1/6. Sudden death due to ventricular septal defect.Ventricular septal defects (VSD) are usually considered non-life-threatening, usually closing spontaneously or causing symptoms of congestive heart failure, which can be surgically treated in time to save the patient's life. Despite the usually benign clinical course of VSD, serious arrhythmias occur in 16-31% of patients. Sudden death accounted for one-third of all deaths in a series of medically managed patients and occurred in 4.2% of patients in a study of VSD and arrhythmias. Cardiac hypertrophy is the common denominator in all cases reported in detail of VSD-associated sudden death. We have encountered four cases of sudden unexpected death from VSD in infants ranging in age from 1 week to 3 and (1/2) months. In each case there was cardiomegaly and in one case there was pulmonary arteriolar medial thickening, with extension of smooth muscle into small intralobular vessels. In half of our cases the attending physician was sued for malpractice. We believe that VSD in infants and young children are potentially life-threatening malformations which warrant careful clinical follow-up.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/6. Sudden deaths and apparent life-threatening events in hospitalized neonates presumed to be healthy.We describe 10 apparently healthy newborns who were patients in a level 1 nursery and were found by caregivers to be limp, apneic, and requiring resuscitation. All patients were between ages 15 hours and 3 1/2 days, products of term gestations, and of appropriate weight for gestational age. Prenatal or perinatal complications were present in nine of the 10 patients; in no patient was the complication considered a risk for serious, late-onset neonatal problems. All patients had been examined by a physician and were deemed to be in good health before the apparent life-threatening event. Subsequent to the event, each patient required positive pressure ventilation and seven patients received chest compressions. Five patients died. Autopsies were performed on four of the five patients and in none was an adequate explanation for death established. Intrathoracic petechiae were found in one patient whose sibling had died of sudden infant death syndrome at age 11 weeks. Evaluation of the five survivors failed to determine a cause for the episodes. Of the five survivors, one had normal results of developmental examination at age 6 months, while the remaining four survivors had severe neurologic impairment at age 1 year. Apparent life-threatening events occur in hospitalized newborns presumed to be normal and may be a manifestation of early sudden infant death syndrome or early near-miss sudden infant death syndrome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/6. Medium-chain acyl-coa dehydrogenase deficiency.Medium-chain acyl-coa dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency is the most frequently diagnosed defect in fatty acid metabolism and is one of the most common inborn errors of metabolism. diagnosis may be difficult, since the disorder may present as hypoglycemia, sudden infant death syndrome or a Reye's syndrome-like illness. Because of the abrupt clinical deterioration seen with MCAD deficiency, as well as its treatable nature and its genetic implications, this disorder presents a significant challenge for family physicians.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/6. homicide as a cause of the sudden infant death syndrome.The homicidal asphyxiation of a 10 1/2-month-old male infant and the attempted asphyxiation of his 4-month-old sibling, documented by parental confession, is presented as evidence that murder may sometimes be mistaken as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A review of the literature of the relationship between murder and SIDS deaths reveals the suspicions of some physicians but few published cases; this reflects not only the difficulties of making a determination of murder by suffocation, since no injuries may be present, but also a lack of awareness among physicians who must evaluate infant deaths. It is recommended that murder should be considered in the differential diagnosis of sudden, unexpected death in infants and that the autopsy should include full-body x-rays and at least an initial look at the social history of the child.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/6. The mistaken diagnosis of child abuse. A form of medical abuse?The suspected diagnosis of child abuse may prove to be unfounded. Reports in the literature have focused on unusual diseases and folk medicine practices that may mimic abuse. We report ten cases where allegations of abuse were lodged against parents because the treating physicians in the emergency room mistook life-threatening illness or postmortem artifacts for inflicted injury. In all cases the families were from the inner city, and with two exceptions the involved institutions were small hospitals without pediatric personnel present in the emergency department. Although the histories related by the parents were in all cases truthful and consistent with the results of physical examinations of the child, the involved physicians failed to make a correct diagnosis. Not only a lack of experience with severe childhood illness and death but also an attitude of suspicion and/or hostility probably contributed to these misdiagnoses.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/6. Respiratory and cardiac events observed and recorded during and following a "near miss" for sudden infant death syndrome episode.Documented observations of a 5-week-old infant during a "near miss" for a Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS) episode by a physician were carried out during an in-hospital physiological recording of respiratory and cardiac activity. This "near miss" event occurred during quiet sleep and was characterized by a prolonged apneic attack with marked bradycardia, cyanosis and limpness which required immediate vigorous resuscitative efforts by a physician and trained nurse. Parental descriptions of similar events parallel these documented sudden unexpected changes in cardiorespiratory parameters. Objective polygraphic data were obtained immediately following the episode and at later ages during 24 and 48 hour continuous recordings of respiration, heart rate, sleep/wake and behavioral activity. The data show that numerous apneic episodes occurred following the "near miss" event, many accompanied by marked bradycardia. The moderately severe hypoxemia noted during these sleep-related apneas indicate that immediate intervention is required to prevent significant hypoxia and central depression in such infants.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |