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Emergency oxygen should be immediately employed to increase the efficiency of the patient's remaining blood supply. This intervention can be life-saving.
The use of intravenous fluids (IVs) may help compensate for lost fluid volume, but IV fluids cannot carry oxygen in the way that blood can; however, blood substitutes are being developed which can. Infusion of colloid or crystalloid IV fluids will also dilute clotting factors within the blood, increasing the risk of bleeding. It is current best practice to allow permissive hypotension in patients suffering from hypovolemic shock, both to ensure clotting factors are not overly diluted and also to stop blood pressure being artificially raised to a point where it "blows off" clots that have formed.
Fluid replacement is beneficial in hypovolemia of stage 2, and is necessary in stage 3 and 4. See also the discussion of shock and the importance of treating reversible shock while it can still be countered.
For a patient presenting with hypovolemic shock in hospital the following investigations would be carried out:
- Blood tests: U+Es/Chem7, full blood count, glucose, blood type and screen
- Central venous catheter or blood pressure
- Arterial line or arterial blood gases
- Urine output measurements (via urinary catheter)
- Blood pressure
- SpO2 Oxygen saturations
The following interventions would be carried out:
- IV access
- Oxygen as required
- Surgical repair at sites of hemorrhage
- Inotrope therapy (Dopamine, Noradrenaline) which increase the contractility of the heart muscle
- Fresh frozen plasma or whole blood
Vasopressors (like Norepinephrine, Dobutamine) should generally be avoided, as they may result in further tissue ischemia and don't correct the primary problem. Fluids are the preferred choice of therapy.
Cranial imaging is not used for diagnosis of this condition. However, if MRI is performed, it may show cortical restricted diffusion with unusual characteristics of reversible T2 hypointensity in the subcortical white matter.
Attacks of DKA can be prevented in those known to have diabetes to an extent by adherence to "sick day rules"; these are clear-cut instructions to person on how to treat themselves when unwell. Instructions include advice on how much extra insulin to take when sugar levels appear uncontrolled, an easily digestible diet rich in salt and carbohydrates, means to suppress fever and treat infection, and recommendations when to call for medical help.
People with diabetes can monitor their own ketone levels when unwell and seek help if they are elevated.
Insulin is given to reduce blood glucose concentration; however, as it also causes the movement of potassium into cells, serum potassium levels must be sufficiently high or dangerously low blood potassium levels may result. Once potassium levels have been verified to be greater than 3.3 mEq/l, then an insulin infusion of 0.1 units/kg/hr is started. The goal for resolution is a blood glucose of less than 200 mg/dL.
Diabetic ketoacidosis may be diagnosed when the combination of hyperglycemia (high blood sugars), ketones in the blood or on urinalysis and acidosis are demonstrated. In about 10% of cases the blood sugar is not significantly elevated ("euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis").
Arterial blood gas measurement is usually performed to demonstrate the acidosis; this requires taking a blood sample from an artery. Subsequent measurements (to ensure treatment is effective), may be taken from a normal blood test taken from a vein, as there is little difference between the arterial and the venous pH. Ketones can be measured in the urine (acetoacetate) and blood (β-hydroxybutyrate). When compared with urine acetoacetate testing, capillary blood β-hydroxybutyrate determination can reduce the need for admission, shorten the duration of hospital admission and potentially reduce the costs of hospital care. At very high levels, capillary blood ketone measurement becomes imprecise.
In addition to the above, blood samples are usually taken to measure urea and creatinine (measures of kidney function, which may be impaired in DKA as a result of dehydration) and electrolytes. Furthermore, markers of infection (complete blood count, C-reactive protein) and acute pancreatitis (amylase and lipase) may be measured. Given the need to exclude infection, chest radiography and urinalysis are usually performed.
If cerebral edema is suspected because of confusion, recurrent vomiting or other symptoms, computed tomography may be performed to assess its severity and to exclude other causes such as stroke.
