PMID: 9432308Apr 1, 1997Paper

The erroneous diagnosis of posttraumatic splenic rupture and cardiorespiratory arrest following laparotomy in a subject occupationally exposed to low environmental temperatures

Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
L CirasinoA Silvani

Abstract

We describe the case of a worker professionally exposed to low environmental temperatures who presented anaemia with abdominal pain in apparent succession to a thoraco-abdominal trauma following a car accident. A laparotomy, carried out because of suspected post-traumatic spleen rupture, was complicated by a transitory cardiorespiratory arrest. Subsequently, the patient resulted to be suffering from acute cold agglutinin disease secondary to Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and from a precedently undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The temporary removal of the patient from his job contributed to the favourable evolution of the haemolytic disease. Together with the case description, we provide an explanation of the various manifestations observed.

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Anemia

Anemia develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells. Anemia of inflammation (AI, also called anemia of chronic disease) is a common, typically normocytic, normochromic anemia that is caused by an underlying inflammatory disease. Here is the latest research on anemia.

Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) occurs when antibodies directed against the person's own red blood cells (RBCs) cause them to burst (lyse), leading to an insufficient number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells in the circulation. Discover the latest research on AIHA here.

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle, that can lead to muscular or electrical dysfunction of the heart. It is often an irreversible disease that is associated with a poor prognosis. There are different causes and classifications of cardiomyopathies. Here are the latest discoveries pertaining to this disease.

Related Papers

Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP
Hesam ShobeiriMohammad Reza Motie
Clinical Nuclear Medicine
D A Schultz, J W Froelich
Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde
J P van BrusselL P Leenen
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved