Annals of emergency medicine
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Diphenhydramine poisoning is characterized most often by anticholinergic effects. Cardiotoxicity and circulatory collapse have rarely been reported after massive ingestions of diphenhydramine and other H1-receptor-blocking agents, although these substances have local anesthetic properties and have been studied as antiarrhythmics. We report the case of a patient who developed a wide-complex tachycardia as a complication of acute diphenhydramine poisoning that responded to IV sodium bicarbonate.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Intravenous magnesium for acute asthma: failure to decrease emergency treatment duration or need for hospitalization.
To evaluate the efficacy of routine early administration of i.v. magnesium to patients with acute asthma. ⋯ Routine early administration of IV magnesium in acute asthma does not alter treatment outcome.
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Sulfur mustard is a chemical warfare agent of historical and current interest. Favored militarily because of its ability to incapacitate rather than its ability to kill, its use results in large numbers of casualties requiring prolonged, intensive care. In light of recent threats of chemical warfare and the possibilities of chemical acts of terrorism, North American physicians should be knowledgeable of its effects and the care of its victims.
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To test the hypothesis that residency-trained emergency physicians who left the practice of emergency medicine do not differ significantly from those who continue to practice. ⋯ Career longevity of residency-trained emergency physicians has been greater than early predictions. Interactions with residents, higher income, satisfaction with training decision, and board certification in emergency medicine are variables associated with a higher retention rate.
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Physicians and the public often assume that herbal preparations are harmless. Aconite is a Chinese herb used as an analgesic by homeopaths; its chief effects are on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. The first two reported cases of aconite poisoning in Australia are described.