European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
-
Each year, thousands of people are strangled. Survival from strangulation or hanging is often associated with various complications including a large variety of neurological consequences. As it is common knowledge that the GCS and other initial presenting findings bear a poor correlation to the ultimate outcome, aggressive resuscitation and treatment of post anoxic brain injury is indicated in every patient in absence of definite signs of death and irrespective of the duration of hypoxia or unconsciousness in cases of strangulation, especially in cases of suicidal near-hanging. These case reports describe two near-hanging episodes in patients with a normal neurological outcome.
-
A study was undertaken to assess the availability and use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in emergency departments in Belgium. A questionnaire was sent to the head physicians of 145 emergency departments (EDs) found in the list of the Belgian College of Emergency Physicians (BeCEP). Ninety eight questionnaires were analysed (representing 68% of the questionnaires sent). ⋯ In the hospitals where NIV was used, the patient was watched during the first hour by one nurse only in 19.6%, by one physician in 8.6% and by a nurse and a physician in 54.5%. NIV was used for more than 4 h in 33% of EDs. Pressure-controlled ventilation (with home respirators) was used more often than volume-controlled ventilation.