Relative polycythemia is an apparent rise of the erythrocyte level in the blood; however, the underlying cause is reduced blood plasma (hypovolemia, cf. dehydration). Relative polycythemia is often caused by loss of body fluids, such as through burns, dehydration, and stress. A specific type of relative polycythemia is Gaisböck syndrome. In this syndrome, primarily occurring in obese men, hypertension causes a reduction in plasma volume, resulting in (amongst other changes) a relative increase in red blood cell count.
Secondary polycythemia is caused by either natural or artificial increases in the production of erythropoietin, hence an increased production of erythrocytes. In secondary polycythemia, 6 to 8 million and occasionally 9 million erythrocytes may occur per millimeter of blood. Secondary polycythemia resolves when the underlying cause is treated.
Secondary polycythemia in which the production of erythropoietin increases appropriately is called physiologic polycythemia.
Conditions which may result in a physiologically appropriate polycythemia include:
- Altitude related - This physiologic polycythemia is a normal adaptation to living at high altitudes (see altitude sickness). Many athletes train at high altitude to take advantage of this effect — a legal form of blood doping. Some individuals believe athletes with primary polycythemia may have a competitive advantage due to greater stamina. However, this has yet to be proven due to the multifaceted complications associated with this condition.
- Hypoxic disease-associated - for example in cyanotic heart disease where blood oxygen levels are reduced significantly, may also occur as a result of hypoxic lung disease such as COPD and as a result of chronic obstructive sleep apnea.
- Iatrogenic - Secondary polycythemia can be induced directly by phlebotomy (blood letting) to withdraw some blood, concentrate the erythrocytes, and return them to the body.
- Genetic - Heritable causes of secondary polycythemia also exist and are associated with abnormalities in hemoglobin oxygen release. This includes patients who have a special form of hemoglobin known as Hb Chesapeake, which has a greater inherent affinity for oxygen than normal adult hemoglobin. This reduces oxygen delivery to the kidneys, causing increased erythropoietin production and a resultant polycythemia. Hemoglobin Kempsey also produces a similar clinical picture. These conditions are relatively uncommon.
Conditions where the secondary polycythemia is not as a result of physiologic adaptation and occurs irrespective of body needs include:
- Neoplasms - Renal-cell carcinoma or liver tumors, von Hippel-Lindau disease, and endocrine abnormalities including pheochromocytoma and adrenal adenoma with Cushing's syndrome.
- People whose testosterone levels are high because of the use of anabolic steroids, including athletes who abuse steroids, or people on testosterone replacement for hypogonadism or transgender hormone replacement therapy, as well as people who take erythropoietin, may develop secondary polycythemia.
Physical exam findings are non-specific, but may include enlarged liver or spleen, plethora, or gouty nodules. The diagnosis is often suspected on the basis of laboratory tests. Common findings include an elevated hemoglobin level and hematocrit, reflecting the increased number of red blood cells; the platelet count or white blood cell count may also be increased. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is decreased due to a decrease in zeta potential. Because polycythemia vera results from an essential decrease in erythrocyte production, patients have a low erythropoietin (EPO) level.
In primary polycythemia, there may be 8 to 9 million and occasionally 11 million erythrocytes per cubic millimeter of blood (a normal range for adults is 4-6), and the hematocrit may be as high as 70 to 80%. In addition, the total blood volume sometimes increases to as much as twice normal. The entire vascular system can become markedly engorged with blood, and circulation times for blood throughout the body can increase up to twice the normal value. The increased numbers of erythrocytes can cause the viscosity of the blood to increase as much as five times normal. Capillaries can become plugged by the very viscous blood, and the flow of blood through the vessels tends to be extremely sluggish.
As a consequence of the above, people with untreated polycythemia vera are at a risk of various thrombotic events (deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism), heart attack and stroke, and have a substantial risk of Budd-Chiari syndrome (hepatic vein thrombosis), or myelofibrosis. The condition is considered chronic; no cure exists. Symptomatic treatment (see below) can normalize the blood count and most patients can live a normal life for years.
