European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Tourists are exposed to traditional health problems of the host country, such as trauma and the exacerbation of previously existing illnesses during their travels. ⋯ EDs can be expected to manage tourist patients presenting for traumatic injuries and circulatory disorders. Clinical differences relating to patients' nationality might help in the development of targeted patient education and injury-prevention programs. Emergency physicians and the tourism industry should recognize the challenges of caring for this growing and aged patient population.
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To report our experience with a guideline approach for the assessment of apparent life-threatening events (ALTE) at our paediatric emergency department (PED). ⋯ Most infants with a first episode of ALTE have normal physical examination. The absence of data suggesting underlying disease, after detailed history and examination, identifies a pool of infants who may be handled conservatively. This group may be monitored as outpatients after keeping them under watch for a short time at the emergency unit, thus avoiding unnecessary admissions. The low yield of laboratory tests in this group suggests that they could be safely omitted in most ALTE and restricted to cases with risk factors and/or whose progress at the observation unit is not satisfactory.
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Spinal abscess is a rare but potentially devastating condition. We present a case series, looking into its presentation, risk factors, management and outcome. ⋯ The early diagnosis and immediate surgical treatment of spinal abscesses remain cornerstones in improving the outcomes of the disease. From our series, risk factor assessment appear to be more useful than the classical triad of fever, spine pain and neurological deficits to screen ED patients with spine pain for spinal abscess.
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The objective of this study was to determine whether a trained rescuer could teach untrained bystanders to perform basic life support (BLS) during a simulated cardiac arrest. ⋯ Untrained individuals showed an improvement in BLS skills when taught during a cardiac arrest.
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Status epilepticus (SE) is a common medical emergency. Two problems continue to militate against improved outcome in SE, namely, failure to recognize the wide spectrum of clinical presentation and failure to treat in an appropriately aggressive and timely manner. In this study, we aim to provide a clear understanding of the clinical presentation of SE, as well as providing an evidence-based review of the pathophysiological consequences of prolonged seizures, enabling the reader to adopt a rational approach to its management. We discuss current best practice for the management of SE as well as discussing alternative strategies, and briefly explore possible future therapeutic interventions.