The American journal of emergency medicine
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Letter Meta Analysis
Efficacy and safety of ticagrelor use in pre-hospital setting.
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Being considered among the most fatal neurological conditions, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy characterized by its unknown etiology and rapidly progressive neurodegenerative symptoms that often lead to a mean survival of 6 to 12 months. The accumulation of the prionic protein causes brain matter degeneration, which leads to a set of clinical findings that include rapidly progressive dementia, myoclonus, tremors, cerebellar ataxia, and extrapyramidal signs. This clinical presentation is non-specific, which makes CJD a very difficult condition to diagnose, due to the low level of clinical suspicion. ⋯ Continuous electroencephalogram revealed multiple bifrontal delta discharges with triphasic morphology. Lumbar puncture was significant for presence of 14-3-3 protein in cerebrospinal fluid. The multiple examinations performed in conjunction with the previous findings supported the diagnosis of acute encephalopathy secondary to sporadic CJD.
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The incidence of alcohol and recreational drug use is increasing. The impact on penetrating trauma is unknown. This study was undertaken to identify the incidence of alcohol and recreational drug use prior to penetrating trauma, and to identify ISS and outcomes among patients with penetrating trauma. ⋯ Positive screens for alcohol and recreational drugs were common among penetrating trauma patients in this setting. The most common identified recreational drugs included marijuana, benzodiazepine, opiates, alcohol, cocaine, and amphetamine.
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Case Reports
Non-diabetic ketoacidosis: A case of alcoholic ketoacidosis accompanied by hyperglycemia.
Alcoholic ketoacidosis (AKA) lacks specific clinical presentation. The results of blood testing commonly show hemoconcentration, elevated β-hydroxybutyrate levels, and acidosis in patients with AKA. Herein, we report a case of AKA accompanied by hyperglycemia and review the related literature. ⋯ Primary clinical presentations were severe nausea and vomiting. The patient initially diagnosed with DKA were eventually confirmed as AKA, who recovered after active therapy with rehydration and correction of hyperglycemia, electrolyte imbalance, and ketosis. This study provides a reference for clinicians to reduce missed diagnosis and the misdiagnosis rates of AKA.
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Observational Study
The role of brain tomography scan in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in whom return of spontaneous circulation.
The diagnosis and treatment process after resuscitation of patients with spontaneous return of circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest is important. There is no clear recommendation on utilization of computerized tomography (CT) of the brain in patients with ROSC. In this study, it was aimed to diagnosis the pathology detection rates in the brain tomography of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients with ROSC after resuscitation in the emergency department and the effect of these pathologies on treatment management. ⋯ We have seen that the data obtained from the CT studied in the early period after the ROSC was achieved, did not change the management of our patients x in the early and late periods after resuscitation. We conclude that it is not necessary to have a brain CT scan in the emergency department in the early period.