The American journal of emergency medicine
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The objective of this study is to determine whether the magnitude of the D-dimer correlates with a higher likelihood of pulmonary embolus (PE). ⋯ Increasing magnitude of D-dimer correlates with increasing likelihood of PE diagnosed by CT angiography.
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The widespread availability of microwave ovens has sparked interest in injuries resulting from their use. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate microwave oven-related injuries on a national scale. Microwave ovens are an important source of injury in the home in the United States. The large increases in the number and rate of these injuries underscore the need for increased prevention efforts, especially among young children.
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Case Reports
Spontaneous hemothorax following thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy for massive pulmonary embolism.
Massive spontaneous hemothorax following combined thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy for pulmonary embolism(PE) is a rare event that is little documented in the literature. Here, we describe a rare case of spontaneous hemothorax in a 23-year-old woman with underlying systemic lupus erythematosus following combined administration of tissue plasminogen activator and low-molecular-weight heparin for massive PE. This report of our successful treatment of this case by video-assisted thoracoscopic thoracotomy demonstrates that although the occurrence is rare, massive hemothorax following anticoagulant and/or thrombolytic therapy for PE should be suspected if patients experience chest pain, dyspnea, or signs of anemia, and follow-up physical examination and hemogram should be performed to facilitate diagnosis of this life-threatening complication.
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This retrospective study aims to review California Poison Control System data to qualitatively describe reported methyl acetate (MA) exposures and determine if a metabolic acidosis develops. ⋯ These data suggest that minor ingestions of MA may be observed at home, but a prospective study is needed to exclude the risk of home observation.
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In the United States, institutional review boards (IRBs) oversee the scientific, ethical, and regulatory aspects of research conducted on human subjects. Institutional variations in the interpretation and application of federal and local regulations concerning genetic testing can have significant impact on the implementation of such studies. ⋯ Institutional interpretation of regulations regarding our ED-based genetic study was highly variable. Although the majority of our results are consistent with other similar published studies, the mean time interval for approval for this genetic study is far greater than other reported studies.