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Stimulant poisoning frequently causes altered mental status (AMS) and can result in severe cerebral vascular complications. The role of noncontrast brain computed tomography (CT) in acute stimulant-poisoned patients presenting with AMS remains unclear.We examined the results and impacts of brain CT in acute stimulant-poisoned patients with AMS.We performed a retrospective single-center study that included all adult patients who presented to the emergency department with stimulant poisoning and AMS (Glasgow coma scale [GCS] score15) between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2017. Patients who had concomitant head trauma or who presented with focal neurologic symptoms were excluded. The primary outcome was the rate of acute abnormalities on brain CT. The secondary outcomes were to identify factors that affected the decision to perform brain CT in stimulant-poisoned patients with AMS and whether obtaining the brain CT scan itself affected the patients' prognoses.The analysis included 66 patients, of whom 6 died from the poisoning. Noncontrast brain CT was performed in 31 patients and none had acute abnormalities. Patients who underwent brain CT were found to have worse GCS scores, higher body temperatures, higher intubation rates, higher admission rates, longer admission periods and intensive care unit stays, and a higher mortality rate. After adjusting for the propensity score, performing brain CT itself did not independently affect the patients' clinical outcomes.Nontrauma stimulant-poisoned patients presenting with AMS and without focal neurologic symptoms were unlikely to have acute abnormalities on brain CT. Patients who underwent brain CT scans had worse consciousness and greater disease severity.

A 64-year-old woman presented with coma, seizure, and lactic acidosis after ingesting 80 yam bean seeds. This rotenone-containing seeds cause cellular asphyxia via blockage of the mitochondrial electron transport. Subsequent oxidative stress results in the formation of lipid peroxidation (LPO). Rotenone analysis via liquid chromatography mass spectrometry revealed the following: 31,590 ng/mL in cooked yam bean seed and 100 ng/mL in the blood. We attempted to use N-acetylcysteine to alleviate oxidative stress and documented the continuous decline in the plasma concentration of LPO.

The risks of intravenous (IV) lidocaine before rapid sequence induction (RSI) have become a great concern. No study has investigated the hemodynamic effects of IV lidocaine during endotracheal intubation in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.We investigated whether the use of IV lidocaine before RSI was associated with postintubation hemodynamic changes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.In this retrospective cohort study, adults who presented with isolated traumatic brain injury and definite intracranial hemorrhage were included. Patients who presented with other major injuries received prehospital intubation, had initial mean arterial pressure (MAP) less than 70 mm Hg, and/or had incomplete medical records were excluded.A total of 101 patients (82.2% men; mean age, 48.6 ± 19.6 years) were enrolled. Forty-six patients received IV lidocaine in addition to RSI before intubation (group 1), and 55 received RSI without IV lidocaine before intubation (group 2). There were no significant intergroup differences in baseline characteristics, the number of RSI doses, or the RSI dose used, with the exception of sex, diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage, and diagnosis of subdural hemorrhage. Our results demonstrated no significant intergroup differences in MAP changes or the proportion of patients with hypotension (MAP70 mm Hg) after intubation. Intravenous lidocaine remained unrelated to significant hypotension after adjusting for variables by logistic regression analysis.Intravenous lidocaine in addition to RSI before endotracheal intubation was not associated with significant hemodynamic changes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.