The American journal of emergency medicine
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Often, patients are brought in to the emergency department after ingesting large amounts of cocaine in an attempt to conceal it. This act is known as body stuffing. The observation period required to recognize potential toxic adverse effects in these patients is not well described in the literature. ⋯ One hundred six patients met final inclusion criteria as adult cocaine stuffers. No patients developed life-threatening symptoms, and no patients died during observation. In our medical setting, stuffers could be discharged after a 6-hour observation period if there was either complete resolution or absence of clinical symptoms.
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Case Reports
The double lung point: an unusual sonographic sign of juvenile spontaneous pneumothorax.
Lung ultrasound is extremely useful in the bedside diagnosis of pneumothorax. The lung point, which is the sonographic demonstration of the point on the chest wall where the pleural layers adhere again, represents the limit of the pneumothorax extension and allows estimation of its volume. This sonographic sign is not only highly accurate in ruling-in pneumothorax but also helps the clinician in deciding whether to place a chest tube. ⋯ The double lung point is explained by the fact that the air is not free in the pleural space but forms a bulla surrounded by adherent pleural layers. In this case, the ultrasound examination could be confounding and the clinician should be aware of it. This phenomenon is quite rare in the juvenile spontaneous pneumothorax, being more frequent in case of secondary pneumothorax.
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The study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic illness and chronic pain in emergency department (ED) patients across demographic backgrounds. ⋯ Patient housing situation, family income, and perceived access to primary care medical facilities were associated with higher self-reported rates of chronic illness and chronic pain.
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Roller coasters are probably one of the more popular rides at amusement parks around the world, and there are few reported injuries. We report a case of symmetric diffuse upper lobe hemorrhage resulting from roller coaster in a previously healthy woman. The clinical course, management, and etiology of her case are discussed; and the literature is reviewed. To our knowledge, pulmonary hemorrhage in this setting has not yet been described.
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Case Reports
Nontraumatic massive right-sided Bochdalek hernia in an adult: an unusual presentation.
Diaphragmatic hernias in adults usually pose a diagnostic challenge; the presentations are varied and range from acute abdominal pain with features of gut obstruction, pleuritic chest pain, breathlessness, to a pregnant woman with pain abdomen. The usual cause in adults is posttraumatic. ⋯ We present a case of a young woman who presented with sudden-onset breathlessness with similar episodes in the past and no history of trauma, who proved to be having a right-sided diaphragmatic hernia. This case is reported not only because of rarity of nontraumatic right-sided Bochdalek hernias in adults, but also because of peculiar presentation and history.