The American journal of emergency medicine
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Complications of suprapubic catheterization including acute urinary retention present often to the emergency department. Patients with chronic indwelling catheters are at increased risk of bladder calculi and recurrent infections, especially without appropriate follow up care. We describe a case of suprapubic catheter failure secondary to complete circumferential encrustation of the distal catheter tip by a bladder calculus. This case demonstrates the need for thorough evaluation of any case of catheter dysfunction and for careful consideration of bladder calculi in those patients at risk.
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Case Reports
Brugada pattern as part of the electrocardiographic abnormalities in hyperkalemia: A case report.
A 78-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 10-day history of diarrhea and presyncope. His electrocardiogram showed a type-1 Brugada pattern but also a first-degree atrioventricular block, right bundle branch block, and peaked and symmetrical hyperacute T waves. ⋯ After hemodialysis with normalization of serum potassium, the electrocardiographic abnormalities disappeared. An ajmaline challenge excluded the possibility of Brugada syndrome.
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Case Reports
Acute transverse myelitis progressing to permanent quadriplegia following COVID-19 infection.
As of January 2022, there have been over 350 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world. The most common symptoms in those infected are fever, cough, malaise, and myalgia, however pulmonary, hematologic, gastrointestinal, renal, and neurologic complications have also been reported. Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) is an uncommon neurological syndrome characterized by acute or subacute spinal cord dysfunction that can lead to paresthesias, sensory and autonomic impairment, and even paralysis. ⋯ Within 48 hours after emergency department arrival, she required intubation due to worsening diaphragmatic and chest wall paralysis. Her treatment included a long-term steroid regimen and plasmapheresis, and unfortunately, she did not have any neurologic recovery. We present a very rare case of ATM progressing to complete quadriplegia following COVID-19 infection.
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Letter Randomized Controlled Trial
Direct laryngoscope versus McGRATH video-laryngoscope for tracheal intubation in trauma emergency: A randomised control trial.
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Case Reports
Successful recovery of severe hypothermia with minimally invasive central catheter: A case report.
Severe hypothermia can result in malignant arrhythmias or cardiac arrest and require invasive central rewarming modalities due to a core body temperature < 28 °C. Difficult rescue missions can make continuous CPR challenging, but the decrease in oxygen consumption at these low temperatures allows for successful recovery despite the delay. Although other active warming techniques, such as peritoneal lavage, intravascular warming catheter, and renal replacement therapy can be beneficial, the consensus statements recommend extracorporeal life support as the preferred rewarming method. ⋯ This case has a successful resuscitation of severe hypothermia associated with cardiac arrest. The patient was warmed at greater than 4 °C/h with a less invasive, quicker and potentially more available approach to warming. With equipment improvements, the ability to provide prolonged CPR while rewarming may suggest that transferring to an extracorporeal life support center is not necessary.