The American journal of emergency medicine
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Review Case Reports
Anaphylactic shock associated with intravenous thrombolytics: case report and an analysis from adverse event reporting system.
Adverse events including intracerebral hemorrhage and reperfusion arrhythmias are well known to occur with thrombolytic therapy. We report a case report of anaphylactic reaction directly attributable to intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and identify additional cases through review of the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System. A systematic review of Adverse Event Reporting System was performed for allergic adverse events occurring in conjunction with IV thrombolytics. ⋯ There was 1 death directly attributable to allergic reaction in a patient who received IV reteplase for MI. Although IV alteplase is identical to endogenous tissue plasminogen activator, it appears to be the most common cause of allergic reaction among currently used thrombolytics, with or without concomitant administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. A greater awareness among physicians may result in prompt recognition and treatment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Quality of chest compressions during compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a comparative analysis following the 2005 and 2010 American Heart Association guidelines.
The latest guidelines both increased the requirements of chest compression rate and depth during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which may make it more difficult for the rescuer to provide high-quality chest compression. In this study, we investigated the quality of chest compressions during compression-only CPR under the latest 2010 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines (AHA 2010) and its effect on rescuer fatigue. ⋯ The quality of chest compressions was significantly improved following the 2010 AHA guidelines, however, it's more difficult for the rescuer to meet the guidelines due to the increased fatigue of rescuer.
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The current resuscitation guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council do not include automatic chest compression devices (ACDs) as standard equipment to support cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts. One possible reason could be the lack of a list of indications and contraindications for the use of ACD systems. This review should give a summary of current studies and developments according to ACD systems and deliver a list of possible applications. ⋯ The use of ACDs occurs instead of manual chest compression. Because of this, there is no reason for changing the current guidelines, especially termination recommendations while using ACD systems. From our point of view, ACDs are a very good supplement to the current standard of resuscitation according to the European Resuscitation Council guidelines.
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Case Reports
Propofol for benzodiazepine-refractory alcohol withdrawal in a non-mechanically ventilated patient: a case report.
Long-term alcohol use confers neurochemical changes in response to alcohol's exogenous inhibitory effects. Downregulation and decreased sensitivity of γ-aminobutyric acid receptors render benzodiazepines less effective at controlling psychomotor agitation. ⋯ Successful use of propofol in refractory AWS in patients with endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation has been reported. We present a case of resolution of AWS symptoms in a benzodiazepine-refractory, nonintubated, non-mechanically ventilated alcohol withdrawal patient with low-dose, continuous-infusion propofol.
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The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence and significance of incidental findings in patients with a chief complaint of abdominal pain presenting to the emergency department (ED) who received abdomino-pelvic multidetector computed tomography. ⋯ Unlike benign incidental findings, indeterminate and worrisome findings frequently alter the course of management. Recommendation from radiologists appears to significantly contribute to the management of indeterminate incidental findings.