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Washington University Experience | VASCULAR | Hypoxia-Ischemia, neonate, Multicystic Encephalopathy (MCE) | 5A0 Case 5 History
Case 5 History ---- The patient was a 29-year-old female neurologically devastated since a very young age with a static encephalopathy. The family noted decreased responsiveness, decreased urine output, and respiratory difficulties at home. Arrival at the ER showed the patient was severely hypothermic at 31.9 degrees, and was in shock. She received pressors, was intubated and admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit, where she was treated for sepsis. CT scan revealed pneumonia and pancolitis. She suddenly became more tachypneic and an arterial blood gas measurement revealed a decreased hydrogen ion concentration to 7.08. She was treated with intravenous bicarbonate and increases to her mechanical ventilation, with slow improvement in her blood gas electrolytes. She was taken for an abdominal CT scan. While being scanned, she developed hypoxemia and cardiac arrest. Chest compressions were performed. She was still without a pulse after several rounds of epinephrine and atropine had been given. Code was stopped per family agreement. Cause of death was septic shock secondary to severe pneumonia and pancolitis. At autopsy the weight of the unfixed brain was 500 grams
