The American journal of emergency medicine
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Decompensated hypothyroidism, formerly known as myxedema coma, is an endocrine emergency that commonly presents with altered mental status, as well as hypothermia and depressed vital signs. The condition is often caused by an inciting event, which may lead to significant delays in the diagnosis and management of this disease. Although the incidence is low, this disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is important for emergency clinicians to be aware of this condition. ⋯ Decompensated hypothyroidism should be considered in the evaluation of patients with altered sensorium and depressed vital signs so as to not miss this critical diagnosis.
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Review Case Reports
Cheiro-Oral syndrome: A report of two cases and review.
The Cheiro-Oral (COS) Syndrome is a rare neurologic condition characterized by sensory disturbances involving the peri-oral area and the upper extremity, typically isolated to the hand or fingers. The thalamus contralateral to the symptomatic side is the brain region most commonly involved. Most cases are caused by ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes, although other structural lesions have been implicated. ⋯ The unusual and seemingly unrelated nature of the symptoms may contribute to misdiagnosis and incomplete workup for potentially serious conditions. We are unable to identify a report of this condition in the emergency medicine literature despite the emergency department being the likely point of presentation for patients with COS. In this report, we describe two patients with COS who presented to our emergency department and review the features of COS as described in published case reports.
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Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a serious disease whose main clinical manifestations are hemoptysis and dyspnea. In some cases, invasive mechanical ventilation is ineffective and patients can die quickly. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a supportive therapy that can provide oxygenation support to patients when mechanical ventilation fails. This article reports successful early initiation of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) in an emergency department to rescue an adult patient with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage caused by viral pneumonia.
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Determine if a comfort cart would improve older adults' comfort and facilitate communication during Emergency Department (ED) visits. ⋯ The comfort cart was an affordable and effective intervention that improved patients' comfort by facilitating communication, wellbeing, and compassionate care delivery.