Clinical Toxicology
Elham Pishbin; Hamidreza Reihani; Bahram Zarmehri; Mahdi Foroughian
Volume 8, Issue 1 , January 2022, , Pages 64-65
Abstract
Objective: Methanol poisoning is a dangerous life-threatening event, manifested withvarious symptoms, sometimes very rare ones, that all should be addressed to preventmisdiagnosis of the methanol-poisoned patients.Case Presentation: A 21-year-old young man was brought to the emergency department(ED) ...
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Objective: Methanol poisoning is a dangerous life-threatening event, manifested withvarious symptoms, sometimes very rare ones, that all should be addressed to preventmisdiagnosis of the methanol-poisoned patients.Case Presentation: A 21-year-old young man was brought to the emergency department(ED) with a generalized tonic-clonic (GTC) seizure and he was diagnosed with methanolintoxication. A non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) of the brain demonstratedfindings similar to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). After the brain CT, he had a GlasgowComa Score (GCS) of 3 and all brainstem reflexes were absent. Neurology consultantagreed with the diagnosis of pseudo-SAH. Brain death was confirmed by a positive apneatest within 24 hours of presentation.Conclusion: It is suggested that compression of dural sinuses due to severe brain edema,reduces the venous drainage and leads to venous engorgement, which appears highattenuated in the background of low-density edematous brain matter.
Clinical Toxicology
Saeedeh Derhami; Ehsan Bolvardi; Reza Akhavan; Mahdi Foroughian; Behzad Shahi; Arman Hakemi; Zhila Rahmanian; Samaneh Abiri
Volume 7, Issue 2 , July 2021, , Pages 82-87
Abstract
Objective: Acute poisoning is a major health problem and one of the most common causes of emergency visits worldwide. Since most poisoning subjects present with a decreased level of consciousness and due to unreliable disease history, recognizing the etiological cause of the poisoning represents a critical ...
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Objective: Acute poisoning is a major health problem and one of the most common causes of emergency visits worldwide. Since most poisoning subjects present with a decreased level of consciousness and due to unreliable disease history, recognizing the etiological cause of the poisoning represents a critical part in arranging the treatment strategy. This study aimed at examining the prevalence of etiological causes of poisoning in Iran in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Method: This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the cross-sectional studies published from 1990 to 2020, reporting specific poisoning agents among acute poisoning cases in Iran. Persian and English articles on this subject were collected by searching the Scientific Information Database (SID), ScienceDirect, PubMed, Medlib, IranMedex, Scopus, Magiran, and Google Scholar databases. The heterogeneity of the studies was investigated using the I2 index and the probability of bias in the publication was assessed by the Begg and Mazumdar test with a significance level of 0.1. Data analysis was performed by Comprehensive Meta-analysis software version 3 (Biostat, Englewood, NJ, USA). Results: In our review, 19 studies appraising 143,251 cases of poisoning were included. The ranking of the OR of each agent was done; Opium poisoning was the most prevalent poisoning case followed by benzodiazepine, acetaminophen, antipsychotic medications, organophosphates, aluminum phosphide, amphetamine, pesticide, tricyclic antidepressant (TCA), alcohol, chemicals, carbon monoxide (CO), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Conclusion: While proper judgment on the cause of poisoning and selection of suitable treatment manners could be followed by a very good prognosis in patients with acute poisoning; this demands an epidemiological perception of the prevalence of the etiological poisoning agents. Our study ranked the most likely agents leading to the poisoning, to be at the top of the list of differential diagnoses of physicians.
Emergency medicine
Seyed Reza Habibzadeh; Samaneh Abiri; Saeed Barazandehpour; Mohammad Javad Zarei; Mahdi Foroughian; Hamideh Akbari; Navid Kalani; Esmaeil Rayat Dost; Seyed Hamed Hojati
Volume 7, Issue 2 , July 2021, , Pages 130-132
Abstract
Objective: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a disorder in which the electrical activity in the heart is abnormal and affects individuals with cardiac dysrhythmia. In the present study, we introduce a case diagnosed with BrS, admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and received treatments following sudden cardiac ...
