The American journal of emergency medicine
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Intraosseous infusions were widely used in pediatric patients during the 1930s and 1940s. Recent reports have re-introduced this concept and confirmed its safety and ready accessability for fluid and drug administration. However, these reports have not addressed the difficulties encountered during insertion of the intraosseous needle. ⋯ This method was successfully utilized in ten pediatric and five adult patients. Intraosseous needle placement is a safe, rapid method to gain access to the venous circulation. By utilizing these techniques, a stable, usable fluid line can be established in even the most dehydrated pediatric patients.
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An 80-year-old man was treated, non-operatively, for a distal esophageal perforation, diagnosed nine days after blunt thoracic trauma. Emergency department diagnosis was impeded by absence of mediastinal air; right chest-wall emphysema was thought to result from associated rib fractures. ⋯ This mode of therapy may be best in comparable elderly patients with esophageal perforation that is overlooked during the initial 24 hours after injury. Possibly, routine barium swallow in all patients with chest-wall emphysema and rib fractures would circumvent missed esophageal rupture after blunt trauma.
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As the use of helicopters for air transport of critically ill patients increases, the availability of monitoring devices for physiological parameters during flight becomes important. It has long been known that arterial PO2 (PaO2) decreases during unsupplemented, non-pressurized flight. In this study, the authors examined the use of the transconjunctival oxygen (cjO2) monitor for assessing the adequacy of arterial oxygenation during helicopter flight in four healthy volunteers. ⋯ The relationship between cjO2 and PaO2 was linear with a regression coefficient of 1.147. The authors conclude that the transconjunctival O2 monitor may be useful for monitoring the adequacy of arterial oxygenation during helicopter flight in hemodynamically stable patients. The results of study also support the use of supplemental oxygen in all patients subjected to helicopter transport.
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An unusual case of a misdirected nasogastric tube is described. An elderly woman was brought to an emergency department following intentional drug overdose. Initially unrecognized errant placement of a large-bore nasogastric tube resulted in tension pneumothorax, pneumonia, and subsequent death. Pertinent medical literature is reviewed, clinical considerations for the elderly patient are discussed, and suggestions for proper nasogastric tube placement are offered.
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A case of massive degloving injury of the trunk, with open pelvic fracture, and evisceration of abdominal contents from blunt trauma is presented. The most significant aspect of this case was the transfusion of 173 units of packed cells and 176 units of fresh frozen plasma in the first thirty hours. The patient ultimately recovered and returned to work.