The American journal of emergency medicine
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Vibrio vulnificus causes potentially life-threatening and rapidly progressing infections. Therefore, the severity-of-illness assessment appears to be important for V vulnificus-infected patients at the time of admission. The aim of our study was to evaluate the performance of the severity-of-illness scoring model on admission in V vulnificus-infected patients. ⋯ The REMS could provide clinicians with an effective adjunct risk stratification tool for V vulnificus-infected patients.
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The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of cardiac disease and its relationship to the victim's probable intent among patients with cardiac arrest due to drowning. ⋯ Among 2166 autopsied cases of drowning, more than half were considered to be accidental, and less than one-third, suicidal. Among accidents, 14% were found to have a cardiac disease as a possible contributory factor; among suicides, the proportion was 0%. The low proportion of cases showing ventricular fibrillation was similar, regardless of the presence of a cardiac disease.
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Case Reports
Lipid emulsion therapy in cardiodepressive syndrome after diltiazem overdose--case report.
We present a case of diltiazem overdose in which the patient ingested 5.6 g in an apparent suicide attempt. She was admitted in the emergency department 2 hours postingestion with cardiodepressive syndrome. She was treated with gastric lavage, activated charcoal, intravenous fluids, calcium, and epinephrine, without improvement in vital signs. ⋯ The patient was stable hemodynamically and metabolic in the following 24 hours. She was alert and oriented and was extubated in the second day. She was discharged after 4 days in a good state and without any neurologic deficits.
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Comparative Study
Cytidine diphosphate choline improves the outcome of cardiac arrest vs epinephrine in rat model.
Cytidine diphosphate choline (CDP-choline) is a cholinergic agent that can both stimulate the cholinergic pathway and increase blood pressure. We aimed to investigate the effects of CDP-choline on the outcome of cardiac arrest in comparison with epinephrine. ⋯ When administered during resuscitation, CDP-choline increased the rate of return of spontaneous circulation similarly to epinephrine. In addition, it did not increase the severity of myocardial injury and postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction, whereas epinephrine appeared to be harmful.