International journal of emergency medicine
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Traumatic asphyxia is probably much more common than the surgical literature shows and should always be kept in mind as a possible complication of injuries of the chest and abdomen. ⋯ Treatment for traumatic asphyxia is supportive, and patient recovery is related to the generally associated injuries. Traumatic asphyxia should always be kept in mind as a possible complication of injuries of the chest and abdomen.
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Life-threatening acute lung injury due to combat and/or terror attacks is associated with high mortality. The successful management includes the use of "rescue" extracorporeal lung assist and early transport by aeromedical evacuation teams. ⋯ Novel techniques in extracorporeal lung assist and in ventilatory support may help save lives even in disaster medicine.
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Airway management is an important part of the management of the critically ill and injured patients in the Emergency Department (ED). Numerous studies from developed countries have demonstrated the competency of emergency doctors in intubation. To date there have been no published data on intubations performed in EDs in Malaysia. ⋯ Emergency Department UKMMC personnel have a high competency level in intubation with an acceptable complication rate. RSI was the most common method for intubation.
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Perforation of a Meckel diverticulum (MD) is a rare complication that can often mimic appendicitis. This case report identifies a child who presented to our Emergency Department (ED) with right lower quadrant abdominal pain, free fluid and air in the abdomen and pelvis, and inflammatory changes visualized on Ultrasonography (US) and computer tomography (CT) scan. In our patient, ruptured appendicitis was suspected, and the diagnosis of ruptured MD was ultimately made by laparoscopy. This case demonstrates that a healthy degree of suspicion for complicated MD should be present when dealing with a questionable diagnosis of appendicitis, particularly in the pediatric population.
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Central venous access and nerve blockade are essential skills in the practice of emergency medicine, and the utility of emergency ultrasound to guide these procedures has been well demonstrated. ⋯ A time- and cost-effective alternative using polony and common household items is presented.