Annals of emergency medicine
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Spontaneous spinal epidural hemorrhage is a rare emergency. It is characterized by back pain with radicular radiation in the chest and extremities followed by progressive signs of cord compression. The exact etiology is unknown. ⋯ Emergency laminectomy revealed an epidural hematoma with compression of the spinal cord. The man was discharged from the hospital seven days post-evacuation of the hematoma with a slightly unsteady but improving gait. The presenting symptoms, etiology, pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, and treatment of this unusual lesion are reviewed.
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The weak and dizzy patient presents a dilemma for the emergency physician. Because of the non-specificity of symptoms, the physician is often faced with uncertainty as to how to initiate his evaluation. ⋯ Weak and dizzy patients over the age of 60 had a greater incidence of potentially serious and treatable disease. Twenty percent of this age group had symptoms directly attributable to prescribed medications.
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The interaction between the residency training program in hospital dental general practice and emergency medicine at The Medical College of Pennsylvania is discussed. The contribution by the emergency medicine resident to the training of the dental resident and the role of the dental resident in the education of the emergency medicine resident are described in detail. Methods for enhancing this unique relationship between two departments are presented.
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Portland cement carries a significant potential for morbidity if care is not exercised in its use. A 24-year-old construction worker suffered burns of both lower legs when wet cement seeped into his work boots causing burns and secondary cellulitis severe enough to preclude working for four weeks.
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Management of radiation accident patients should have a multidisciplinary approach that includes all health professionals as well as members of public safety agencies. Emergency plans for radiation accidents include detection of the ionizing radiation, patient evacuation, resuscitation, and decontamination. ⋯ The hospital staff, provided with protective clothing, dosimeters, and preprinted guidelines, continues the resuscitation and definitive care of the patient. This system approach to the management of radiation accidents may be tailored to meet the specific needs of other emergency medical systems.