Карточка-задание по английскому языку на тему «MEDICAL WRITING: CASE ABSTRACT_435»

КАРТОЧКА-ЗАДАНИЕ НА ТЕМУ

«MEDICAL WRITING: CASE ABSTRACT_435»

Warm-up

·         What is a medical case report?

·         What parts does it include?

·         What is an abstract?

Read the abstract of the medical case report:

Rapidly progressive polyneuropathy due to dry beriberi in a man: a case report

Abstract

Introduction

We describe a case of rapidly progressive and severely debilitating polyneuropathy in a patient with confirmed hypovitaminosis B1, consistent with dry beriberi. Crucially, this is a treatable condition, although sometimes with incomplete recovery, but it is probably under-recognized yet increasingly common given increasing levels of alcohol abuse in the western world.

Case presentation

A 49-year-old Caucasian British man presented with progressive weakness of both lower limbs of approximately seven months' duration. He noted difficulty climbing stairs. He also complained of lethargy, and loss of muscle bulk, including his thighs. He had a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and admitted prior alcohol abuse but denied excessive alcohol intake in the five years prior to presentation. Initial clinical and neurophysiological examinations were consistent with a mild peripheral neuropathy and probable proximal myopathy. However, over the subsequent four months he evolved a marked tetraparesis, with profound sensory disturbance of all limbs. Repeat neurophysiology revealed a widespread polyneuropathy with extensive acute and sub-acute denervation changes in all four limbs, and reduced or absent sensory nerve action potentials. Hypovitaminosis B1 was confirmed (45 nmol/L, reference range 66-200 nmol/L). His rapid clinical deterioration was in keeping with dry beriberi. He was treated with thiamine. Subsequent follow-up revealed slow but significant improvement, such that by 15-16 months from the initial onset of symptoms, and approximately six months after the onset of his marked tetraparesis, he was able to stand independently and was gradually gaining confidence in walking pending a period of in-patient neurorehabilitation.

Conclusion

A potentially wide differential diagnosis exists for this type of presentation. Confirming hypovitaminosis B1 by requesting the assay prior to vitamin replacement ensures accurate diagnosis and appropriate ongoing treatment. An increasingly high index of suspicion is likely to be required in the context of increasing levels of alcohol abuse in the western world and the possible increasing prevalence of dry beriberi.

Find in the abstract:

·         Background

·         Why is it important

·         Needs to be reported

Answer the questions:

1.       Is this the first report of this kind in the literature?

2.       What are brief details of what the patient(s) presented with?

3.       What the reader should learn from the case report?

4.       What the clinical impact will be?

5.       Is it an original case report of interest to a particular clinical specialty of medicine?

6.       Will it have a broader clinical impact across medicine?

7.       Are any teaching points identified?

Follow-up

·         Why abstract is the most important part for case published in electronic databases?

·         What are basics of abstract writing?