Krishna Vedala

Clostridioides difficile infection possesses a significant economical burden, specifically in the inpatient and rural settings. Fecal Microbiota Transplant has been used for treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile but its utility is limited by current guidelines and resources. We conducted a retrospective chart review to evaluate the financial benefit of using Fecal Microbiota Transplant after first recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection. We found that while its use was restricted, on average Fecal Microbiota Transplant can save $11,603.49 per patient. In conclusion, our study shows that using Fecal Microbiota Transplant could prove to be economically beneficial in treating recurrent CDI in rural hospitals.

Secondary organizing pneumonia refers to a disease process caused by pulmonary tissue injury. Various insults can cause secondary organizing pneumonia, including multiple types of infections and cancer. The mainstay of diagnosis is a combination of imaging and lung biopsy showing inflammatory changes, specifically plugs with granulated tissue and fibrosis. Clinical suspicion needs to be raised for secondary organizing pneumonia when a patient is requiring increasing amounts of oxygen in the presence of treatment for pneumonia or another underlying lung disease. Here, we present the case of a 65-year-old male who presented with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in the setting of previously having been tested positive for influenza B. Aggressive steroids with eventual tapering of his O₂ requirements led to a successful outcome. While influenza has been reported as a cause of secondary organizing pneumonia after proceeding infection, these cases are usually represented by type A, rather than B.

The notochord is the defining structure of all chordate embryos. It is a midline structure ventral to the ectoderm, neural plates, and neural arch. Remnants of the notochord ultimately give rise to the nucleus pulposus. The function of the notochord is to organize the surrounding structures. Chordoma is a rare malignant bone tumor arising from remnants of the notochord. These tumors are indolent and can present as incidental or locally advanced involving adjacent structures. These tumors typically present at the skull base and sacral spine but more rarely can be seen on the cervical and thoracic spine. Rare cases of chordoma invading the brachial plexus have been recorded. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment for chordomas. We would like to discuss a novel presentation of a chordoma as a Pancoast tumor, and aim to highlight the clinical importance of accurate diagnosis and planning therapy along with poor prognosis of incomplete surgical resection.

An 88-year-old male patient with a past medical history of hypertension and gastroesophageal disease presented with nausea, vomiting, and hypothermia. He was admitted for further testing, which revealed elevated creatine kinase and its MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and troponin with no significant electrocardiogram changes. He denied cardiac symptoms or any previous cardiac history. The patient was treated with fluids and antibiotics in which improvement in his symptoms was noted. In this article, we share this rare case of hypothermia associated with elevation of CK-MB.

PET/CT scans are frequently used in the initial workup of suspicious lesions but not all that lights up on a PET is cancerous. We wish to discuss a case of silicone-induced granuloma mimicking malignancy and the role of other imaging modalities for further workup.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA was forced to bypass normal protocol and issue Emergency Use Authorization for diagnostic testing. As a result, we have seen an explosion in the number of available molecular diagnostic tests developed by various private enterprises. Our case reports of an 85-year-old female who was suffering from a multitude of co-morbidities and underwent three different molecular diagnostic tests in a short timeframe. With little data on the precision and reliability of the multiple available tests, it has become extremely difficult to diagnose and guide management. Instead of focusing on commercial ventures, FDA in conjunction with the CDC should prioritize our resources to tackle COVID-19 as a public health crisis.

Bartter syndrome is a rare disorder that is characterized by weakness and fatigue with laboratory findings of hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis with increased aldosterone and angiotensin. It specifically acts on the ascending loop of Henle, characterized by miscoded proteins affecting NaCl transports and channels. Patients will require replacement of potassium and sometimes magnesium due to the kidneys’ inability to reabsorb these ions. So what happens when the body’s other primary mechanism of absorption of these elements are taken out? In this article, we present the case of a 47-year-old woman with Bartter syndrome on oral potassium 40 mg BID (twice a day) and magnesium oxide 800 TID (thrice a day), who recently had a small bowel resection that required intravenous potassium and magnesium throughout her hospital admission. Significant questions arose as to how her electrolytes should be managed, given her unusual presentation with rare underlying disorder. We discuss the implications of her bowel resection in the context of Bartter syndrome and our views on her future course based on available literature.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare disease that occurs due to unregulated immune system activation induced by various causes including infection and cancer. In this article, we report a case of a 67-year-old male with history of small cell lung cancer who developed HLH triggered by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia. The patient was initially admitted for septic shock and gastrointestinal bleed. Further workup showed that the patient met criteria for HLH diagnosis as he was positive for 5 of the 8 parameters. Unfortunately, the patient’s condition worsened and he eventually expired. With this case, we wish to draw attention to the fact that sepsis due to MRSA bacteremia can be a trigger for HLH.