Metallic Corneal Foreign Body With Rust Ring
June 1st 2007Two days after "heading" a soccer ball, a 17-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with progressive pain and a foreign-body sensation in his left eye. Visual acuity was 20/20 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye. The pupils were equally round and reactive; full extraocular movements of both eyes were noted. The left eye had conjunctival injection and a 1-mm foreign body on the medial cornea with a surrounding halo of discoloration--typical of a metallic corneal foreign body. A Seidel test (which demonstrates streaming of fluorescein dye from the aqueous humor when illuminated with UV light) revealed no evidence of corneal perforation; there were noareas of fluorescein dye uptake.
Update black box warnings on antidepressants, says FDA
May 18th 2007The Food and Drug Administration proposed that all manufacturers of antidepressant meds update their existing black box warnings. The product labels should include warnings about increased risks of suicidal thinking and behavior, in 18- to 24-year olds, usually in the first two months of treatment [more].
Combo vaccine production is cut
May 18th 2007Manufacturing problems have cut production of a four-disease combination vaccine (Pro Quad) made by Merck (MMWR Wkly Rept:56(18);45), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vaccine protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. [more].
Vomiting and altered mental status in an adolescent
May 1st 2007A 14 year old presents with an unusual state of health, episode of hypertension and altered mental status. A very unusual case as the patient presented with a hypertensive emergency from a small bowel obstruction that resulted from a volvulus of the midgut.