Hypertriglyceridemia is reported as cause of 1 to 4% of the episodes of acute pancreatitis. We report the case of a 42-year-old woman with a history of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia, with triglycerides of 9365 mg/dl, total cholesterol of 1822 mg/dl, one month prior to the consultation. She presented at the emergency unit with a 5 day history of abdominal pain, which progressed in intensity in the last 48 hours. Abdominal computed tomography revealed pancreatic and peripancreatic inflammation. Thirty-six hours after admission, a first session of plasmapheresis was conducted with a plasma triglyceride and cholesterol reduction of 25 and 30%, respectively. A second session was performed the next day, with a further reduction of triglycerides to 996 mg/dl and cholesterol to 238 mg/dl. During hospitalization the patient presented fever and Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia with no pancreatic collection or necrosis in tomography and, later on, nosocomial pneumonia, both infections with adequate response to antibiotic therapy. At the time of discharge, triglycerides and cholesterol levels were 652 mg/dl and 167 mg/dl respectively, no abdominal pain was present and the patient resumed oral nutrition. We observed a 90% reduction of triglycerides and 87% of cholesterol after 2 sessions of plasmapheresis, compared to 70% in average of reduction in most of the studies reviewed. We did not find the presence of bacteremia or nosocomial pneumonia as complications in the reported cases.
Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. The chronic eosinophilic pneumonia is part of Pulmonary Eosinophilic Syndroms. It is presented a 33-years old man, Asmathic, with dry cough, fever, night sweats and fatigue of several weeks. The chest X-ray showed opacity in the right hemithorax. He was treated with antibiotics without response. A chest TC showed multifocal involvement. The patient refused bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) so treatment antituberculostatic was started. Despite treatment the symptoms worsened. The Chest X-ray showed migration of the infiltrates and the blood smear marked eosinophilia. Finally, bronchoalveolar lavage was carried out and it showed a high percentage of eosinophils (over 50%). The patient was treated with inmmunosuppresive doses of corticosteroids with excellent response. The blood smear in Nonresolving pneumonia is key to consider eosinophilic pneumonia, an uncommon pathology but amenable to treatment.
Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. The chronic eosinophilic pneumonia is part of Pulmonary Eosinophilic Syndroms. It is presented a 33-years old man, Asmathic, with dry cough, fever, night sweats and fatigue of several weeks. The chest X-ray showed opacity in the right hemithorax. He was treated with antibiotics without response. A chest TC showed multifocal involvement. The patient refused bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) so treatment antituberculostatic was started. Despite treatment the symptoms worsened. The Chest X-ray showed migration of the infiltrates and the blood smear marked eosinophilia. Finally, bronchoalveolar lavage was carried out and it showed a high percentage of eosinophils (over 50%). The patient was treated with inmmunosuppresive doses of corticosteroids with excellent response. The blood smear in Nonresolving pneumonia is key to consider eosinophilic pneumonia, an uncommon pathology but amenable to treatment.
BACKGROUND:Exacerbations of heart failure appear frequently associated with precipitating factors not directly related to the evolution of cardiac disease. There still a paucity of data on the proportional distribution of precipitating factors specifically in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to examine prospectively the precipitating factors leading to hospitalization in elderly patients with heart failure in our community hospital.METHODS:We evaluate elderly patients who need admissions for decompensate heart failure. All patients were reviewed daily by the study investigators at the first 24 h and closely followed-up. Decompensation was defined as the worsening in clinical NYHA class associated with the need for an increase in medical treatment (at minimum intravenously diuretics).RESULTS:We included 102 patients (mean age 79 ± 12 years). Precipitating factors were identified in 88.5%. The decompensation was sudden in 35% of the cases. Noncompliance with diet was identified in 52% of the patients, lack of adherence to the prescribed medications amounted to 30%. Others precipitating factors were infections (29%), arrhythmias (25%), acute coronary ischemia (22%), and uncontrolled hypertension (15%), miscellaneous causes were detected in 18% of the cases (progression of renal disease 60%, anemia 30% and iatrogenic factors 10%). Concomitant cause was not recognizable in 11.5%.CONCLUSIONS:Large proportion heart failure hospitalizations are associated with preventable precipitating factors. Knowledge of potential precipitating factors may help to optimize treatment and provide guidance for patients with heart failure. The presence of potential precipitating factors should be routinely evaluated in patients presenting chronic heart failure.
