The American journal of emergency medicine
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Review Case Reports
Stroke-mimicking unilateral hypokalemic paralysis: A case report and literature review.
Unilateral paralysis is an alarming symptom with broad differential diagnoses, including stroke, Todd's paralysis, myelopathy, and peripheral neuropathy. Hypokalemic paralysis (HP), a neuromuscular disorder associated with muscle dysfunction, is caused by hypokalemia and manifests as symmetric proximal extremity muscle weakness. ⋯ Delayed diagnosis and treatment may result in fatal consequences. Here, we report an atypical case of unilateral weakness along with a review of the literature on unilateral HP.
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Eclampsia is a rare partum and puerperal condition that carries a high rate of morbidity and mortality. ⋯ An understanding of eclampsia can assist emergency clinicians in rapid recognition and timely management of this potentially deadly disease.
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Tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA) is a rare but serious condition that carries with it a high rate of morbidity and even mortality. ⋯ An understanding of TOA can assist emergency clinicians in diagnosing and managing this potentially deadly disease.
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Adult epiglottitis is a serious condition that carries with it a high rate of morbidity and even mortality due to airway occlusion. ⋯ An understanding of epiglottitis can assist emergency clinicians in diagnosing and managing this potentially deadly disease.
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Review
A scoping review of qualitative studies on pre-hospital analgesia administration and practice.
Pain is an exceedingly common complaint in the pre-hospital setting. Despite advancements in organizational protocols and guidelines, many emergency medical services (EMS) systems still fail to provide optimal pain management. This scoping review thus aimed to map the body of qualitative literature pertaining to factors influencing pre-hospital analgesia administration and practice in order to clarify concepts and understanding as well as to identify any knowledge gaps. ⋯ The factors influencing pre-hospital analgesia administration and practice remain incompletely understood. Existing tools and practice guidelines were also inadequate. This scoping review provided an overarching perspective of the extant literature, highlighting some of the significant barriers, enablers, and areas for further research.