Spinal cord injury can lead to important functional, psychological and social sequelae. Despite the progress in medicine and greater understanding of the pathophysiological events associated with a traumatic spinal cord injury, spinal cord injury is still associated with a high morbidity and mortality. The involvement of the autonomic nervous system has implications in acute and chronic stages of the injured spinal cord patients. The most frequent cardiovascular complications in the acute phase of the traumatic spinal lesions are bradyarrhythmia, hypotension, increased vasovagal reflexes, ventricular and supraventricular ectopic beats, venous stasis, and vasodilation. In the chronic phase, we find orthostatic hypotension, alteration of the arterial pressure and the regulation of the body temperature as well as alteration of the blood volume. The knowledge of the cardiovascular alterations is of vital importance for the management and rehabilitation of the patients with spinal cord injury. In this article, we present a critical review of medical literature.

The pneumatization of regions such as the apex of the temporal crag, the mastoid cells and the perilaberytic region is considered physiological in adults. The process of craniocervical pneumatization in unhealthy adults derives from a dysfunction at the level of the eustachian tube, which provides a valve effect causing an increase in pressure at the level of the middle ear, forcing the entry of air into the dome of the skull through the opening of the occipitomastoidal suture. The process of standard pneumatization of the temporal bones, begins in the final weeks preceding birth, characterized by a decrease in the embryonic mesenchyme at the antrum level and progresses through childhood until adolescence, when the stone portion at the level of the rock is pneumatized; Normal variants have been reported, such as pneumatization that extends from the temporal scale to behind the sigmoid sinus. With regard to the process of hyperneumatization, several etiologies have been proposed that a congenital process versus an acquired process to develop this condition should be compared. The present illustrative case is a seventy-three years old male presented to the outpatient clinic with chronic recurrent occipital headache, already investigated by general practitioner for elevated blood pressure which was excluded. We had checked him to exclude the cervical spinal origin of the occipital headache which was then excluded too. This case scenario demonstrates the debate about how to deal with such cases and thus the review will bring the attention of those who take care of such radiological findings to keep in mind the possible causes and complications according to the reported cases till now. We concluded that the hyperpneumatization of the craniocervical junction is an uncommon radiological finding that is usually asymptomatic although it can entail serious complications in some instances, especially when it enlarges progressively, which may be due to an acquired process. Thus, craniocervical hyperpneumatization deserves highlighting for the managing team to gain fluent treatment and better patient outcome.

Traumatic brain injuries are an important cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. These types of lesions are often associated with increased intracranial pressure and cerebral edema, proper management of this can reduce tissue damage of the brain and improve brain perfusion. The use of acetazolamide is not indicated in guidelines for the management of intracranial hypertension, which is used to a great extent for the management of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. However, it is not yet known in the management of traumatic intracranial hypertension.

Objective: To evaluate the acute toxicity effect of metribuzin at low dose on liver of mother rabbits and its fetus. Methods: Pregnant female rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus were divided into three groups (n=5). The first group of non-treated pregnancy rabbits served as control; the second group of pregnancy rabbits were treated with 1/100 LD₅₀ of metribuzin and the third group of pregnancy rabbits were treated with 1/50 LD₅₀ of metribuzin. Metribuzin was added in their drinking water for 60 d before and during pregnancy. Levels of liver malondialdehyde, liver glutathione S transferase, serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase and serum glutamic- pyruvic transaminase were determined. Liver reduced glutathione level was also determined by a colorimetric method. And hepatic homogenate was analyzed by HPLC analysis to determine the existence of traces of metribuzin. Results: Results revealed a significant increase in level of liver malondialdehyde, glutathione S transferase, serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase and serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activities in mother and fetuses rabbits of both metribuzin treatment groups as compared to the control group. However the level of reduced glutathione was decreased in mother and fetuses rabbits of both groups treated with metribuzin compared to control group. Also, the results obtained by HPLC technique showed the presence of trace metribuzin in liver cells of mothers and fetuses rabbits of the both metribuzin treated groups. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study shows that exposure to metribuzin at low concentrations causes a acute toxicity in liver of mother rabbits and its fetus, also the trace of the metribuzin detected in the liver is the origin of possible malformation of the fetuses or abortion of the rabbits.

