The American journal of emergency medicine
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Case Reports
Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection caused by veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) has attracted interest in the area of resuscitation, with its utilization in refractory cardiac arrest having recently increased. However, E-CPR has a high complication rate of approximately 30% and life-threatening complications can occur. We present a case who experienced an acute aortic dissection caused by veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Specifically, the aortic dissection was caused by an adjustment in the position of return cannula.
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Thyroid storm is an unusually rare but life-threatening pediatric occurrence, carrying significant mortality. Skewed towards the adolescent population, thyroid decompensation occurs due to inciting factors ranging from infection, trauma, surgery, burns, medications, direct thyroid trauma, and rarely volvulus. Emergent care focuses on both reversing the inciting event as well as quelling the metabolic hyperactivity associated with thyroid storm. In review of the available literature, this case is the first to date of thyroid storm secondary to malrotation with midgut volvulus in a previously euthyroid adolescent patient.
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Symptomatic hiatal hernia (HH) is most often revealed by gastroesophageal reflux disease, but there are atypical presentations some of which are life-threatening. We report the case of a 57-year-old woman brought to the emergency department with isolated shortness of breath for 24 h. Initial explorations revealed unexplained hyperlactatemia (6.4 mmol/L) without clinical or biological evidence of hypovolemia, distributive, obstructive or cardiogenic shock. ⋯ A bedside echocardiography revealed an extra-cardiac left atrial compression and thoracoabdominal computed tomography showed a large sliding HH compressing the left atrium. After an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy permitting the aspiration of gastric contents, a repair surgery was performed without complications and patient was discharge three days later. Emergency physicians should be aware that HH can be a rare cause of cardiac symptoms by heart compression and certainly use echocardiography for unexplained hemodynamic failure.
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Case Reports
Ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm: An uncommon presentation of shock to the pediatric emergency department.
This case report describes a rare etiology of cardiogenic shock, particularly in the pediatric population. A healthy 17 year old male presents from an outside hospital in undifferentiated shock requiring vasopressor support. Ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm was diagnosed by echocardiogram and the patient went emergently to the operating room for surgical repair. We discuss the anatomy, incidence, and risk factors for sinus of Valsalva aneurysms, along with the range of clinical presentations and Emergency Department management of symptomatic rupture of sinus of Valsalva aneurysms.
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Case Reports
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome complicating hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome.
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome is a life-threatening diabetic emergency that manifests as altered mental status. An otherwise healthy 40-year-old man presented to our emergency department with headache and severe hypertension. ⋯ This first reported case details posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome concurrent with hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome. Prompt diagnosis and management were essential to avoid non-reversible consequences.