The American journal of emergency medicine
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Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) followed by operating room sternotomy, rather than resuscitative thoracotomy, might be life-saving for patients with blunt cardiac rupture and cardiac arrest who do not have multiple severe traumatic injuries. A 49-year-old man was injured in a vehicle crash and transferred to the emergency department. On admission, he was hemodynamically stable, but a plain chest radiograph revealed a widened mediastinum, and echocardiography revealed hemopericardium. ⋯ In this patient, ECPR rapidly restored brain perfusion and provided enough time to perform operating room sternotomy, allowing for good surgical exposure of the heart. Moreover, open cardiac massage was unnecessary. ECPR with sternotomy and cardiac repair is advisable for patients with blunt cardiac rupture and cardiac arrest who do not have severe multiple traumatic injuries.
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Mild induced hypothermia (MIH) was introduced for post cardiac arrest care in Sweden in 2003, based on two clinical trials. This retrospective study evaluated its association with 30-day survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in a Swedish community from 2003 to 2015. ⋯ Treatment with MIH was not significantly associated with increased 30-day survival in patients remaining unconscious after OHCA when adjusting for potential confounders.
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Diffuse axonal injury is usually caused by head trauma, and patients have significant clinical symptoms during admission to the emergency department. In our case, we present a five-year-old patient who was involved in a car accident. During admission to the emergency department, the patient had no symptoms of trauma. ⋯ In some studies, it has been reported that diffuse axonal injury is permanent in accelerated and decelerated head traumas without accompanying loss of consciousness. Neurological sequels have occurred in the recovery phase of some patients with diffuse axonal damage. In this study, we present a delayed diffuse axonal injury case accompanying a head trauma.
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To examine whether or not a mobile integrated health (MIH) program may improve health-related quality of life while reducing emergency department (ED) transports, ED admissions, and inpatient hospital admissions in frequent utilizers of ED services. ⋯ Results suggest that MIH participation is associated with improved quality of life, reduced ED transports, ED admissions, and inpatient hospital admissions. The MIH program may have potential to improve health outcomes in patients who are frequent ED users for non-emergent or emergent/primary care treatable conditions by teaching them how to proactively manage their health and adhere to therapeutic regimens. Programmatic reasons for these improvements may include psychosocial bonding with participants who received in-home care, health coaching, and the MIH team's 24/7 availability that provided immediate healthcare access.