Objective: To determine the predictive value of P2/MS in patients with chronic HBV-related cirrhosis, and to predict high-risk esophageal varices, and obtain a cut-off value. Methods: A total of 412 patients with HBV-related cirrhosis who were admitted to our hospital between August 2014 and August 2017 were retrospectively evaluated. A diagnosis of cirrhosis was made with standard laboratory, radiological and physical examination findings. According to these evaluations, esophageal varices were classified as small, medium and large. For all obtained data, P2/MS was calculated. Two threshold values (P2/MS<11 and P2/MS>25) were considered in predicting the presence of high-risk EVs during recording. And the optimal cutoff value of the P2/MS index was determined for high-risk esophageal varices in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B. Results: A total of 375 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. When the P2/MS index was compared with other noninvasive tests, the mean and median P2/MS scores were respectively 54.17 and 33.25. The P2/MS value of the patients without esophageal varices was higher than that of the patients with esophageal varices. When these results were evaluated, the higher the score, the lower the risk of varices. We obtained a positive predictive value of 93.80% [95% CI (80.20-98.70)] when the cut-off value of P2/MS was taken as <11, and obtained a negative predictive value of 94.30% [95% CI (86.20-98.20%)] when the cut-off value of P2/MS was taken as >25. Conclusions: We could predict the patients with high-risk esophageal varices within this group at a extremely good rate. We also compared the results of this test with other non-invasive tests and achieved successful results. We have shown that P2/MS can be used in order to optimally select patients for endoscopic screening and prevent all of the expensive and unnecessary procedures safely.

Objective: To determine the amount and type of changes in the Emergency Department, in order to hasten treatment and disposition process of patients in the Emergency Department to expedite by eliminating or minimizing such changes that decreases the cost of treatment and drug resistance Methods: In this study, 1 005 patients’ file admitted to emergency department of Rasool Akram Hospital were reviewed to see at least two different health services or two shifts of one service with written orders. Results: In total, the rate of drug changes studied cases was obtained as 5.47%. The largest pharmaceutical group in which the changes were developed was antibiotic (2.8% from all cases and 50% of total drug changes). Among the various health services, the internal service had imposed the most changes (67.3% of total drug changes). Conclusions: Considering that after the removal of trauma patients, the frequency of drug changes had been 11.47%, then it should be noted that the frequency was high and it was not desirable. The greatest change has been operated by internal services due to the fact that most treatments in this department was carried out by drugs.

Objective: To prevent unnecessary laparotomies by evaluating the effectiveness of conservative approach in abdominal trauma cases due to drilling-cutting instruments. Methods: Demographic data, effected region of the body, additional findings of trauma, hemodynamic parameters, duration of admission, diagnostic methods and treatment modalities were retrospectively evaluated in 217 cases with abdominal injury (lower thoracic region, abdominal wall and back) among 1 128 victims with drilling-cutting instrument injuries between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2017. The conservative approach was based on physical examination, hemogram follow-up and hemodynamic evaluation. Results: Totally 177 (81.6%) cases of 217 patients were followed conservatively while 25 cases were operated at early (1-8 hours) and 15 were operated at late (9-48 hours) periods. Two patients who underwent surgery in the early period and two patients who underwent surgery in the late period were accepted as negative laparotomy while 1 patient in the late operated group was regarded as non-therapeutic laparotomy. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed in 81 cases. Complications developed in 7 patients who were operated in the early period and 10 patients who were operated in the late period. The mean hospital stay period was 5.3 days (1-33) in all cases, 4.5 days (2-20) in conservative treatment group and 8.4 days (3-33) in the operated patients; and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusions: Detailed physical examination, accurate assessment and effective use of different diagnostic methods reduce the frequency of negative and non- therapeutic laparotomies in abdominal stab wound injuries.

Levothyroxine intoxication is a rare clinical entity which is usually asymptomatic. However, severe symptoms such as respiratory failure, malignant hyperthermia, seizures, arrhythmia, and coma have been reported. In this case report, a patient who ingested high dose (15 mg) levothyroxine for suicide and admitted to intensive care unit was presented. There was a decrease in Glasgow coma score in the follow-up. The patient was intubated due to acute respiratory failure. Gastric lavage, activated charcoal, methylprednisolone, cholestyramine and therapeuthic plasma exchange were administered. Despite ingestion of high dose of levothyroxine, thyrotoxicosis symptoms resolved with appropriate treatment and the patient was discharged from the intensive care unit.