Osmotic demyelination syndrome with transient diabetes insipidus in postpartum female: a case report

Osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS) is a neurological disorder usually after rapid correction of hyponatremia. Only few cases of ODS with hypernatremia and diabetes insipidus (DI) in postpartum state is reported. Postpartum hypernatremia is described as severe hypernatremia in postpartum period and presents as an encephalopathy with rhabdomyolysis with diffuse white matter hyperintensities suggestive of osmotic demyelination.

CASE PRESENTATION

The authors present a case of 29-year-old female who presented with chief complaint of altered sensorium and quadriparesis. Two days prior to onset of symptoms, she underwent caesarean section, was kept on nil per oral and free fluid restriction, after which she had confusion, altered sensorium, and weakness in all four limbs. Sodium level was 170 mEq/l. Urine osmolality and plasma osmolality was 150 and 410 mOsm/kg of water, respectively. MRI showed high signal intensity lesion in pons suggestive of demyelination. She was diagnosed ODS with transient DI and quadriparesis, in postpartum period due to further rise in sodium after free fluid restriction and nil per oral. She was treated with desmopressin, 5% dextrose and 0.9% normal saline, her quadriparesis recovered and desmopressin was tapered and stopped over 45 days and discharged at stable state.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

ODS can rarely be associated with hypernatremia in postpartum female presenting as quadriparesis and altered sensorium.

CONCLUSION

Clinicians should be familiar of ODS with hypernatremia with transient DI in postpartum period, which is reversible and can be managed by desmopressin and fluid replacement.

Association of ABO blood group with susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in Rupandehi district of Nepal

Objectives:

Recent studies after the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 have shown an association of the ABO blood group to the susceptibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Anti-A and anti-B antibodies, carbohydrate clustering, interleukin-6 levels and host transmembrane protease serine subtype 2 were suggested to cause the variable susceptibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection to the ABO blood groups. This study aims to find the association of the ABO blood group with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection susceptibility in Nepal.

Methods:

Population-based matched case–control study was conducted from October 2021 to February 2022 in Rupandehi district of Nepal. A total of 1091 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 cases and 2182 controls were included in the study by convenient sampling method.

Results:

A statistically significant association of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection was observed for the blood group AB between cases and controls (11.5% vs 8.5%; odds ratio = 1.4, 95% confidence interval = 1.10–1.78). However, there was no association of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection for blood group A (26.7% vs 28.23%; odds ratio = 0.93, 95% confidence interval = 0.79–1.09), B (26.9% vs 29.84%; odds ratio = 0.86, 95% confidence interval = 0.73–1.02) and O (34.9% vs 33.41%; odds ratio = 1.07, 95% confidence interval = 0.92–1.25).

Conclusion:

This study reported slightly more susceptibility to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection among individuals with blood group AB.