The disease appears more common in Jews of European extraction than in most non-Jewish populations. Some familial forms of polycythemia vera are noted, but the mode of inheritance is not clear.
A mutation in the JAK2 kinase (V617F) is strongly associated with polycythemia vera. "JAK2" is a member of the Janus kinase family and makes the erythroid precursors hypersensitive to erythropoietin (EPO). This mutation may be helpful in making a diagnosis or as a target for future therapy.
Following history and examination, the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) recommend the following tests are performed:
- full blood count/film (raised haematocrit; neutrophils, basophils, platelets raised in half of patients)
- JAK2 mutation
- serum ferritin
- renal and liver function tests
If the JAK2 mutation is negative and there is no obvious secondary causes the BCSH suggest the following tests:
- red cell mass
- arterial oxygen saturation
- abdominal ultrasound
- serum erythropoietin level
- bone marrow aspirate and trephine
- cytogenetic analysis
- erythroid burst-forming unit (BFU-E) culture
Other features that may be seen in polycythemia vera include a low ESR and a raised leukocyte alkaline phosphatase.
The diagnostic criteria for polycythemia vera have recently been updated by the BCSH. This replaces the previous Polycythemia Vera Study Group criteria.
JAK2-positive polycythaemia vera - diagnosis requires both criteria to be present:
JAK2-negative polycythemia vera - diagnosis requires A1 + A2 + A3 + either another A or two B criteria:
Ketones in the urine or blood, as detected by urine strips or a blood ketone testing meter, may indicate the beginning of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a dangerous and often quickly fatal condition caused by high glucose levels (hyperglycemia) and low insulin levels combined with certain other systemic stresses. DKA can be arrested if caught quickly.
Ketones are produced by the liver as part of fat metabolism and are normally not found in sufficient quantity to be measured in the urine or blood of non-diabetics or well-controlled diabetics. The body normally uses glucose as its fuel and is able to do so with sufficient insulin levels. When glucose is not available as an energy source because of untreated or poorly treated diabetes and some other unrelated medical conditions, it begins to use fat for energy instead. The result of the body turning to using fat instead of glucose for energy means ketone production that is measurable when testing either urine or blood for them.
Ketone problems that are more serious than the "trace or slight" range need immediate medical attention; they cannot be treated at home. Veterinary care for ketosis/ketoacidosis can involve intravenous (IV) fluids to counter dehydration, when necessary, to replace depleted electrolytes, intravenous or intramuscular short-acting insulin to lower blood glucose levels, and measured amounts of glucose or force feeding, to bring the metabolism back to using glucose instead of fat as its source of energy.
When testing urine for ketones, the sample needs to be as fresh as possible. Ketones evaporate quickly, so there is a chance of getting a false negative test result if testing older urine. The urine testing strip bottle has instructions and color charts to illustrate how the color on the strip will change given the level of ketones or glucose in the urine over 15 (ketones–Ketostix) or 30 (glucose–Ketodiastix) seconds. Reading the colors at those time intervals is important because the colors will continue to darken and a later reading will be an incorrect result. Timing with a clock or watch second hand instead of counting is more accurate.
At present, there is only one glucometer available for home use that tests blood for ketones using special strips for that purpose–Abbott's Precision Xtra. This meter is known as Precision, Optium, or Xceed outside of the US. The blood ketone test strips are very expensive; prices start at about US$50 for ten strips. It is most likely urine test strips–either ones that test only for ketones or ones that test for both glucose and ketones in urine would be used. The table above is a guide to when ketones may be present.
Laboratory tests might include: full blood count, liver enzymes, renal function and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
If the cause for the high platelet count remains unclear, bone marrow biopsy is often undertaken, to differentiate whether the high platelet count is reactive or essential.
