Search

A 21-year-old woman developed an acute myotonic reaction while undergoing anaesthesia using succinylcholine. Examination later showed she had shoulder, neck and calf hypertrophy, bilateral symmetrical ptosis and eyelid, handgrip and percussion myotonia. Peripheral neurophysiology studies identified significant, continuous myotonic discharges in both upper and lower limbs. Genetic analysis identified a c.3917G>A (p.Gly1306Glu) mutation in the SCN4A gene, confirming a diagnosis of sodium channel myotonia. Succinylcholine and other depolarising agents can precipitate lifethreatening acute myotonic reactions when given to patients with myotonia. Patients with neuromuscular disorders are at an increased risk of perioperative anaesthetic complications. We report a woman who developed an acute myotonic reaction whilst undergoing anaesthesia, in the context of an unrecognised myotonic disorder. We then discuss an approach to the diagnosis of myotonic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of the tetanus toxoid vaccine has been very effective in the prevention of tetanus. However, older patients who may have failed to receive or complete immunization schedules for this vaccine are prone to the significant risks of this life-threatening illness. We present two cases stemming from diabetic foot ulcers to remind clinicians of the presentation and treatment of this now rare disease and to also draw attention to the need to emphasise immunisation as a prevention strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Neurociencia is the property of Academia Mexicana de Neurologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The use of ultrasonography to diagnose and manage peripheral nerve injury is not routinely performed, but is an advantageous alternative to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the pediatric population., Case Description: The authors report a case of a toddler-aged female who sustained a supracondylar fracture and subsequent median and ulnar nerve injuries. All preoperative and postoperative imaging was performed through high-resolution ultrasound as opposed to MRI. Starting at 6 months post-nerve repair and with 18 months of follow-up, the patient exhibited substantial improvement in motor strength and sensory function. This case demonstrated a successful outcome while providing an imaging alternative that is portable, relatively low-cost, lacks ionizing radiation, provides additional information on vascular integrity, and obviates the need for general anesthetic such as MRI., Conclusion: The authors conclude that the use of ultrasonography to diagnose and manage traumatic peripheral nerve injury is advantageous, particularly in the pediatric population., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Surgical Neurology International.)

Background: Subsets of asthmatic children, particularly in the Caribbean, burden the health system through repeated emergency room (ER) visits. We examined children to determine predictors of repeated ER visits in Trinidad., Methods: Caregivers of 300 asthmatic children in primary healthcare in Trinidad reported on perceived factors of exacerbated wheeze requiring ER services., Results: Prevalence of ER utilization in the past 12 months was 59.7% and 40.3% for repeated visits. Average age of wheezing onset was 2.8 (SD = 2.5) years. From the logistic regression analyses, independent predictors of repeat ER visits were mothers with a history of asthma (OR = 2.0, 95%Cl = 1.0-4.0), exposure to perfumes/odors (OR = 2.4, 95% Cl = 1.4-4.2), using inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (OR = 2.2, 95% Cl = 1.2-4.0), and young age group (1-5 vs. 13-16 years) (OR = 2.7, 95% Cl = 1.1-6.4). More 1-5 year-olds (63.8%) and 6-12-year-olds (60.2%) wheezed in the dry and wet seasons, respectively (p = 0.04). Follow-up was poor (32.3%), and disease management did not include educational interventions., Conclusions: Repeated ER use in pediatric asthma underscores a pressing need for health providers and caregivers to develop an asthma management plan noting the identified predictors to assist in reducing Trinidad's asthma burden.