Der Anaesthesist
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To describe the trend of acute self-poisoning in the emergency and intensive care. ⋯ Acute self-poisoning is an increasing medical issue. Psychotropic drugs remain the most common means of suicide attempt. Although alcohol intoxication is very frequent, intake of illicit drugs as the cause of emergency admission is increasing.
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Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes during physical stress is a rare event with an incidence of 1-3 deaths per 100,000 athletes per year. A coronary anomaly is the second most common cause of death following hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. ⋯ Despite immediate resuscitation attempts and initial return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), a pulseless electrical activity (PEA) followed and the patient died 1 h after arrival in the resuscitation unit. The autopsy revealed an anomalous left coronary artery (ALCA), which can lead to ischemia of the respective heart muscles under severe stress.
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Observational Study
[Potential and effectiveness of a telemedical rescue assistance system : Prospective observational study on implementation in emergency medicine].
The demographic change and an increasing multimorbidity of patients represent increasing challenges for the adequate prehospital treatment of emergency patients. The incorporation of supplementary telemedical concepts and systems can lead to an improved guideline-conform treatment. Beneficial evidence of telemedical procedures is only known for isolated disease patterns; however, no mobile telemedical concept exists which is suitable for use in the wide variety of different clinical situations. ⋯ Emergency medical care of patients with support by a telemedical system is technically feasible, safe for the patient and allows medical treatment independent of spatial availability of a physician in different emergency situations.
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The innervation of the human cervical region is complex and subject to relevant anatomical variability involving sections of the cervical plexus, brachial plexus and cranial nerves. ⋯ The compartment between the superficial and the prevertebral layer of the cervical fascia is a suitable target for cervical plexus blocks. This injection site describes an intermediate cervical plexus block. As the compartment contains the sensory terminal branches of the spinal nerves C2-4, it may be referred to as C2-C4 compartment. The cranio-caudal spread of the injectate allows lateromedial needle guidance in the horizontal plane. As the superficial lamina is not a barrier to the injectate an additional subcutaneous infiltration of the nerve area appears dispensable. The prevertebral lamina proved to be impermeable to injected methylene blue. Whether phrenic nerve blocks are preventable with more distal intermediate cervical plexus blocks (selective block of the supraclavicular nerves, e.g. for surgery of the clavicle) must be investigated in clinical trials. The permanent anastomosis (superficial cervical ansa) between the cervical plexus and the ramus colli of the facial nerve provides an anatomically reasonable explanation for inadequate cervical plexus blocks.