The American journal of emergency medicine
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The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between exhaled end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) and serum lactate via nasal capnography and to assess the ability of ETCO2 to predict disease severity in children with suspected sepsis in a pediatric emergency department. ⋯ We observed a significant inverse relationship between ETCO2 and lactate in children presenting with suspected sepsis. A lower ETCO2 was predictive of severe disease.
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Many patients with COVID-19, the clinical illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, exhibit mild symptoms and do not require hospitalization. Instead, these patients are often referred for 14-days of home isolation as symptoms resolve. Lung ultrasound is well-established as an important means of evaluating lung pathology in patients in the emergency department and in intensive care units. ⋯ Lung POCUS findings corresponded with symptom onset and resolution in all 3 patients with confirmed COVID-19 during the 14-day isolation period. Lung POCUS may offer a feasible means of monitoring patients with COVID-19 who are on home isolation. Further studies correlating sonographic findings to disease progression and prognosis will be valuable.
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Observational Study
Effectiveness and safety of small-bore tube thoracostomy (≤20 Fr) for chest trauma patients: A retrospective observational study.
Tube thoracostomy is an important treatment for traumatic hemothorax and pneumothorax. The optimal tube diameter remains unclear. To reduce invasiveness, we use small-bore chest tubes (≤20 Fr) for all trauma patients for whom tube thoracostomy is indicated in our emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of small-bore tube thoracostomy for traumatic hemothorax or pneumothorax. ⋯ Our study showed that the use of small-bore (≤20 Fr) chest tubes to treat traumatic hemothorax/pneumothorax achieved the purposes of tube thoracostomy. It might be possible to safely manage chest trauma with small-bore chest tubes.