularly of long bones and pelvis. Not much literature is available about FES from the Indian subcontinent. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five patients referred/admitted prospectively over a 3-year period for suspected FES to a north Indian tertiary care center and satisfying the clinical criteria proposed by Gurd and Wilson, and Schonfeld were included in the study. Clinical features, risk factors, complications, response to treatment and any sequelae were recorded. Results: The patients (all male) presented with acute onset breathlessness, 36-120 hours following major bone trauma due to vehicular accidents. Associated features included features of cerebral dysfunction (n = 24, 69%), petechial rash (14%), tachycardia (94%) and fever (46%). Hypoxemia was demonstrable in 80% cases, thrombocytopenia in 91%, anemia in 94% and hypoalbuminemia in 59%. Bilateral alveolar infiltrates were seen on chest radiography in 28 patients and there was evidence of bilateral ground glass appearance in 5 patients on CT. Eleven patients required ventilatory assistance whereas others were treated with supportive management. Three patients expired due to associated sepsis and respiratory failure, whereas others recovered with a mean hospital stay of 9 days. No long term sequelae were observed. Conclusion: FES remains a clinical challenge and is a diagnosis of exclusion based only on clinical grounds because of the absence of any specific laboratory test. A high index of suspicion is required for diagnosis and initiating supportive management in patients with traumatic fractures, especially in those having undergone an invasive orthopedic procedure.

High altitude pulmonary edema among "Amarnath Yatris"

Background: Annual pilgrimage (Yatra) to the cave shrine of Shri Amarnath Ji’ is a holy ritual among the Hindu devotees of Lord Shiva. Located in the Himalayan Mountain Range (altitude 13,000 ft) in south Kashmir, the shrine is visited by thousands of devotees and altitude sickness is reportedly common. Materials and Methods: More than 600,000 pilgrims visited the cave shrine in 2011 and 2012 with 239 recorded deaths. Thirty one patients with suspected altitude sickness were referred from medical centers en-route the cave to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, a tertiary-care center in capital Srinagar (5,000 ft). The clinical features and the response to treatment were recorded. Results: Thirty-one patients (all lowlanders, 19 male; age 18-60 years, median 41) had presented with acute onset breathlessness of 1-4 days (median 1.9 d) starting within 12-24 h of a rapid ascent; accompanied by cough (68%), headache (8%), dizziness and nausea (65%). Sixteen patients had associated encephalopathy. Clinical features on admission included tachypnea (n = 31), tachycardia (n = 23), bilateral chest rales (n = 29), cyanosis (n = 22) and grade 2-4 encephalopathy. Hypoxemia was demonstrable in 24 cases and bilateral infiltrates on radiologic imaging in 29. Ten patients had evidence of high-altitude cerebral edema. All patients were managed with oxygen, steroids, nifedipine, sildenafil and other supportive measures including invasive ventilation (n = 3). Three patients died due to multiorgan dysfunction. Conclusions: Altitude sickness is common among Amaranath Yatris from the plains and appropriate educational strategies should be invoked for prevention and prompt treatment.

IMAGES IN CLINICAL MEDICINE. A Viper Bite.

A 46-year-old farmer presented to the emergency department 3 hours after his penis was bitten by a snake while he was urinating in an open field. Examination revealed stable vital signs, with a grossly swollen penis and formation of hemorrhagic bullae at the puncture sites.

An elderly male with tubercular osteomyelitis of the chest wall.

Primary tuberculosis of the ribs is rare. A 70-year-old male presented with a 6-month history of a chest wall swelling that ruptured over few weeks to lead to a chronic discharging sinus. He had been administered multiple antibiotics, but the discharge continued. Clinical examination revealed anaemia, cervical lymphadenopathy and a 2-cm splenomegaly. Investigations revealed a normochromic and normocytic anaemia (Hb 7.0 g/dl), an ESR of 60 and a positive tuberculin sensitivity test of 25 mm. Surgical excision of the sinus along with the underlying revealed a caseous rib with histopathological features of a caseating granuloma. The patient was put on antitubercular therapy and is doing well on follow-up.

Microbial etiology in hospitalized North Indian adults with community-acquired pneumonia

Background: There is a paucity of literature regarding the microbial etiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in India. The current study was aimed to study the microbial etiology of hospitalized adults with CAP. Methods: The study was conducted in a 700-bedded North Indian hospital. Consecutive adults admitted with CAP over a period of 2 years from 2013 to 2015 were recruited for the study, and apart from clinical evaluation underwent various microbiological studies in the form of blood culture, sputum culture, urinary antigen for pneumococcus and Legionella, serology for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for influenza viruses. Radiographic studies were performed in all patients and repeated as required. The patients were treated with standard antibiotic/antiviral therapy and outcomes were recorded. Results: A total of 225 patients (median age: 59 years) were enrolled. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common organism found (30.5%), followed by Legionella pneumophila (17.5%), influenza viruses (15.4%), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (7.2%), Chlamydia pneumonia (5.5%), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (4.8%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (4.8%), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (3.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.1%), methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (1.7%), and Acinetobacter sp. (0.8%) with 4% of patients having multiple pathogens etiologies. High Pneumonia Severity Index score correlated with the severity and outcome of the CAP but was not predictive of any definite etiological pathogen. In-hospital mortality was 8%. Conclusion: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Legionella, and influenza constitute the most common etiological agents for north Indian adults with CAP requiring hospitalization. Appropriate antibiotic therapy and preventive strategies such as influenza and pneumococcal vaccination need to be considered in appropriate groups.

Tubercular osteomyelitis of the mandible in a young female

A 16-year-old female presented with a 6-month history of a gradually increasing swelling of the left side of her face. A panoramic radiographic view of the mandible showed diffuse radiolucency in the ramus of the mandible with a loss of cortication on the superior and anterior portion of the condyle. The computed tomography (CT) scan revealed destruction of the mandibular bone and a large retromandibular and inferior temporal fossa mass with areas of breakdown. The biopsy was consistent with tubercular osteomyelitis. Antitubercular therapy resulted in a marked reduction of the size of the swelling over a 9-month period.