Although elevated whole blood viscosity is a better measure of hyperviscosity and more common and clinically important, serum viscosity and plasma viscosity are more frequently measured. Normal plasma viscosity is between 1.4 and 1.8 centipoise while symptoms from hyperviscosity typically occur greater than 4 centipoise (about 4 times more viscous than water) and require emergency treatment.
Patients will also have evidence of their underlying disorder. Those with myeloma will typically display a rouleaux formation on a peripheral smear and a large globulin gap, indicative of a significant paraprotein load. While viscosity can be directly measured, results can take a few days to return and thus a high index of suspicion is required to make the diagnosis in a timely manner. If hyperviscosity is suspected, treatment may need to be started prior to obtaining the official viscosity level.
The use of an inexpensive glucometer and blood glucose testing at home can help avoid dangerous insulin overdoses and can provide a better picture of how well the condition is managed.
A 2003 study of canine diabetes caregivers who were new to testing blood glucose at home found 85% of them were able to both succeed at testing and to continue it on a long-term basis. Using only one blood glucose reading as the reason for an insulin dose increase is to be avoided; while the results may be higher than desired, further information, such as the lowest blood glucose reading or nadir, should be available to prevent possible hypoglycemia.
Urine strips are not recommended to be used as the sole factor for insulin adjustments as they are not accurate enough. Urine glucose testing strips have a negative result until the renal threshold of 10 mmol/L or 180 mg/dL is reached or exceeded for a period of time. The range of negative reading values is quite wide-covering normal or close to normal blood glucose values with no danger of hypoglycemia (euglycemia) to low blood glucose values (hypoglycemia) where treatment would be necessary. Because urine is normally retained in the bladder for a number of hours, the results of urine testing are not an accurate measurement of the levels of glucose in the bloodstream at the time of testing.
Glucometers made for humans are generally accurate using canine and feline blood except when reading lower ranges of blood glucose (<80 mg/dL), (<4.44 mmol/L). It is at this point where the size difference in human vs animal red blood cells can create inaccurate readings. Glucometers for humans were successfully used with pets long before animal-oriented meters were produced. A 2009 study directly compared readings from both types of glucometers to those of a chemistry analyzer. Neither glucometer's readings exactly matched those of the analyzer, but the differences of both were not clinically significant when compared to analyzer results. All glucometer readings need to be compared to same sample laboratory values to determine accuracy.
The following types of diarrhea may indicate further investigation is needed:
- In infants
- Moderate or severe diarrhea in young children
- Associated with blood
- Continues for more than two days
- Associated non-cramping abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, etc.
- In travelers
- In food handlers, because of the potential to infect others;
- In institutions such as hospitals, child care centers, or geriatric and convalescent homes.
A severity score is used to aid diagnosis in children.
Nonketotic hyperosmolar coma usually develops more insidiously than DKA because the principal symptom is lethargy progressing to obtundation, rather than vomiting and an obvious illness. Extremely high blood sugar levels are accompanied by dehydration due to inadequate fluid intake. Coma from NKHC occurs most often in patients who develop type 2 or steroid diabetes and have an impaired ability to recognize thirst and drink. It is classically a nursing home condition but can occur in all ages.
The diagnosis is usually discovered when a chemistry screen performed because of obtundation reveals an extremely high blood sugar level (often above 1800 mg/dl (100 mM)) and dehydration. The treatment consists of insulin and gradual rehydration with intravenous fluids.
Diabetic coma was a more significant diagnostic problem before the late 1970s, when glucose meters and rapid blood chemistry analyzers were not universally available in hospitals. In modern medical practice, it rarely takes more than a few questions, a quick look, and a glucose meter to determine the cause of unconsciousness in a patient with diabetes. Laboratory confirmation can usually be obtained in half an hour or less. Other conditions that can cause unconsciousness in a person with diabetes are stroke, uremic encephalopathy, alcohol, drug overdose, head injury, or seizure.
