The American journal of emergency medicine
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Face and/or neck burn (FNB) exposes patients to the double respiratory risk of obstruction and hypoxia, and these risks may require a tracheal intubation. This study aims to describe the incidence and the characteristics of difficult intubation in FNB patients. ⋯ This study underlines the high incidence of difficult intubation in FNB patients, greater than 11.2%, and demonstrates that intubation is more difficult when realized at a burn center, probably because it is performed later, allowing for development of cervical and laryngeal edema.
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Allergic reactions due to drug intake are responsible from an important amount of emergency admissions. Patients mostly complain of urticarial lesions. ⋯ Delays in reaching basic and advanced life support decrease chance of positive results of life support in anaphylactic shock victims. It is important to remember that any medication we usually prescribe in our daily practice for treatment of any disease has a potential to kill the patient.
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Acute myeloid leukemia is a hemopoietic myeloid stem cell neoplasm. It is the most common acute leukemia affecting adults,and its incidence increases with age. Acute myeloid leukemia is characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. ⋯ We found no reports in the literature linking these 2 clinical entities. Although the patient had no signs or diagnosis of AML previously, this case was remarkable for the rapidly progressive symptoms and the fatal outcome. The pericardial effusion reaccumulated rapidly after its initial drainage; it is a possible explanation that the leukemic cells interfered with cardiac activity or that they decreased their contractility myocytes secreting a toxic essence.
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Case Reports
Is abdomen release really necessary for prone ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome?
Prone ventilation for refractory acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) mandates free abdomen by rolls in between chest wall and pelvic bones for better ventilation and control of airway pressure. We observed that, in patients with severe ARDS, prone ventilation with movable free abdomen produced high plateau pressure reduced by applying simple support to abdominal wall. Here, we have proposed a possible hypothesis to explain the paradoxical event in this particular group of patients. ⋯ In patients with severe ARDS in prone position, gravitational pressure transmits through abdominal support, resulting in better chest wall expansion and leading to more oxygenation and opening of the alveoli in ventral lung along with the dorsal lung portion that is usually better ventilated in prone position. There is no clinical trial regarding this particular observation. We suggest randomized trials to prove our observational findings.
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A 17 year-old man presented to the emergency department with signs and symptoms of a peritonsillar abscess. His trismus was sopronounced that it was too difficult to drain the abscess under dynamic ultrasound guidance. It was suggested that localization of the abscess with ultrasound be used concurrently with video laryngoscopy. ⋯ The probe was then removed, and a needle attached to a syringe was used in its place. Drainage was facilitated using the video laryngoscope in the oral cavity. Seven milliliters of pus was removed, and the patient drastically improved after the procedure.