The American journal of emergency medicine
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Takayasu arteritis is a form of vasculitis that involves the aorta, its major branches, and the pulmonary arteries. Coronary artery involvement is not uncommon, and most frequently includes the ostia and proximal segments. ⋯ However, recent advances in imaging modalities-including magnetic resonance angiography, computed tomography (CT), sonography, and fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/CT Isobe (2013) [2]-have facilitated earlier and more accurate diagnoses of this condition. Here we report a case in which imaging revealed stenosis in the ostia of the coronary artery.
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Case Reports
A case of cardiac arrest that occurred on a high mountain in which a favorable outcome was obtained.
A 36-year-old man started to climb Mount Fuji (3776m above sea level: ASL), from the Gotemba new fifth station (2400m ASL). He had no significant medical history, and this was his first attempt to climb such a high mountain. He began feeling chest discomfort but continued to climb. ⋯ A chest computed tomography angiogram indicated triple-vessel disease. He was discharged without any neurological deficits after undergoing bypass surgery. In high mountains that can be easily accessed by amateur climbers who may have cardiac disease, the placement of AED devices and the establishment of the chain of survival from the scene to the intensive care unit are essential for obtaining a favorable outcome when a climber suffers cardiac arrest.
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Clinicians still face significant challenge in predicting intra-abdominal injuries in patients admitted to an emergency department for blunt abdominal trauma. This study was thus designed to investigate the value of dipstick urinalysis in patients with blunt abdominal trauma. ⋯ Dipstick urinalysis was neither adequately specific nor sensitive for predicting abdominal injury and should thus not be used as a key assessment component in patients suffering from blunt abdominal trauma, with physical exam and vital sign assessment the preferred choice.
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Antibiotics are overprescribed for abnormal urine tests including asymptomatic bacteriuria (AB), contributing to rising antimicrobial resistance rates. Pharmacists reviewed urine cultures daily from emergency department (ED) encounters to assess antibiotic appropriateness. We studied antibiotic prescribing practices and assessed compliance to national guidelines, correlations with urine analysis (UA) components, and opportunities for antimicrobial stewardship in the ED. ⋯ Pharmacist intervention in discontinuing or modifying antibiotics for asymptomatic patients with urine cultures reduced unnecessary antibiotic exposure and was a first step in antimicrobial stewardship efforts in the ED. Future work includes limiting urine tests and subsequent antibiotic therapy for non-pregnant asymptomatic patients.
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We describe a 44-year-old man who developed akinetic mutism following a cerebrovascular accident involving his left middle cerebral artery. We discuss this rare condition and its unusual clinical picture.