The American journal of emergency medicine
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Case Reports
Acute symptomatic hypocalcemia from immune checkpoint therapy-induced hypoparathyroidism.
Ipilimumab (a monoclonal antibody against CTLA-4) and nivolumab (a humanized antibody against PD-1) target these immune checkpoint pathways and are used for treatment of melanoma and an increasing number of other cancers. However, they may cause immune-related adverse effects (IRAEs). Although many endocrinopathies are known to be IRAEs, primary hypoparathyroidism with severe hypocalcemia has never been reported. This is the first case of hypoparathyroidism as an IRAE presenting to an Emergency Department with acute hypocalcemia. ⋯ Primary hypoparathyroidism caused by ipilimumab and nivolumab may acute manifest with severe symptomatic hypocalcemia. Emergency care providers should be aware of hypoparathyroidism as a new IRAE in this new era of immuno-oncology.
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Letter Observational Study
Rationalising BNP prescription in the Emergency Department.
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Review Case Reports
Open physeal fracture of the distal phalanx of the hallux: Case study, diagnosis and management.
Open physeal fractures of the distal phalanx of the hallux are the lesser described counterpart to the same fracture of the finger, known by its eponym as a "Seymour fracture". Displaced Salter-Harris phalangeal fractures present with a concomitant nailbed or soft tissue injury. Often these fractures occur in the summer months when open-toe footwear can be worn, however, they may occur indoors as well. ⋯ In this article, we present a 12year-old male who sustained an open physeal fracture of the distal phalanx when he "stubbed" his great toe on a bed post. His injury was initially misdiagnosed at an urgent care facility, thereby delaying appropriate intervention and necessitating an operative surgical procedure. Additionally, we review the existing literature discussing these infrequently reported injuries, as well as present key points as they pertain to the diagnosis and management of this injury in the emergency department.
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Case Reports
Delayed hematologic toxicity following rattlesnake envenomation unresponsive to crotalidae polyvalent antivenom.
North American rattlesnake envenomations are known to produce coagulopathies and thrombocytopenia. However, the occurrence of delayed hematologic toxicity (less than seven days after envenomation) is poorly characterized in the medical literature. ⋯ Although commonly recommended to treat delayed coagulopathies, the effectiveness of crotalidae polyvalent immune Fab ovine (CroFab®) in managing this condition remains in question and warrants further investigation and exploration. We describe the case of a 19-year-old male who presented following rattlesnake envenomation at a church service who was treated with antivenin for 48 h and discharged home only to return four days later with profound thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, and clinically significant bleeding.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Ketamine as a first-line treatment for severely agitated emergency department patients.
Emergency physicians often need to control agitated patients who present a danger to themselves and hospital personnel. Commonly used medications have limitations. Our primary objective was to compare the time to a defined reduction in agitation scores for ketamine versus benzodiazepines and haloperidol, alone or in combination. Our secondary objectives were to compare rates of medication redosing, vital sign changes, and adverse events in the different treatment groups. ⋯ In highly agitated and violent emergency department patients, significantly fewer patients receiving ketamine as a first line sedating agent were agitated at 5-, 10-, and 15-min. Ketamine appears to be faster at controlling agitation than standard emergency department medications.