The American journal of emergency medicine
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At many mass gathering events (MGEs), emergency medical services decrease the number of patient transfers to the hospital; however, little information is known regarding the characteristics of attendees presenting to or requiring transfer to the emergency department (ED). The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of patients presenting from MGEs to the ED. A secondary aim of this study is to describe ED resources utilized by these patients. ⋯ Patients presenting to the ED from MGEs generally required minimal medical care beyond supportive management with low rates of hospital admission. Further controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Contrast media induced encephalopathy is a rare complication of contrast administration characterized by non-specific neurological signs and symptoms that may present both clinically and radiolographically as subarachnoid hemorrhage. While there are few reported presentations in the neurology literature after inpatient contrast administration, similar emergency department presentations have not been documented. We describe a patient who presented with encephalopathy and expressive aphasia after outpatient evaluation of an intrathecal analgesia pump who had radiographic imaging consistent with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. The hyperdensities seen on computed tomography scanning were subsequently identified as residual gadolinium contrast media resulting in allergic encephalopathy in this patient.