The American journal of emergency medicine
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Brain injury during early childhood may disrupt key periods of neurodevelopment. Most research regarding mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has focused on school-age children. We sought to characterize the incidence and healthcare utilization for mTBI in young children presenting to U.S. emergency departments (ED). ⋯ Early childhood mTBI is prevalent and results in high financial burden in the U.S. There is wide variation in diagnostic coding and computed tomography scanning amongst EDs. More focused research is needed to identify optimal diagnostic tools and management strategies.
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Case Reports
An epidural brain abscess and thrombus in the superior sagittal sinus in a 12 year-old with sinusitis.
Upper respiratory infections can be complicated by acute bacterial sinusitis in pediatric patients, and usually resolve with antibiotic therapy (DeMuri and Wald, 2011). However, intracranial complications such as: epidural abscess, meningitis and more rarely cerebral sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT) can occur (Germiller et al., 2006). We report an unusual case of sinusitis complicated by an epidural abscess and later a CSVT in a young previously healthy patient. ⋯ This specific case encourages clinicians to be aware of complications, though rare, and to diagnose and treat sinusitis cases quickly. It is also important to be aware of any risk factors for thrombus formation, including an inflammatory and hypercoagulable state. In the patient's case, it was perceived that the CSVT was provoked due to the patient's Covid-19 infection, abscess, and sinus disease.
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Most ingested foreign bodies do not cause serious complications. In rare cases, elderly people with cognitive decline may unintentionally swallow a blister pack while trying to take medicine. When a blister pack is separated into individual parts, the separated parts have sharp edges that can cause serious damage if ingested. We report a case of an elderly patient who unintentionally ingested a blister pack, which led to esophageal perforation and ultimately his death.