STRANGE MEDICAL CASES STUMPED EXPERTS THIS YEAR

Rachael Rettner of Live Science has listed a number of strange medical cases this year, many of them not known by people who have been rattled by the biggest medical case this year—the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her article, Rettner said topping the list of these cases was that of a man in Chicago with green urine, and his colorful pee was eventually determined to be the side effect of the anesthetic propofol, which was administered to him as he battled the high carbon dioxide level of his blood, a condition doctors said was life-threatening.

“Fortunately, this discoloration is benign and goes away once the medication is stopped. Indeed, the man's urine returned to a normal color once he was taken off propofol,” Rettner reported. The case was published in trhe New England Journal of Medicine on Dec. 2.

People can develop allergies to pretty much anything, including cold air. That was the case for a man in Colorado, whose allergic reaction to the cold was so severe he nearly died.

The 34-year-old man collapsed after entering a cold bathroom and almost died, and his case was carried in the Oct. 27 issue of the Journal of Emergency Medicine.

The man was struggling to breathe and his skin was covered in hives. He was experiencing a life-threatening, whole-body allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.

Doctors diagnosed him with cold urticaria, an allergic reaction of the skin after exposure to cold temperatures, including cold air or cold water. The most common symptom is a red, itchy rash (hives) after exposure to the cold; but in more serious cases, people can develop anaphylaxis, which can cause their blood pressure to plummet and airways to narrow, making breathing difficult.

The man was treated with an antihistamine and steroids, and his condition improved. He was prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector, which can treat anaphylaxis in emergency situations.

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