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Objective: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a disorder in which the electrical activity in the heart is abnormal and affects individuals with cardiac dysrhythmia. In the present study, we introduce a case diagnosed with BrS, admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and received treatments following sudden cardiac arrest. Case Report: The patient was a male 25-year-old medical student enrolled in the sixth academic year who suffered from loss of consciousness due to sudden cardiac arrest. The patient immediately received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) measures, was visited by a cardiologist and a neurologist, and was consequently treated with medications. After an 8-day stay in the coronary care unit (CCU), the patient regained his level of consciousness and he was transferred to the ICU of Faghihi hospital in the city of Shiraz, Iran. Being diagnosed with BrS and following pulmonary aspiration treatments, he finally implanted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Conclusion: Fortunately, necessary measures had been taken on time for the introduced patient and he was discharged with full recovery after 6 days
Emergency medicine
Maryam Adimolmasali; Ali Teimouri; Hamid Reza Mokhtar; Mahdi Foroughian; Parvin Zohoorian Sadr; Mohammad Hossien Kamaloddini
Volume 7, Issue 2 , July 2021, , Pages 135-136
Abstract
Systemic toxemia with topical anesthetics could be fatal due to the use of anesthetics in various ways (oral, intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous). Nowadays, topical anesthetics are used in inpatient and outpatient treatments. Despite its widespread usage, many physicians are not fully aware ...
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Systemic toxemia with topical anesthetics could be fatal due to the use of anesthetics in various ways (oral, intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous). Nowadays, topical anesthetics are used in inpatient and outpatient treatments. Despite its widespread usage, many physicians are not fully aware of the deadly side effects of lidocaine poisoning and its treatment. The objective of this case report is to highlight the diagnosis and treatment of lidocaine toxicity. A 21-year-old woman with a history of multiple suicide attempts ingested approximately three 10% w/w lidocaine sprays. The patient was brought to the emergency department of Imam Reza hospital of Mashhad University of Medical Science with cardiac arrest and respiratory failure. After successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), she was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). She stayed in ICU for 2 days and we administered dobutamine drip and intravenous lipid emulsion for her then she was transferred to the general ward. We discharged her after 8 days.
Emergency medicine
Behrang Rezvani Kakhki; Mohsen Ebrahimi; Mahdi Foroughian; Samaneh Khajeh Nasiri; Vahid Eslami; Saeideh Anavri Ardakani; Sayyed Reza Ahmadi
Volume 7, Issue 1 , January 2021, , Pages 12-16
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of the current study was to assess the success rate of posterior tibial nerve block in the ankle with and without ultrasound guidance for pain management in emergency departments. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 80 individuals who needed posterior tibial nerve block ...
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Objective: The purpose of the current study was to assess the success rate of posterior tibial nerve block in the ankle with and without ultrasound guidance for pain management in emergency departments. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 80 individuals who needed posterior tibial nerve block in the ankle at the emergency department of Hashemi Nejad hospital and Edalatian emergency center in Mashhad, Iran. The eligible individuals were randomly assigned to one of two groups, designated the control (landmark-based nerve block) and the case group (ultrasound-guided nerve block). The two groups were compared in terms of the main measurable outcomes. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 20) by nonparametric tests. Results: According to the findings, the mean and median of nerve block success in the landmark-based and ultrasound-guided methods were significantly different between the two groups, both 15 (P=0.02) and 30 (P=0.001) min post-intervention. In this regard, nerve block with ultrasound guidance had a higher success rate compared to the landmark method. However, no significant difference between the two interventions was found in terms of the mean and median of the procedure duration (P=0.8) and injection frequency (P=0.4). On the other hand, the two groups were significantly different regarding the median and mean of patient satisfaction (P=0.00), duration of analgesia (P=0.004), and nerve block-related complications (P=0.03). Conclusion: The findings revealed that the relatively new technique of nerve block by ultrasound-guide resulted in better outcomes than the landmark-based method. Consequently, this method could be adopted to control acute pain in the emergency departments and improve patient care.
