The American journal of emergency medicine
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To quantify the risk of malignancy following the emergency department (ED) diagnosis of Bell's Palsy (BP) using a large retrospective cohort. ⋯ We found a small but potentially clinically significant rate of new-onset oncologic diagnosis within 60 days after BP diagnosis in the ED, especially in children younger than 5 years. Further studies of the diagnostic utility of laboratory testing or neuroimaging and the risk of empiric steroids in children with BP are needed.
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Case Reports
Pediatric exploratory ingestions involving novel pill pack packaging: A report of two cases.
Pill packs are novel packaging systems designed to contain multiple medications and increase medication access but are not child-resistant and increase the risk of pediatric ingestions. We present two pediatric ingestion cases suspected to involve pill packs. Case 1 describes a 19-month-old male presenting to the Emergency Department with altered mental status and unsteady gait after a suspected clonidine and buspirone ingestion. ⋯ A family friend supervising the patient at the time reportedly received medications through mail delivery in "plastic packs". Emergency physicians should be alert to this packaging system as these products contain multiple medications, potentially increasing injury risk and obfuscating diagnosis. Manufacturers, regulatory agencies and public health authorities should assess and reduce the dangers these products pose to children.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Comparison of Vie Scope® and Macintosh laryngoscopes for intubation during resuscitation by paramedics wearing personal protective equipment.
Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is still the gold standard of airway management, but in cases of sudden cardiac arrest in patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection, ETI is associated with risks for both the patient and the medical personnel. We hypothesized that the Vie Scope® is more useful for endotracheal intubation of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cardiac arrest patients than the conventional laryngoscope with Macintosh blade when operators are wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). ⋯ The use of the Vie Scope® laryngoscope in OHCA patients improved the first attempt success rate, and reduced intubation time compared to Macintosh laryngoscope in paramedics wearing PPE for against aerosol generating procedures.