Noroviruses have been recognized as the leading cause of epidemic and sporadic gastroenteritis since the advent of molecular diagnostic technique. They have been documented in 5-31% of pediatric patients hospitalized with gastroenteritis. Although norovirus gastroenteritis is typically mild and self-limited, it causes severe, but sometimes fatal, conditions in the vulnerable population such as immunocompromised patients, young children, and the elderly. Bowel perforation due to norovirus infection is rare. We report a case of small bowel perforation with norovirus gastroenteritis in the infant with Down syndrome during the hospitalization with pneumonia. Severe dehydration may cause bowel ischemia and could have triggered bowel perforation in this case. Physicians should be alert to the potential surgical complications followed by severe acute diarrhea, especially in high risk groups.
Aged ; Child ; Dehydration ; Diarrhea ; Down Syndrome ; Gastroenteritis* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Infant* ; Ischemia ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ; Norovirus* ; Pneumonia ; Vulnerable Populations

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) occurs in 2% of the asian patients with hyperthyroidism and is characterized by bilateral flaccid paralysis of the extremity, especially lower limbs. It is well-known that hypokalemia is usually accompanied by TPP. However, hypophosphatemia is usually mild and well neglected. Although paralysis is generally recovered without treatment, in some cases, patients with TPP may die due to cardiopulmonary complications, such as cardiac arrhythmia. Therefore, proper and rapid replacement of potassium is essential. But it should be acknowledged that replacement may cause a rebound. TPP is often unrecognized and over-treated in the emergency room due to its non-specific symptoms. This is why clinicians must be familiar with this disease and its diagnostic clues such as Echocardiography change and clinical features. This is a case report of a 29-year-old male presenting with TPP accompanied by hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia and second degree atrioventricular block, who showed rebound hyperkalemia and hyperphosphatemia after rapid replacement of electrolytes. EKG changed to the normal sinus rhythm in the end after the correction of the electrolytes.
Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Atrioventricular Block ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Electrolytes ; Emergencies ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hyperkalemia ; Hyperphosphatemia ; Hyperthyroidism ; Hypokalemia ; Hypophosphatemia ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Paralysis ; Potassium