Annals of emergency medicine
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Comparative Study
Acute alcohol intoxication: significance of the amylase level.
To evaluate the effects of acute alcohol intoxication on serum amylase and isoamylase levels, 58 clinically intoxicated patients with blood alcohol levels greater than 100 mg/dL were studied. Comparisons were made to normal control and a sober chronic alcoholic group. Admitting serum isoamylase levels were determined by cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis and serum amylase levels measured by the Amylochrome technique. ⋯ The finding of hyperamylasemia in acutely intoxicated patients is common. This is most frequently due to a rise in the salivary (nonpancreatic) isoamylase. The reliability of the total serum amylase as an indication of pancreatic disease in the intoxicated patient is questioned.
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A one-year prospective study of 105 resuscitations in 74 children was done at Milwaukee Children's Hospital. Resuscitation outcome was correlated to location of arrest, level of monitoring at time of arrest, and type of arrest. Type of arrest was the only analyzed variable that influenced outcome. ⋯ However, the outcome for children requiring resuscitation for cardiac or cardiorespiratory arrest is poor (87% to 89% mortality or severe morbidity). Children who suffered a respiratory arrest without cardiac arrest had a better outcome than did adults. However, children who had a cardiac or cardiopulmonary arrest had the same poor outcome as did adults.