Tamingthesru
Annals of B-Pod: Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum
Air. It’s generally considered a pretty good idea. A fundamental aspect of aerobic metabolism and an essential need for most organisms on earth, it’s safe to say that life without air for a human isn’t much of a life at all. But what happens when air starts making mischief? What happens when air shirks the restrictive confines of the alveoli and elects instead to explore the muscle and subcutaneous tissue, seeks to admire the heart and great vessels, opts to race unencumbered along fascial planes and aponeuroses - what do you have then?
Well, a pneumomediastinum for one. In his article, Dr. Skrobut does a breathtaking job of detailing the presentation of a young patient with spontaneous pneumomediastinum, delving into the diagnostic modalities of choice, its emergent management, and the longterm prognosis. His article also seeks to clear the air about more controversial topics, including the role of empiric antibiotics and the need for surgical intervention.
Annals of B-Pod - The Spring Issue is Sprung!
And lo, as the gellid depths of winter give way to the fairer climes of spring, another issue of the Annals must too follow. The spring issue focuses primarily on perplexing neurological maladies that plague our patients, including a case series on meningitis as well as Dr. Makinen's phenomenal write-up of a fascinating presentation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Also be on the look-out for an excellent review of anticoagulant reversal agents and my own piece on a caustic laundry pod ingestion. So take a moment to stop and smell the roses as we welcome another edition of #AoBP!
Annals of B-Pod: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
What's in a name? That which we call Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by any other name would be as devastating. And how, do neurologists ever love their names! CJD - also known as "spongiform encephalopathy" and the comically grim "mad cow disease" - is an uncommon but uniformly fatal form of rapidly progressive dementia. In this case, Dr. Makinen takes us through the presenting features, definite diagnosis, and emergent management of the prion-mediated encephalopathy we call CJD. An entity which would, were it not CJD call'd, retain its dear morbidity.