The American journal of emergency medicine
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Severe hypothermia with a core temperature below 28°C is critical especially in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and carries a high risk of mortality. Our case of a 52-year-old woman presenting with DKA, pH of 6.9, potassium of 7.6 mEq/L, and body temperature of 26°C demonstrates that conservative management can be safe and successful. ⋯ Our patient arrived even more hypothermic than all previously described cases and regained normothermia and an equalized acid-base and electrolyte balance within 12 hours after admission. Eventually, no new neurologic deficit was present on discharge.
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A pilot study assessing the potential utility of cerebral oximetry (local cerebral oxygen saturation [rcSO2]) in children presenting to the emergency department (ED) with altered mental status (AMS) and no history of trauma. ⋯ This study demonstrated that cerebral oximetry can noninvasively detect altered cerebral physiology among a selected patient population. The difference between the left and right rcSO2 readings most reliably identified those subjects with altered cerebral physiology. In the future, rcSO2 monitoring has the potential to be used as a screening tool to identify, localize, and characterize intracranial injuries among children with AMS without a history of trauma.
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Splenic rupture most commonly follows blunt abdominal trauma. Nontraumatic rupture of the spleen is rare. ⋯ Spontaneous rupture of nondiseased spleen is extremely rare. We report a case of spontaneous rupture of spleen in a chronic alcoholic clinically simulating acute pancreatitis.
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Cushing response, which acts to preserve cerebral blood flow by inducing arterial hypertension, could induce neurogenic heart damage through hyperactivation of autonomic nervous system. Most of clinical reports describe neurogenic heart damage as a self-limiting condition clinically characterized by electrocardiographic abnormalities in the setting of an acute neurologic insult. ⋯ Acute decrease of brain oxygen delivery caused by cardiac dysfunction worsens secondary brain injury in the setting of an acute neurologic insult. Thus, Cushing response, which is a physiological mechanism of cerebral protection, could become a double-edged sword when massive sympathetic activation makes the myocardium stunned.
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Pelvic pain and vaginal bleeding are common complaints in pregnant women presenting to emergency department. Cervical ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a rare type of EP, with a higher likelihood of complications if missed. Its sonographic findings can be difficult to distinguish from normal pregnancy or an abortion in progress. In this report, we present a rare case of a cervical EP, diagnosed using bedside ultrasonography, and characterize the pitfalls associated with its diagnosis.