American journal of diseases of children (1960)
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Four children with brain injury were later found to have coexisting spinal cord injury (SCI). Findings that warrant investigation for coexisting SCI include a dermatome pattern sensory loss; absence of movement and reflexes in either both arms or both legs with preservation in the remaining extremities; flaccidity; absence of sacral reflexes; diaphragmatic breathing without use of accessory respiratory muscles; bradycardia with hypotension; autonomic hyperreflexia; poikilothermia; unexplained urinary retention; history of neck pain; unexplained ileus; priapism; and the presence of clonus in an unconscious patient without decerebrate rigidity. If any of the above are present, the spine should be stabilized until either further diagnostic studies confirm SCI with treatment instituted or serial neurologic examinations confirm the absence of SCI.
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Peripheral intravenous cannula use in a neonatal intensive care unit was surveyed prospectively to ascertain the rate of complications and the factors influencing the life span of an intravenous cannula. During a three-month period in which 199 intravenous cannulas were inserted in 69 patients, only two significant infiltrations (1%) were observed in more than 5000 hours of intravenous therapy. ⋯ Pancuronium was associated with a significant prolongation of cannula life span--from 30 to 50 hours. We conclude that in this setting, the rate of clinically significant complications from intravenous cannula therapy is low.