The American journal of emergency medicine
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The primary goals of emergency department (ED) clinicians when dealing with a pediatric patient experiencing a seizure are to control the seizure and prevent seizure-related complications. After stabilizing the patient, the clinician should determine whether the patient is likely to have recurrent seizures that may need treatment such as antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The early identification of pediatric seizure patients at high risk for recurrence can be of great help in consulting with their parents. This study aimed to identify predictors of seizure recurrence in pediatric patients who visited the ED for first-onset afebrile seizure. ⋯ Age at onset ≥11 years, a longer seizure duration, acidosis, and hyperglycemia were predictors of seizure recurrence in children who had experienced first-onset afebrile seizure.
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To investigate the effect of lactate/albumin (L/A) ratio on survival to discharge in patients who have had out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). ⋯ The L/A ratio is more valuable than the lactate or albumin levels alone in predicting survival to discharge. Our findings indicate that a combination of these parameters might increase the predictability of survival to discharge in OHCA patients.
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This study aims to evaluate the exertional heat stroke score (EHSS) system for the prognosis of exertional heat stroke (EHS) patients. ⋯ The EHSS has a good diagnostic efficacy for the prognosis of EHS patients and is significantly higher than that of the APACHE II and SOFA scores. This finding provides a theoretical basis for further increasing the rescue success rate of EHS patients and improving their prognostic quality of life.
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Cricothyrotomy is a rare, time sensitive procedure that is more challenging to perform when anatomical landmarks are not easily palpated before the initial incision. There is a paucity of literature describing the optimal technique for cricothyrotomy in patients with impalpable airway structures, such as in morbid obesity. In this study, we used a live sheep model of morbid obesity to compare the effectiveness of two common cricothyrotomy techniques. ⋯ In this study, which simulated morbid obesity on a living animal model complete with active hemorrhage and time pressure caused by extubation before the procedure, the bougie-guided technique was faster than the traditional technique using a tracheostomy tube without a bougie.
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Fentanyl is a high potency opioid that has become an increasingly large proportion of the illicit drug supply. Fentanyl overdoses and deaths, including in pediatric patients, has concomitantly increased. ⋯ Providers should be aware of these illicit tablets, know not to assume they are pharmaceutical, and consider the risk they pose to pediatric patients through exploratory ingestion or misuse. Further inquiry, including social investigation, should be considered for pediatric patients presenting with reported oxycodone ingestion, especially blue "M30" pills.