Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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This article focuses on some of the more common dangerous plant and mushroom ingestions, discussing toxic components, early symptoms, and treatment. Among the plants considered are oleander, foxglove, hemlock, dieffenbachia, and Amanita phalloides. Details concerning recognition of toxic species are intentionally omitted in an effort to avoid potentially dangerous errors in identification.
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Submersion injuries are a relatively common problem for emergency physicians. The primary physiologic problem in these patients is hypoxemia, and virtually all complications are secondary to this. ⋯ Despite prompt and vigorous resuscitation, though, residual neurologic deficits and deaths continue to occur after submersion injury. Clearly, prevention is the most important factor in reducing the morbidity and mortality from these injuries.
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Millions of arthropods surround us every day, but only a few are medically harmful. Knowledge of the habits and habitats of known venomous arthropods is certainly advisable for the prudent person in areas of known infestation as a preventive measure. Arthropod envenomations probably produce much less mortality than previously thought, but the potential for severe effects of direct envenomation or allergic response exists with some species, and these events must be approached as true medical emergencies.
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Both traumatic injury and the damage inflicted by envenomating marine animals are considered in this article. Among the creatures causing traumatic injury are sharks, barracudas, moray eels, and needlefish. Envenomating animals include sponges, coelenterates, coral, various mollusks, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, stingrays, sea snakes, and others.
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Pelvic, acetabular, and hip fractures have a very high incidence of catastrophic early and late complications. In the emergency department, attention should be focused on the prompt and judicious management of concurrent local visceral and systemic problems. The eventual outcome of any pelvic or hip injury reflects the adequacy of the emergency treatment.