The American journal of emergency medicine
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Spinal epidural hematoma is an accumulation of blood in the epidural space that can mechanically compress the spinal cord. It is an uncommon condition, and most cases occur spontaneously. Detailed evaluation of neurologic deficit and detailed history taking are important tools for early diagnosis, and magnetic resonance imaging is currently the diagnostic method of choice. ⋯ Cervical spinal epidural hematoma was confirmed after obtaining magnetic resonance imaging. Patients with this uncommon presentation must be carefully distinguished from acute stroke. This article aimed to highlight the potential pitfalls in diagnosing acute hemiparesis with no cranial nerves deficits and the importance of clinical suspicion.
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Bedside ultrasound is being increasingly used by emergency physicians (EPs) for the differentiation of acute dyspnea in critically ill patients. Lung ultrasound is emerging as a highly sensitive tool in diagnosing alveolar interstitial edema with the presence of diffuse “B-lines” arising from the pleural line. However, when used independently, lung ultrasound is unable to differentiate between cardiogenic and noncardiogenic causes of pulmonary edema. This case report describes a rapid 3-view or “triple scan” sonographic examination to differentiate acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) from cardiogenic pulmonary edema.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Less painful arterial blood gas sampling using jet injection of 2% lidocaine: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
The aim of this study was to compare pain levels from arterial blood gas (ABG) sampling performed with or without application of lidocaine via jet injector. ⋯ Lidocaine jet injection provides beneficial and rapid anesthesia, resulting in less pain and a greater rate of successful ABG sampling. Therefore, it is recommended for use before ABG sampling to decrease the patient's pain and the number of unsuccessful attempts and to enhance the patient's satisfaction.
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Peptic ulcer bleeding is thought to be a major cause of bleeding in patients with end-stage renal disease and is more complicated in uremic patients. We described a 41-year-old man with end-stage renal disease who underwent hemodialysis with refractory ulcer bleeding, failure to all traditional peptic ulcer treatments, and correction of uremic component, who has been successfully treated by using recombinant factor VIIa. There have been few case reports in dealing refractory upper gastrointestinal bleeding in uremic patients in the literature; and in this case report, we demonstrates that recombinant factor VIIa could be used as a rescue therapy in these high–surgical risk patients when medical therapy fails.
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Sedatives with a long duration are required for pediatric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the emergency department. The success rate of chloral hydrate for pediatric sedation is 80% to 100% according to some studies. However, the success rate varies by age, weight, and underlying disease. ⋯ Patients 24 months of age who had a neurological problem (seizure disorder or developmental delay) had a success rate greater than 95%, but the adverse event rate increased after 24 months of age. Chloral hydrate sedation was appropriate for pediatric MRI in patients younger than 18 months. Although we observed no fatal adverse events, it is necessary to monitor patients until full recovery from sedation.