January 2018 Critical Care Case of the Month

Theodore Loftsgard, APRN, ACNP 

Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care

Mayo Clinic Minnesota

Rochester, MN USA

History of Present Illness

The patient is a 51-year-old woman admitted with a long history of progressive shortness of breath.  She has a long history of “heart problems”. She uses supplemental oxygen at 1 LPM by nasal cannula.

Past Medical History, Social History and Family History

She also has several comorbidities including renal failure with two renal transplants and a history of relatively recent RSV and CMV pneumonia. She is a life-long nonsmoker. Her family history is noncontributory.

Physical Examination

• Vital signs: Blood pressure 145/80 mm Hg, heart rate 59 beats/min, respiratory rate 18, T 37.0º C, SpO2 91% of 1 LPM.
• Lungs: Clear.
• Heart: Regular rhythm with G 3/6 systolic ejection murmur at the base.
• Abdomen: unremarkable.
• Extremities: no edema

Which of the following should be performed? (Click on the correct answer to proceed to the second of seven pages)

1. Brain naturetic peptide (BNP)
2. Chest x-ray
3. Echocardiogram
4. Electrocardiogram
5. All of the above

Cite as: Loftsgard T. January 2018 critical care case of the month. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2018;16(1):1-7. doi: https://doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc155-17 PDF

October 2017 Critical Care Case of the Month

Margaret Ragland, MD¹

Carolyn H. Welsh, MD^1,2

Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine

¹University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and ²VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System

Denver, Colorado USA

History of Present Illness

A 42-year-old man with a history of intravenous heroin abuse and chronic hepatitis C infection presents to the emergency department (ED) with recurrent abdominal pain. The pain was dull, epigastric, and did not radiate. The pain worsened after eating, but the timing after eating that it worsened was inconsistent. He had nausea but no vomiting. His bowel movements were normal without constipation, diarrhea, or melena.   

He had presented to another ED multiple times with this same pain over the past six weeks. He does not know what the work-ups revealed, but was discharged from the emergency department each time. He received supportive care including fluids and analgesics, but the pain would always recur a few hours after returning home.

He went to a third ED a few weeks ago with bilateral testicular pain after which he was discharged home with acetaminophen for pain.

Past Medical History, Family History, and Social History

His past medical history is notable for bipolar disorder. He takes no prescribed medications and does not know his family’s medical history. He is a current every day smoker, has no history of heavy alcohol use, and uses intravenous heroin but no other recreational drugs.

Current Medications

Acetaminophen a few times a day for abdominal pain.

Review of Systems

He notes subjective fevers, poor appetite, and an 8 pound unintentional weight loss over the past six weeks.

Physical Exam

Vital signs are notable for hypertension to 158/91 mm Hg. Other vitals are within normal limits.

On exam, he is an ill appearing middle aged man who appears very uncomfortable. His abdomen is nondistended. He has normal bowel sounds and epigastric tenderness with a tender, smooth liver edge palpable just under the costal margin. He has decreased sensation to light touch in his toes with no skin changes. Toes are warm with capillary refill less than two seconds.

Laboratory Evaluation

CBC reveals a leukocytosis to 23,600 cells/mcL with 80% neutrophils; eosinophils are normal. Hemoglobin and platelet counts are normal. Sodium is 128 mmol/L with a bicarbonate of 30 mmol/L and creatinine of 0.64 mmol/L. AST 155 U/L, ALT 137 U/L, with a total bilirubin 1.1 mmol/L. Albumin is 1.8 g/L. INR is 1.9. Urinalysis showed 1+ protein.

What additional laboratory evaluation is indicated at this time? (Click on the correct answer to proceed to the second of six pages)

1. Acetaminophen level
2. Hepatitis B viral (HBV) serologies
3. Lipase
4. 1 and 3
5. All of the above

Cite as: Ragland M, Welsh CH. October 2017 critical care case of the month. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2017;15(4):131-7. doi: https://doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc113-17 PDF 

September 2012 Critical Care Case of the Month

Robert A. Raschke, MD

Banner Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center

Phoenix, AZ

History of Present Illness

A 45 year old man was transferred from another medical center. He was found unresponsive, with muscle spasticity. After arrival at the outside medical center his vital signs were temperature 106.4 degrees F, heart rate 160 beats/min, respiratory rate 44 breaths per minute, and BP of 70/45 mm Hg. He was orally intubated for respiratory distress with induced by vecuronium.  His white blood cell count was 21,000 cells/μL. Chest x-ray showed bilateral consolidations and he was given fluids and gatifloxacin. His blood pressure improved to 130/94 and he was transferred.

PMH, SH, FH

He has a past medical history of quadriplegia at the C6 level with a history of severe back pain because syringomyelia.  He has a history of autonomic dysreflexia. Despite his disability he is quite functional working as a personal injury lawyer. He had been managed with a variety of medications including benzodiazepams, narcotics and baclofen. The later two were administered via an intrathecal pump which had been weaned over several weeks, and totally discontinued the day prior to admission. There is no history of smoking or alcohol abuse.

Physical Examination

His vital signs were temperature of 102.6 degrees F, heart rate 160 beats/min,  respiratory rate 14 breaths per minute, and BP of 130/50 mmHg.

He was paralyzed and mechanically ventilated. There was tenting of the skin and mottling of neck and knees. He had calloused hands and excoriated forearms. Lungs had diffuse rales and the heart rate was regular but rapid. A subcutaneous pump device was palpable in the left lower abdominal quadrant. There was a pressure sore on the coccyx.

Admission Laboratory and X-ray

His admission chest x-ray showed a diffuse 5-lobe consolidation. White blood cell count was elevated at 21,000 cells/μL.

At this time which of the following are diagnostic possibilities?

1. Sepsis secondary to Staphylococcus aureus
2. Pneumonia secondary to aspiration
3. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
4. Benzodiazepam withdrawal
5. All of the above

Reference as: Raschke RA. September 2012 critical care case of the month. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care 2012;5:121-5. (Click here for a PDF version)