European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Modern fishing and hunting weapons are powerful and capable of causing severe tissue damage, similarly to gunshot wounds. The principles of management after fish harpoon penetrating injuries include primary basic life support, followed by trajectory surgical removal and wound care. ⋯ Lesions to the neck produced by underwater fishing harpoon, are extremely rare. Herein we describe a case of an unusual injury of cervical spine by fishing harpoon, and we discuss the appropriate management.