The American journal of emergency medicine
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The aim of this study was to assess the ability of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scoring system, and Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) method to predict group mortality for intensive care unit (ICU) trauma patients. ⋯ The results from the present study showed that the SOFA score was not different from APACHE II scoring system and TRISS in predicting the outcomes for ICU trauma patients. However, the method for calculating SOFA scores is easier and simpler than APACHE II and TRISS.
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Medication errors are a common cause of iatrogenic adverse drug events. The incidence and nature of medication errors during prehospital treatment have not been fully described. ⋯ More medication errors occur in the ED than in the emergency vehicles. Patients treated with multiple medications are more prone to medication errors.
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Although heatstroke is often associated with dehydration, the clinical significance of serum sodium abnormalities in patients with heat-related illness during heat wave has been poorly documented. ⋯ Serum sodium abnormalities are frequently observed in patients with a nonexertional heatstroke during heat wave; however, only hypernatremia should be considered as an independent risk factor of death. Rapid measurement of serum sodium concentration is mandatory to appropriately guide electrolyte resuscitation.
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The aim of this study was to review patient characteristics and analyze the outcomes in patients who have had cardiac arrest from hanging injuries. ⋯ The first monitored cardiac rhythms of patients presenting with OHCA due to hanging were nonshockable rhythms wherein the survival rate of these patients was 9.6%. All of the survivors were relatively young and demonstrated poor neurologic outcomes at discharge. Physicians must consider cervical spine fracture in patients who had cardiac arrest from hanging.
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Letter Case Reports
The use of i-gel extraglottic airway in a trauma patient.