Fortunately, most episodes of diabetic hypoglycemia, DKA, and extreme hyperosmolarity do not reach unconsciousness before a family member or caretaker seeks medical help.
Untreated, polycythemia vera can be fatal. Research has found that the "1.5-3 years of median survival in the absence of therapy has been extended to at least 10-20 years because of new therapeutic tools."
As the condition cannot be cured, treatment focuses on treating symptoms and reducing thrombotic complications by reducing the erythrocyte levels.
Phlebotomy is one form of treatment, which often may be combined with other therapies. The removal of blood from the body induces iron deficiency, thereby decreasing the haemoglobin / hematocrit level, and reducing the risk of blood clots. Phlebotomy is typically performed to bring their hematocrit (red blood cell percentage) down below 45 for men or 42 for women. It has been observed that phlebotomy also improves cognitive impairment.
Low dose aspirin (75–81 mg daily) is often prescribed. Research has shown that aspirin reduces the risk for various thrombotic complications.
Chemotherapy for polycythemia may be used, either for maintenance, or when the rate of bloodlettings required to maintain normal hematocrit is not acceptable, or when there is significant thrombocytosis or intractable pruritus. This is usually with a "cytoreductive agent" (hydroxyurea, also known as hydroxycarbamide).
The tendency of some practitioners to avoid chemotherapy if possible, especially in young patients, is a result of research indicating possible increased risk of transformation to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). While hydroxyurea is considered safer in this aspect, there is still some debate about its long-term safety.
In the past, injection of radioactive isotopes (principally phosphorus-32) was used as another means to suppress the bone marrow. Such treatment is now avoided due to a high rate of AML transformation.
Other therapies include interferon injections, and in cases where secondary thrombocytosis (high platelet count) is present, anagrelide may be prescribed.
Bone marrow transplants are rarely undertaken in polycythemia patients; since this condition is non-fatal if treated and monitored, the benefits rarely outweigh the risks involved in such a procedure.
There are indications that with certain genetic markers, erlotinib may be an additional treatment option for this condition.
Selective JAK2 inhibitors are being investigated "in vitro" and in clinical trials.
Common investigations include blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and electrolytes, liver function tests, urinalysis, and thyroid function tests. Hematological investigations include hematocrit levels, which are usually raised in HG. An ultrasound scan may be needed to know gestational status and to exclude molar or partial molar pregnancy.
While CSWS usually appears within the first week after brain injury and spontaneously resolves in 2–4 weeks, it can sometimes last for months or years. In contrast to the use of fluid restriction to treat SIADH, CSWS is treated by replacing the urinary losses of water and sodium with hydration and sodium replacement. The mineralocorticoid medication fludrocortisone can also improve the low sodium level.
Numerous studies have shown that improvements in drinking water and sanitation (WASH) lead to decreased risks of diarrhoea. Such improvements might include for example use of water filters, provision of high-quality piped water and sewer connections.
In institutions, communities, and households, interventions that promote hand washing with soap lead to significant reductions in the incidence of diarrhea. The same applies to preventing open defecation at a community-wide level and providing access to improved sanitation. This includes use of toilets and implementation of the entire sanitation chain connected to the toilets (collection, transport, disposal or reuse of human excreta).
Diagnosis of TNDM and PNDM
The diagnostic evaluations are based upon current literature and research available on NDM. The following evaluation factors are: patients with TNDM are more likely to have intrauterine growth retardation and less likely to develop ketoacidosis than patients with PNDM. TNDM patients are younger at the age of diagnosis of diabetes and have lower insulin requirements, an overlap occurs between the two groups, therefore TNDM cannot be distinguished from PNDM based clinical feature. An early onset of diabetes mellitus is unrelated to autoimmunity in most cases, relapse of diabetes is common with TNDM, and extensive follow ups are important. In addition, molecular analysis of chromosomes 6 defects, KCNJ11 and ABCC8 genes (encoding Kir6.2 and SUR1) provide a way to identify PNDM in the infant stages. Approximately,50% of PNDM are associated with the potassium channel defects which are essential consequences when changing patients from insulin therapy to sulfonylureas.