Emergency medicine
Seyed Reza Habibzadeh; Hamid Zamani Moghadam; Neema John Mehramiz; Mahdi Foroughian
Volume 7, Issue 1 , January 2021, , Pages 63-65
Abstract
Objective: Anterior teeth are of utmost importance with regard to chewing, speaking, and beauty. Therefore, any traumatic dental injury has psychologically undesirable effects on children and their parents. The present study reported a case of a traumatic dental injury induced by falling ...
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Objective: Anterior teeth are of utmost importance with regard to chewing, speaking, and beauty. Therefore, any traumatic dental injury has psychologically undesirable effects on children and their parents. The present study reported a case of a traumatic dental injury induced by falling off a bike and referral to an emergency department as well as measures taken for dental reconstruction and patient’s improvement.Case Presentation: An 8-year-old child was taken to an emergency department due to falling off a bike following imbalance, while suffering from dental pain in his upper jaw due to dental subluxation. Afterwards, dental retaining paste along with a fixer wire was used to maintain the position of the teeth. The patient also received oral non-steroidal analgesia (acetaminophen) for proper control of the pain and was subsequently referred to a dentist to repair the teeth. The initial examinations revealed that the child was fully conscious. Considering the patient’s severe pain and intrusion of the superior left primary first tooth and the subluxation of the superior right primary first tooth. Local anesthesia was performed using 1% lidocaine in the location of the given teeth using infiltration technique. Then they were brought into an alignment by extracting the plunged tooth and the child was referred to a dentist for advanced dental trauma care.Conclusion: Dentists are not always present in hospital emergency departments; therefore, an emergency medicine specialist should be able to diagnose common traumatic dental injuries in order to manage them appropriately at the early stages, and if necessary, refer patients to dentists for further complementary treatments. This important fact will bedone after full examination and ruling out critical causes of trauma in the emergency department.
Emergency medicine
Seyed Reza Habibzadeh; Esmaeil Rayat Dost; Saeed Barazandehpour; Mahdi Foroughian
Volume 7, Issue 1 , January 2021, , Pages 69-70
Abstract
Introduction: Unilateral and bilateral tongue cyanosis usually occurs due to the Raynaud syndrome and in the underlying severe types of vasculitis and rheumatology.Case Presentation: The present study was conducted on a 54-year-old woman who referred to the emergency department with complaints of ...
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Introduction: Unilateral and bilateral tongue cyanosis usually occurs due to the Raynaud syndrome and in the underlying severe types of vasculitis and rheumatology.Case Presentation: The present study was conducted on a 54-year-old woman who referred to the emergency department with complaints of sudden and painless discoloration of the left half of the tongue. The patient had no history of disease other than diabetes controlled with glibenclamide. Clinical examination of the head and neck revealed evidence of unilateral cyanosis in the left half of the tongue without pain, whose discoloration did not improve with warming of the tongue.Conclusion: Cyanosis in the emergency department can be managed appropriately by considering some parameters including history taking, history of cyanosis occurrence, history of cardiopulmonary disease, cold sensitivity and history of rheumatologic diseases, presence or absence of nail clubbing, arterial blood oxygen saturation and arterial blood gas test results. These parameters can be effective in designing a treatment regimen, while differentiating the causes of central from peripheral cyanosis.
Emergency medicine
Samaneh Abiri; Mahdi Foroughian; Hamideh Akbar; Neema John Mehramiz; Naser Hatami; Abdol Ali Ameri; Navid Kalani; Esmaeil Rayat Dost; Saeed Barazandehpour
Volume 6, Issue 2 , July 2020, , Pages 55-58
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a valid model for patients’ admission or discharge from emergency services to improve the health system and reduce costs.Methods: This study was carried out using a prospective cohort method. The study population was patients with limb cellulitis ...
