The American journal of case reports
-
Review Case Reports
Left Atrial to Esophageal Fistula: A Case Report and Literature Review.
BACKGROUND Left atrial to esophageal fistula (LAEF) is a rare fatal complication of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for atrial fibrillation and is associated with high mortality. Clinical features can be nonspecific and include fever, dysphagia, upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, sepsis, and embolic stroke a after recent history of RFA for atrial fibrillation. CASE REPORT A 57-year-old Caucasian male was brought to the emergency department (ED) by his family because of an altered mental status. ⋯ LAEF can be fatal if diagnosis is delayed or missed. Early surgical intervention can reduce LAEF morbidity and mortality. Newer diagnostic modalities such as endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) can be helpful in cases where conventional imaging is unclear.
-
BACKGROUND Non-compressible torso hemorrhage continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in trauma patients. Recent case series report that resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in the trauma population is a technically feasible method to manage the patients with exsanguinating hemorrhage. On the other hand, it seems that REBOA is being widely promoted prematurely. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS REBOA is now considered as an alternative to resuscitative thoracotomy or even widely indicated to control hemorrhage. We should be more cautious about using REBOA for polytrauma patients since it could make hemorrhage worse. Further research, assessing its potential complications and safety, will be required to elucidate clear indications for REBOA in trauma populations.