Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023380 (lethargy)
 5,697 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A patient who developed chronic salicylism associated with salicylate therapy for treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is described, and the clinical presentation and treatment of chronic salicylism are reviewed. A 5 1/2-year-old boy was receiving aspirin 150/mg/kg/day for treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. While on salicylate therapy, the patient developed tachypnea and became increasingly hyperthermic, lethargic, and disoriented. The patient developed a maculopapular rash, weakness, and a decreased level of consciousness during the 11 days before admission to the hospital. Physical examination and laboratory determinations revealed that the patient had hypoprothrombinemia, hypoglycemia, and severe hepatic encephalopathy secondary to long-term salicylate toxicity. The patient was treated for hypoglycemia, electrolyte imbalances, thrombocytopenia, and anemia and was discharged after 24 days. Diagnosing chronic salicylism with hepatic dysfunction was difficult because the symptoms are similar to those of stage I to stage II Reye's syndrome. Liver enzymes, including aspartate aminotransferase (also called SGOT), alanine aminotransferase (also called SGPT), alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase, may be elevated in juvenile arthritis patients with hepatic dysfunction. Liver dysfunction usually improves when salicylate therapy is discontinued. Supportive therapy should always be used in symptomatic patients. Children on long-term, high-dose salicylate therapy should be monitored closely, and baseline liver function tests should be performed. The clinical effectiveness of administering sodium bicarbonate in attempts to alkalinize urine and increase salicylate elimination is controversial. In patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis who develop chronic salicylism, careful analysis of the patient's medication history, laboratory values, and clinical presentation are necessary to rule out Reye's syndrome.
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PMID:Chronic salicylism in a patient with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. 370 82

Macrophage activation syndrome is a form of secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis seen in the context of rheumatic diseases. It is seen most frequently in association with systemic onset juvenile arthritis or childhood Still's disease. Hemophagocytosis is part of a sepsis-like clinical syndrome caused by hypercytokinemia due to a highly stimulated but ineffective immune response. Coagulopathy and hemorrhages, decreased white cell count, elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase, fever, rash, hepatosplenomegaly and central nervous system dysfunction are some of diagnostic criteria of macrophage activation syndrome, but it is very difficult to diagnose due to the lack of specific clinical signs. We report a 8-year-old child who was admitted to the ICU with lethargy, fever, acute respiratory failure, coagulopathy, metabolic acidosis and multiorgan failure. Septic shock was suspected, but he was diagnosed with macrophage activation syndrome and treated with corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin and later discharged from the ICU.
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PMID:[Multi-organ failure as first clinical sign of macrophage activation syndrome in childhood Still's disease]. 2064 91