The American journal of emergency medicine
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A tracheobronchial rupture can be lethal. Its etiology in children varies and includes blunt trauma and iatrogenic injury. ⋯ We herein reported the first case of tracheobronchial rupture caused by chest compression during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The present case highlights the importance of close follow-up after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, even if the patients are not intubated.
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Case Reports
Ventricular fibrillation in a 21-year-old after inhalation of an isobutyl nitrite "popper" product.
Alkyl nitrite analogs known as "poppers" have been inhaled recreationally for decades. They are available to be purchased from gas stations marketed as "nail polish remover not for human consumption". These rapid-onset, short-acting, vasodilators cause the user to experience euphoria, dizziness, tachycardia and flushing. While chronic use may lead to problems such as methemoglobinemia or neuropathy, nitrites rarely lead to acute life-threatening side effects such as ventricular dysrhythmias. ⋯ Alkyl nitrite "popper" users and clinicians should be aware that products labeled to contain nitrites may contain volatile hydrocarbons along with nitrites and have the potential to cause arrhythmia.
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The prognostic significance of conversion into a shockable rhythm in patients who experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) with an initially nonshockable rhythm is controversial, perhaps due to the timing of rhythm conversion not being considered previously. We aimed to compare the different prognoses of patients with OHCA and early and late conversion of their rhythm into a shockable rhythm. ⋯ In patients who experience OHCA and have an initially nonshockable rhythm, early conversion into a shockable rhythm resulted in a better prognosis, whereas late conversion was not significantly different from nonconversion.