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Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a valid model for patients’ admission or discharge from emergency services to improve the health system and reduce costs.Methods: This study was carried out using a prospective cohort method. The study population was patients with limb cellulitis referring to the emergency department of Peymanieh hospital. In this research, the study participants were separated into two groups based on the duration of hospitalization (hospital stay less than 24 hours or longer than 24 hours), then the patients were again separated into 4 groups based on the classification of the the Clinical Resource Efficiency Support Team (CREST) guideline, which in each of these groups the mean age, gender, and the prevalence of underlying diseases were identified and the final outcome for each group was determined after one week from the visit to the hospital.Results: Peripheral vascular disease, history of injection drug use, immunodeficiency and congenital immune deficiency had a significant relationship with the rate of hospitalization and recurrence. There was a significant relationship between class 1 disease and hospitalization for less than 24 hours, classes 2 and 3, and hospitalization for more than 24 hours (P < 0.001). There was a significant relationship between grade 1 disease and non-recourse, grade 3 and recurrence within one week after initiation of the treatment (P < 0.001). But there was no relationship between grade 2 and grade 4 and the referral of the patient after treatment.Conclusion: Corset Scale is a reliable scale for assessing the severity of the disease to determine the process of cellulite treatment for outpatient or hospitalization.
Emergency medicine
Mozhgan Taghizadeh; Mahdi Foroughian; Hamidreza Vakili; Seyed Reza Habibzadeh; Reza Boostani; Negar Morovatdar; Ehsan Bolvardi
Volume 6, Issue 2 , July 2020, , Pages 77-81
Abstract
Objective: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) following systemic and chronic hypertension is one of the main causes of acute stroke leading to disability and death. Identifying the risk factors in ICH patients can be effective in reducing bleeding and the rates of mortality and disability in these patients. ...
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Objective: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) following systemic and chronic hypertension is one of the main causes of acute stroke leading to disability and death. Identifying the risk factors in ICH patients can be effective in reducing bleeding and the rates of mortality and disability in these patients. This study was carried out to investigate the factors associated with ICH.Methods: A total of 134 patients with chronic systemic hypertension who had ICH were enrolled in this study. The amount of ICH was measured through computed tomography (CT scan). The subjects were divided into two groups of high (>30 mL) and low (Results: The mean age of the subjects was 66.04± 14.15 years, and 71 (52.99%) individuals were females. The mean volume of ICH was 24.47 mL, with 29.10% of the subjects (39 patients) having >30 mL and 70.90% (95 patients) having Conclusion: The results of this study showed that less than 30% of the subjects had high volumes of bleeding, and the co-existence of IHD was considered as a strong independent risk factor affecting the volume of ICH associated with worse prognosis.
Emergency medicine
Seyed Reza Habibzadeh; Ehsan Bolvardi; Esmail Rayat Dost; Mahdi Foroughian
Volume 6, Issue 2 , July 2020, , Pages 109-111
Abstract
Introduction: Child abuse has been defined as allowing others to cause physical, emotional, and sexual harm, and also physical and emotional pain to a child. The present study was a report on a case of physical and sexual child abuse accompanied by traumatic brain injury (TBI) referred to an emergency ...
