Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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This article focuses on some of the more common dangerous plant and mushroom ingestions, discussing toxic components, early symptoms, and treatment. Among the plants considered are oleander, foxglove, hemlock, dieffenbachia, and Amanita phalloides. Details concerning recognition of toxic species are intentionally omitted in an effort to avoid potentially dangerous errors in identification.
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Cold injuries, hypothermia, and frostbite are discussed, including the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and modern management.
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Submersion injuries are a relatively common problem for emergency physicians. The primary physiologic problem in these patients is hypoxemia, and virtually all complications are secondary to this. ⋯ Despite prompt and vigorous resuscitation, though, residual neurologic deficits and deaths continue to occur after submersion injury. Clearly, prevention is the most important factor in reducing the morbidity and mortality from these injuries.
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This discussion focuses on the several pressure-related syndromes that are peculiar to diving and that are collectively known as dysbarism. These include barotrauma of descent, barotrauma of ascent, and air embolism. Also considered are nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness.
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Millions of arthropods surround us every day, but only a few are medically harmful. Knowledge of the habits and habitats of known venomous arthropods is certainly advisable for the prudent person in areas of known infestation as a preventive measure. Arthropod envenomations probably produce much less mortality than previously thought, but the potential for severe effects of direct envenomation or allergic response exists with some species, and these events must be approached as true medical emergencies.