The American journal of emergency medicine
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Observational Study
The impact of preinjury antithrombotic medication on hemostatic interventions in trauma patients: an observational study in Japan.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether preinjury medication with antithrombotic agents was related to an increase in hemostatic interventions in patients with severe trauma without traumatic brain injury. ⋯ Preinjury antithrombotic medication in severe trauma patients without traumatic brain injury may be associated with a higher risk of hemostatic interventions.
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Glucagon, a hormone secreted by pancreatic alpha cells, causes bronchial smooth muscle relaxation by activating the synthesis of cyclic adenosine monophosphate. It was studied in the 1980s and 1990s as a treatment option for the management of asthma but has since not been evaluated. Data to support its use are limited, but it may serve as a last-line agent for refractory asthma exacerbation. Here we describe 4 cases in which intravenous glucagon was used to manage severe, refractory asthma exacerbation in the emergency department.
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Observational Study
Optic nerve sheath diameter measurement: a means of detecting raised intracranial pressure in adult traumatic and non-traumatic neurosurgical patients.
Bedside ultrasound measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) is emerging as a non-invasive technique to evaluate and predict raised intracranial pressure (ICP). It has been shown in previous literature that ONSD measurement has good correlation with surrogate findings of raised ICP such as clinical and radiological findings suggestive of raised ICP. ⋯ ONSD value of 5.205 is sensitive and specific in detecting raised ICP. Bedside ultrasound measurement of ONSD is readily learned, and is reproducible and reliable in predicting raised ICP. This non-invasive technique can be a useful adjunct to the current invasive intracranial catheter monitoring, and has wide potential clinical applications in district hospitals, emergency departments and intensive care units.
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The early prediction of gangrenous/perforated appendicitis is of great importance for the surgical planning, further treatments, and predicting the course of disease. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) was previously reported as a biomarker of various ischemia-based diseases. Our aim is to determine the predictive value of serum IMA in the severity of acute appendicitis. ⋯ The IMA can be considered as a novel and useful marker to distinguish gangrenous/perforated appendicitis from noncomplicated appendicitis. The correlation of IMA with CT findings also enhances the predictive value of IMA.