This is a 46-year-old morbidly obese female with a history of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus complicated by BKA on two prior occasions, who was admitted to the MICU with BKA, urosepsis, and a non-Q-wave MI. On presentation to the Emergency Department, her vital signs were notable for a blood pressure of 189/92, pulse rate of 120, respiratory rate of 20, and an O2 sat of 90%. She was given insulin, sublingual nitroglycerin x three, 4 mg of morphine, 5 mg of Lopressor, and started on a heparin drip and IV antibiotics, and admitted to the MICU for further management. Her past medical history included insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus for how many years, positive ethanol use, approximately one drink per week, and denied IV drug use or other illicit drug use. She was placed on an insulin drip and hydrated with intravenous fluids, with improvement, and eventually transitioned to NPH with insulin sliding scale coverage. Despite escalating her dose of NPH up to 65 U subcu b.i.d. on the day of discharge, she continued to have elevated blood sugars >200 and required coverage with insulin sliding scale. This issue will need to be addressed as an outpatient. She was also placed on cefotaxime for gram negative coverage, with both her blood cultures and urine cultures growing out E. coli which were sensitive to cefotaxime and gentamycin. As she initially continued to be febrile and continued to have positive blood cultures, one dose of gentamycin was given for synergy, and she was eventually transitioned to p.o. levofloxacin and will take 7 days of p.o. levofloxacin to complete a total 14-day course of antibiotics for urosepsis. She was initially placed on aspirin, heparin, and a beta blocker, and once her creatinine normalized, an ACE inhibitor was also added. Heparin was discontinued once the concern for PE was alleviated, and her beta blocker and ACE inhibitor were titrated up for a goal systolic blood pressure of <140 and a pulse of <70. On admission, the patient was on several pain medicines, including amitriptyline, Flexeril, and Valium for reported history of sciatica and low back pain, which were discontinued and she was placed on Neurontin for likely diabetic neuropathy. She was also placed on GI prophylaxis with Carafate and treated symptomatically with Imodium p.r.n. diarrhea. The patient was discharged with enteric coated aspirin 325 mg p.o. q.d., NPH Humulin insulin 65 U subcu b.i.d., human insulin sliding scale: for blood sugars 151-200 give 4 U, for blood sugars 201-250 give 6 U, for blood sugars 251-300 give 8 U, for blood sugars 301-350 give 10 U, Imodium 2 mg p.o. q. 6 hrs. p.r.n. diarrhea, Niferex 150 mg p.o. b.i.d., nitroglycerin 1/150 one tab sublingual q. 5 min. x 3 p.r.n. chest pain, multivitamin one tab p.o. q.d., simvastatin 10 mg p.o. q.h.s., Neurontin 600 mg p.o. t.i.d., levofloxacin 500 mg p.o. q.d. x 5 days, Toprol XL 400 mg p.o. q.d., lisinopril 40 mg p.o. q.d. The patient was evaluated by the physical therapist, who noted her to walk around the hospital without significant difficulty.
Previous flexeril
including amitriptyline, Flexeril,