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Introduction: Child abuse has been defined as allowing others to cause physical, emotional, and sexual harm, and also physical and emotional pain to a child. The present study was a report on a case of physical and sexual child abuse accompanied by traumatic brain injury (TBI) referred to an emergency department.Case Presentation: A 4-year-old child was rushed into an emergency department by her mother. At the time of hospital admission, the child was feeling confused and drowsy and had symptoms of hemorrhage in the right preperitoneal space as well as bleeding from the mouth. According to the pattern of the child’s admission to the emergency department, contradictory descriptions by parents, clinical examinations, and TBI pattern; the probability of a case of child abuse was raised. Thus; neurosurgery, legal medicine, gynecology, and surgery consultations were requested. With regard to the brain injury and epidural hematoma, immediate measures (i.e. head lifting, taking Dilantin, blood glucose control, blood pressure control, and maintaining adequate oxygen saturation in the arterial blood) were taken to put a stop to secondary brain injury, and the patient was then transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) for further treatments.Conclusion: In the present case study, the child was seriously examined and followed up. In conclusion; 20 days later, the case was discharged from the pediatric ward with good medical conditions, and received counseling and psychiatric services for one year.
Infectious disease
Hamid Zamani Moghadam; Fatemeh Maleki; Mohsen Ebrahimi; Mahdi Foroughian
Volume 6, Issue 1 , January 2020, , Pages 13-17
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of nitrite test in comparison with urine culture (U/C) results in patients with Urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 203 patients with UTI symptoms. Middle urine sample was ...
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Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of nitrite test in comparison with urine culture (U/C) results in patients with Urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 203 patients with UTI symptoms. Middle urine sample was taken into sterile plastic containers, and simultaneously the urine sample and the nitrite test were done by the use of urine dipstick test. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23.Results: The results of the urine culture test indicated that the highest excreted organisms in both sexes were E. coli (58.8%), Candida (17.6%), Klebsiella (8.8%), E. coli (MDR) (5.9%), Pseudomonas (2.9%), Enterococcus (2.9%) and Acinetobacter (2.9%). The results showed that there was a significant correlation between U/C and urine analysis (U/A) test results (P = 0.01), and in U/C positive results, U/A results were significantly positive for UTI. Other findings showed a significant relationship between the results of nitrite one and nitrite two tests (P = 0.001). There was a significant correlation between urinary, and nitrite1 levels (P = 0.04). Also, in this study, the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests for U/A and nitrite 1 and 2 with U/C were calculated as the Golden Standard method.Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study showed that the negative nitrite test and urine dipstick test could be performed in emergency cases to prevent ectopic dysfunction and inadequate diagnosis. Also, it can reduce the unreasonable expenses for U/A.
Emergency medicine
Bita Abbasi; Masoud Pezeshki-Rad; Mozhdeh Amini; Mahdi Foroughian; Maryam Sahebari; Sirous Nekooei; Reza Akhvan
Volume 6, Issue 1 , January 2020, , Pages 18-22
Abstract
Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the clinical symptoms and sonographic characteristics of femoral trochlear cartilage in patients with knee joint osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 94 patients with painful primary knee OA according to the American ...
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Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the clinical symptoms and sonographic characteristics of femoral trochlear cartilage in patients with knee joint osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 94 patients with painful primary knee OA according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria with a visual analog scale pain score of 30 mm or more. Clinical features were evaluated by a rheumatologist according to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) criteria, and a radiologist performed ultrasonography within a week. The thickness and echogenicity grade of three cartilage regions were evaluated. Other findings such as meniscal extrusion, effusion, and Baker’s cyst were recorded. Results: The average age of patients was 60 years. The linear regression model showed a significant association of grades II and III trochlear cartilage injury with the pain index, physical activity, and WOMAC overall index. However, there was no significant association between the trochlear cartilage thickness in these three regions and the WOMAC indexes (including pain, physical activity, and the overall index). There was also no significant association between Baker’s cyst and the WOMAC indexes, but a significant association was found between meniscal extrusion and the WOMAC index (P≤0.001). Conclusion: According to our study, the echogenicity grade determined by ultrasonography of femoral trochlear cartilage affects the clinical symptoms of patients including pain. These findings indicate the role of this diagnostic device in understanding changes due to the disease, and it can help physicians focus on the pathology in order to control clinical symptoms in patients.