Revue médicale suisse
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Revue médicale suisse · Aug 2007
Review[Initial management of acute heart failure in the emergency department].
Acute decompensated heart failure is one of the most leading diseases among elderly patients presenting in the emergency department with a chief complaint of dyspnea. Initial management is crucial for the patient's outcome. In this article we propose a review of diagnosis, treatment, stratification and orientation of patients admitted to emergency department with acute heart failure in light of recent recommendations.
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Revue médicale suisse · Aug 2007
Review[Agitation in prehospital setting: view of emergency physicians].
Agitation is a behavioral emergency that can have numerous underlying causes, organic as well as psychiatric. The presence of a clinician and well-trained staff determine the quality of care, thus facilitating the dialog with the patient and, if needed, ensuring the safe application of medication and physical restraint. ⋯ When necessary, medication and restraint should be applied, in order to enable medical evaluation of a patient. Calming without sedation seems the most advised endpoint of intervention, according to expert-opinion.
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Drowning is always a serious event, with high morbidity and mortality. Definitions were recently revised and simplified according to Utstein-style. The circumstances and prognosis differ in different age groups. ⋯ The management of drowning victims should be directed to the correction of these 3 elements. An early basic life support and an efficient oxygenation are keys of good prognosis, this one being mainly related to hypoxic cerebral damages. The most frequent complications except anoxic encephalopathy are bacterial pneumonia and ARDS.