The American journal of emergency medicine
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Transient oxygen desaturation during emergency department intubation is an event with potentially devastating consequences. Pre-oxygenation is an important means of increasing a patient's oxygen reserve and duration of safe apnea prior to intubation. In the emergent setting, important modifications to pre-oxygenation techniques need to be considered to best manage critically ill patients. In this review, we discuss recent updates in pre-oxygenation techniques and evaluate the evidence supporting both commonly used and newly emerging techniques for pre-oxygenation, assessing nature and level of illness, the best delivery method of oxygen, using delayed sequence intubation in patients who cannot tolerate non-invasive pre-oxygenation and using apneic oxygenation via nasal cannula and non-rebreather mask during intubation.
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Review Case Reports
A case of minimal pneumothorax with dynamic changes in ST segment similar to myocardial infarction.
Pneumothorax can cause a variety of electrocardiographic changes. ST segment elevation, which is mainly observed in myocardial infarction, can also be induced by pneumothorax. The mechanism is presumed to be a decrease in cardiac output, due to increased intra-thoracic pressure. ⋯ Coronary angiography with ergonovine provocation test and echocardiogram had normal findings. The ST segment elevation was normalized by decreasing the amount of pneumothorax. We reviewed the literature and present possible mechanisms for this condition.
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Binge eating occurs in patients with eating disorders and can result in metabolic complications, leading to gastric rupture or necrosis. However, organ failure as acute renal failure is rarely observed. We report the case of an overeating episode resulting in massive gastric dilatation and acute renal failure with abdominal pressure and bilateral ureteral obstruction. The outcome was favorable with gastric aspiration and fasting.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Sedation effects of intranasal dexmedetomidine delivered as sprays versus drops on pediatric response to venous cannulation.
Mucosal atomization device (MAD) was designed to increase the bioavailability of intranasal medications by facilitating absorption, the present study aimed to evaluate and compare the sedation effects of intranasal dexmedetomidine delivered as drops versus sprays on pediatric responses to intravenous cannulation. ⋯ Intranasal dexmedetomidine by sprays offers better sedation effects to reduce responses to venous cannulation than drops.