European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
-
Adult epiglottitis is a relatively rare but potentially lethal disease. It seems to be increasing in incidence in other countries. The objective of this study was to examine the common presentations and clinical course of adult epiglottitis in Hong Kong. ⋯ A high index of suspicion is required for making the diagnosis of adult epiglottitis. Proper airway assessment and close monitoring are of the utmost importance in patient management. Flexible laryngoscopy is the key investigation of choice in the emergency department.
-
Witnessed resuscitation is the process of resuscitation in the presence of family members. ⋯ Our data locally revealed that most of the participants in this survey would like to witness CPR conducted on their family members who presented to our emergency department.
-
Subdural haematomas can result from bridging vein rupture. Rotational acceleration in the sagittal plane and in a forward direction, as in falls, is very likely the 'mechanical' cause of subdural haematoma, as shown in cadaveric studies. ⋯ We report a case of chronic subdural haemorrhage in a male teenager without precipitating factors and no history of head trauma. This case shows the value of good history-taking in medical diagnosis and that one should be aware of the risks of violent sports or dancing and the minimal clinical signs encountered.
-
Emergency medicine requires an ability to manage the undifferentiated patient, often under pressure and with limited or conflicting information. Advanced airway management is an integral component of emergency care but is only one of a broad range of cross-specialty skills used in daily practice. This case demonstrates these factors, while describing a precipitous presentation of a rare clinical problem.
-
Changes in the prevalence of pneumococcal occult bacteremia (PnOB) because of pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV-7) may have altered the predictive value of the complete blood count (CBC) for selected patients at risk of having occult bacteremia (OB). ⋯ In the era of PCV-7, rate of PnOB is related to the pneumococcal vaccination status. The yield of the CBC is lower than in the prevaccinal era. Decisions based on CBC must be reconsidered.