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Case Reports
. 2016 Nov 1;2(1):180-183.
doi: 10.1089/cren.2016.0114. eCollection 2016.

Heart of Darkness

Peter Alken  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Heart of Darkness

Peter Alken. J Endourol Case Rep. .

Abstract

Significant literature has an impact on the reader. Reading the novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad as a young boy rose emotions comparable to those I felt when losing a patient after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) as a grown up. The case of a 37-year-old woman with bilateral staghorn and a fatal outcome after PCNL is presented and alternatives are discussed.

Keywords: Heart of Darkness; Joseph Conrad; mortality; percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Statement No competing financial interests exist.

References

    1. Conrad J. Heart of Darkness. The Project Gutenberg. Available at: www.gutenberg.org
    1. Moreno-Palacios J, Maldonado-Alcaraz E, Guillermo Montoya-Martınez G, et al. Prognostic factors of morbidity in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy. J Endourology 2014;28:1078–1084 - PubMed
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    1. Eswara JR, Lee H, Dretler SP, Sacco D. The effect of delayed percutaneous nephrolithotomy on the risk of bacteremia and sepsis in patients with neuromuscular disorders. World J Urol 2013;31:1611–1615 - PubMed

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