TNDM Diagnosis associated with Chromosome 6q24 Mutations
The uniparental disomy of the chromosome can be used as diagnostic method provide proof by the analysis of polymorphic markers is present on Chromosome 6. Meiotic segregation of the chromosome can be distinguished by comparing allele profiles of polymorphic makers in the child to the child's parents' genome. Normally, a total uniparental disomy of the chromosome 6 is evidenced, but partial one can be identified. Therefore, genetic markers that are close to the region of interest in chromosome 6q24 can be selected. Chromosome duplication can found by that technique also.
Medical Professionals of NDM
- Physician
- Endocrinologist
- Geneticist Counselor
Diagnostic Test of NDM
- "Fasting plasma glucose test": measures an diabetic's blood glucose after he or she has gone 8 hours without eat. This test is used to detect diabetes or pre-diabetes
- "Oral glucose tolerance test"- measures an individual's blood glucose after he or she have gone at least 8 hours without eating and two hours after the diabetic individual have drunk a glucose-containing beverage. This test can be used to diagnose diabetes or pre-diabetes
- "Random plasma glucose test"-the doctor checks one's blood glucose without regard to when an individual may have ate his or her last meal. This test, along with an evaluation of symptoms, are used to diagnose diabetes but not pre-diabetes.
Genetic Testing of NDM
- "Uniparental Disomy Test:"
Samples from fetus or child and both parents are needed for analysis. Chromosome of interest must be specified on request form. For prenatal samples (only): if the amniotic fluid (non-confluent culture cells) are provided. Amniotic fluid is added and charged separately. Also, if chorionic villus sample is provided, a genetic test will be added and charged separately. Microsatellites markers and polymerase chain reaction are used on the chromosomes of interest to test the DNA of the parent and child to identify the presence of uni"parental disomy""."
- Intrauterine Growth Restriction
"Apgar score is" a test given after birth to test the baby's physical condition and evaluate if special medical care is needed.
Plasmapheresis may be used to decrease viscosity in the case of myeloma, whereas leukapheresis or phlebotomy may be employed in a leukemic or polycythemic crisis, respectively. Blood transfusions should be used with caution as they can increase serum viscosity. Hydration is a temporizing measure to employ while preparing pheresis. Even after treatment, the condition will recur unless the underlying disorder is treated.
Hyperemesis gravidarum is considered a diagnosis of exclusion. HG can be associated with serious problems in the mother or baby, such as Wernicke's encephalopathy, coagulopathy, peripheral neuropathy.
Women experiencing hyperemesis gravidarum often are dehydrated and lose weight despite efforts to eat. The onset of the nausea and vomiting in hyperemesis gravidarum is typically before the twenty-second week of pregnancy.
Often, no treatment is required or necessary for reactive thrombocytosis. In cases of reactive thrombocytosis of more than 1,000x10/L, it may be considered to administer daily low dose aspirin (such as 65 mg) to minimize the risk of stroke or thrombosis.
However, in primary thrombocytosis, if platelet counts are over 750,000 or 1,000,000, and especially if there are other risk factors for thrombosis, treatment may be needed. Selective use of aspirin at low doses is thought to be protective. Extremely high platelet counts in primary thrombocytosis can be treated with hydroxyurea (a cytoreducing agent) or anagrelide (Agrylin).
In Jak-2 positive disorders, ruxolitinib (Jakafi) can be effective.
Besides the clinical picture, fasting VIP plasma level may confirm the diagnosis, and CT scan and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy are used to localise the tumor, which is usually metastatic at presentation.
Tests include:
- Blood chemistry tests (basic or comprehensive metabolic panel)
- CT scan of the abdomen
- MRI of the abdomen
- Stool examination for cause of diarrhea and electrolyte levels
- Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) level in the blood