The American journal of emergency medicine
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Comparative Study
Diagnostic tests for occult bacteremia: temperature response to acetaminophen versus WBC count.
A cohort of 484 febrile children were examined to (1) assess the utility of temperature response to acetaminophen as a diagnostic test for occult bacteremia (OB) and (2) compare it with the white blood cell (WBC) count. For a period of 18 months, the records of all febrile children seen in the emergency department were reviewed. Testing a response to acetaminophen of a < or = 0.8 degrees C decrease in temperature, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 47%, 74%, 12%, and 95%, respectively. ⋯ The difference was not significant (P > 0.05). The conclusion reached was that temperature response to acetaminophen has predictive values that are similar to the WBC count, and it may provide useful information. However, neither test is impressive, and the clinician cannot reliably predict which febrile children are at risk.
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Case Reports
Extracorporeal circulation in the management of severe tricyclic antidepressant overdose.
Extracorporeal circulation is a technique that provides precise control of circulation, oxygenation, temperature, and blood composition in patients suffering from cardiopulmonary failure. The investigators present the case of a near fatal tricyclic antidepressant overdose that failed to respond to standard therapy but was resuscitated using extracorporeal circulation.
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To determine whether digital endotracheal intubation predisposes to left mainstem intubation, a prospective, convenience sample of postarrest cadavers in the emergency departments of two university medical centers was used. Six postarrest cadavers were reintubated by the same right-handed intubator using accepted digital intubation technique. Endotracheal tubes (7.5 mm internal diameter) with stylets were configured into an open "J" shape and were inserted to a depth of 30 cm to ensure endobronchial intubation. ⋯ This represents a greater than 150-fold increase in the rate of left mainstem intubations relative to right mainstem intubations when compared with data from the literature. Digital intubation technique predisposes to left mainstem intubation. Practitioners must have heightened awareness that decreased right-sided breath sounds after digital intubation may represent an easily corrected left mainstem intubation rather than other pathology.
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Using a hand scanner, radiographs were scanned into a personal computer (PC) for storage and viewing. These images were of superior or similar quality to x-ray photographs published in textbooks and journals. This represents a simple and inexpensive way for emergency physicians to store x-ray files electronically for instant access from a desktop or laptop computer. ⋯ Identical copies of the image files can be made and distributed for viewing on other PCs. The PC is a new tool that will improve our ability to organize our educational resource materials. Multimedia methods represent a new way to present and distribute audiovisual educational materials at a desktop.
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How bretylium tosylate affected the ventricular fibrillation threshold, electrophysiological parameters, and plasma catecholamine levels during hypothermia in dogs was studied. Threshold for ventricular fibrillation was determined by programmed electrical stimulation using a stimulation protocol that involved applying a maximum of five extrastimuli at body temperatures 37, 34, 31, 28, and 25 degrees C, and at the same temperatures during rewarming. Electrocardiogram, epicardial monophasic action potentials (MAP), and electrograms were recorded, and ventricular effective refractory period (VERP) was determined at each of the above temperatures. ⋯ BT had no effect on conduction velocity, and plasma catecholamine levels were not reduced. The antiarrhythmic effect of BT during hypothermia was attributed to an increased wavelength of refractoriness by its increase in the refractory period. This increased wavelength of refractoriness may prevent excitable gaps or increase circuit pathway in the setting of reentry arrhythmias.