Ravi Singh Profile picture
Sep 1, 2020 15 tweets 5 min read Read on X
1/ In medicine, we get to eat humble pie time and time again. The vast amount of knowledge necessary can be a daunting task and what we learn isn't necessarily what we may see in the clinical realm. You can almost say there is an atypical presentation for everything. Image
2/ This leads to our case, on consults we come across a elderly pt with confusion and psychosis.
Normal Temp and RR: 18 and Low normal BP
Clinically dry with labs:
Normal Albumin and Normal gap. Image
3/ Her NAGMA was not competely explained by the hyperchloremia but this could be a contributor.
The next step was to pursue a UAG.
Her ABG was unremarkable and a run through of causes of NAGMA came up empty. Image
4/However, with ASA on the list of this patient's medications. We decided to order a level along with a battery of other tests to find the needle in the haystack that could explain the metabolic encephalopathy.
Lo and Behold the level returned back CRITICALLY HIGH. Image
5/ Wait a minute we all said !
"This does not fit our illness script for ASA toxicity. This is absolutely incorrect especially with the lack of HAGMA when running through KILU @UnremarkableLab " Image
6/In addition, the patient did not manifest with N/V,Tachypnea, hyperpnea, Tinnitus, Nausea/vomiting: or Hyperthermia. Only confusion/Psychosis. Image
7/The mechanism for HAGMA in ASA overdose is due to salicylic acid uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation, leading to accumulation of lactic acid and pyruvic acid, causing a primary elevated anion gap metabolic acidosis.
Courtesy of REBELEM Image
8/ However, salicylate can interfere with lab assay for chloride, causing falsely elevated chloride and making it appear as though anion gap is normal.
In our case, the Cl was elevated and hence the AG was calculated to be normal.
9/Key points:
a. 20% of patients have a hyperchloremic
normal anion-gap acidosis
b.Increased excretion of bicarbonate accompanied
by retention of chloride is a compensatory response
of the kidney to respiratory alkalosis.
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
10/
c.Urinary excretion of Na and K
salts of organic acids is the equivalent of
losing NaHCO3 from the body. The
contraction of ECF volume
signals renal retention of dietary sodium chloride
11/
d.concomitant ingestion of
bromide-containing compounds can cause
false elevation in the Cl level, since
both bromide and chloride are halides
12/
e.Increased plasma salicylate level can cause
autoanalyzers to falsely report an increased
plasma chloride level, leading to an erroneously
low or even negative value for the anion gap.
13/
Consider salicylate poisoning inspite of a NAGMA in the presence of hyperchloremia.
Another situation where ASA overdose that we've seen is overuse of Pepto-Bismol which contains salicylate (8.7 mg per milliliter) in the form of bismuth subsalicylate. Image
14/
Getting back to humble pie.
In actuality, it is not a pie that we would want to consume. Humbles are the insides of an animal, especially a deer, used as food. It remains a vanished dish of the medieval past.
For now it remains an expression when we are proved wrong. Image

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More from @rav7ks

May 6, 2022
1/8
You start SQ insulin on a patient and they develop peripheral edema ?
What is the mechanism of "Insulin edema" ?
#MedTwitter #MedStudentTwitter
2/8
This condition was initially reported by Aaron Leifer, M.D. in 1928 in a 41-year-old male patient started on an insulin regimen which was published in JAMA.

Leifer A. A CASE OF INSULIN EDEMA. JAMA. 1928;90(8):610–611. doi:10.1001/jama.1928.92690350001012
3/8
The severity of edema is usually mild, involving the limbs, sparing the torso and face.
Resolution is usually seen after one to two weeks of conservative treatment with fluid and salt restriction and may or may not involve the use of diuretics
grepmed.com/images/6334/dr…
Read 8 tweets
Apr 16, 2022
1/17
“The skin truly can be a mirror of what’s going on inside the body “
During a #CPSbootcamp conversation we started discussing mosquito bites. How they can be a signal to internal disease ? Let's explore @deboracloureiro @KirtanPatolia @CPSolvers @seymss15
#MedTwitter
2/17
Mosquito saliva-induced type I hypersensitivity induces a strong itch sensation. This is a process of vasodilation + inflammation

First ➡️ immediate wheal and flare reaction develops within 15–30 min➡️ delayed pruritic induration arises within a day or 2 which resolves
3/17
Hypersensitivity to mosquito bites (HMB):

HMB or severe mosquito bite allergy (SMBA) is a cutaneous form of chronic active Epstein–Barr virus disease (CAEBV).

HMB belongs to a category of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-associated NK cell lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S132389302
Read 17 tweets
May 20, 2021
1/ 10 The most recognized form of Non-Cardiogenic pulmonary edema(NCPE) is ARDS, however the scope of NCPE is much broader with many causes. One particular cause of NCPE we encountered was due to opoid use which is explored in this #medtweetorial
#MedTwitter #MedStudentTwitter
2/10 The onset of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema after opioid overdose was first described by Osler
during an autopsy in 1880

Osler W. Oedema of the left lung — morphia poisoning: Montreal General Hospital Reports Clinical and Pathological. Montreal: Dawson Bros., 1880:291.
3/10 Its presentation and clinical course was not appreciated until the 1950s-60s.
-mechanism is known to involve ⬆️ alveolar capillary permeability
-Opioid-related NCPE presents as :
dyspnea +/- pink, frothy pulmonary secretions
+ hypoxia
Other criteria is detailed below:
Read 10 tweets
Feb 23, 2021
1/ Is bandemia with a normal WBC count concerning for a lethal infection?
It's a very interesting concept which I've faced and will explore below :
#MedTwitter #MedStudentTwitter #FOAMed
2/“Left shift” means that a particular population of cells is “shifted” towards more immature precursors
Josef Arneth (1873-1955) described this left-shift term.

% neutrophils is commonly reported as a "left shift" in the Diff which is incorrect
jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/…
3/Mechanical hematologic counters were used early on last century which perpetuated the term" left shift" with the manual counting of immature neutrophils which were towards the left side of the mature cells on the counter.
Read 11 tweets
Dec 17, 2020
1/ "Don't forget to correct that phosphate so that the it can help the patient recover from acute respiratory failure !" This concept triggered a lot of questions on rounds.
It's worth taking a quick look at this association !
#medtwitter #MedStudentTwitter #FOAMed #phosphate
2/⬇️Phosphate leads to ⬇️red cell 2,3-DPG and a reduction in ATP.
⬇️Phosphate diverts glucose -> 1,3-DPG into the Rapoport-Leubering pathway away from ATP generation towards producing 2,3-DPG so that the oxygen affinity of RBC's does not increase and the tissues receive O2.
3/⬇️Phosphate does also impact RBC survivability with a
⬆️hemolysis, ⬇️in RBC deformability, ⬇️ capillary transit and ⬇️GSH.
Read 11 tweets
Sep 25, 2020
1/Why does the Hg/Hct drop in the first two days during hospitalization ?
We'll explore this issue in this short #medtweetorial
#medtwitter #FOAMed #MedStudentTwitter
2/Interestingly , anemia of hospitalization is commonly thought to be due to
- phlebotomy
- IVF
- invasive procedures/ bleeding etc

However, prolonged bed rest can contribute to a drop in your pts blood count !
Another reason to get our patient's out of bed if possible !
3/Until the mid-20th century, bedrest was considered a benefit that helped people heal. Hippocrates had already noted the risk of loss of muscle, bone and tooth(Chadwick and Mann, 1950)
Today, there is recognition of bedrest’s negative effects on body and the blood volume.
Read 14 tweets

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