Browsing by Author "Atta, Mona"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy: A Rare Presentation of Relapsed Multiple Myeloma
    (Elmer Press, 2023) Menakuru, Sasmith R.; Atta, Mona; Ammannagari, Nischala; Younes, Mohamad; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Hyperammonemia is a rare cause of encephalopathy in multiple myeloma in the absence of hepatic involvement. This is the only reported case of a 74-year-old man who presented with multiple myeloma and achieved complete remission but developed hyperammonemia afterward. He was aggressively treated with a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, with a resolution of his encephalopathy; however, within one month, he relapsed with encephalopathy. He ultimately decided to pursue comfort-care measures. The authors conclude that hyperammonemia in multiple myeloma is a rare but important differential in patients with encephalopathy of unknown causes. Aggressive treatment is of the utmost importance due to the high mortality associated with the condition.
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    Phenazopyridine-Induced Methemoglobinemia in a Jehovah's Witness Treated with High-Dose Ascorbic Acid Due to Methylene Blue Contradictions: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
    (MDPI, 2023-05-24) Menakuru, Sasmith R.; Dhillon, Vijaypal S.; Atta, Mona; Mann, Keeret; Salih, Ahmed; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Methemoglobinemia is an acute medical emergency that requires prompt correction. Physicians should have a high degree of suspicion of methemoglobinemia in cases that present with hypoxemia that does not resolve with supplemental oxygenation, and they should confirm this suspicion with a positive methemoglobin concentration on arterial blood gas. There are multiple medications that can induce methemoglobinemia, such as local anesthetics, antimalarials, and dapsone. Phenazopyridine is an azo dye used over-the-counter as a urinary analgesic for women with urinary tract infections, and it has also been implicated in causing methemoglobinemia. The preferred treatment of methemoglobinemia is methylene blue, but its use is contraindicated for patients with glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency or those who take serotonergic drugs. Alternative treatments include high-dose ascorbic acid, exchange transfusion therapy, and hyperbaric oxygenation. The authors report a case of a 39-year-old female who took phenazopyridine for 2 weeks to treat dysuria from a urinary tract infection and subsequently developed methemoglobinemia. The patient had contraindications for the use of methylene blue and was therefore treated with high-dose ascorbic acid. The authors hope that this interesting case promotes further research into the utilization of high-dose ascorbic acid for managing methemoglobinemia in patients who are unable to receive methylene blue.
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    Testosterone Usage Leading to Pulmonary Embolisms and Deep Vein Thrombosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
    (MDPI, 2023-04-26) Menakuru, Sasmith R.; Atta, Mona; Dhillon, Vijaypal S.; Salih, Ahmed; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Androgen usage has widely increased in recent times via prescribed and unprescribed means. Testosterone is a popular androgen taken by both athletes and the general population. While there is some evidence of androgens being thrombogenic, we report on a 19-year-old male who presented to the hospital after the usage of testosterone for one month, leading to the development of multiple pulmonary emboli and deep vein thrombosis. The authors hope to elucidate the relationship between testosterone usage and thrombosis formation.