The American journal of emergency medicine
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Case Reports
Severe hypercalcemia in nonobstructive pyelonephritis with acute renal failure: hit or miss?
Severe hypercalcemia in the course of renal failure is quite unusual. If unrecognized, irreversible inexorable attrition of renal function takes place, carrying a substantial morbidity and mortality. ⋯ We report a case with severe hypercalcemia after acute renal failure caused by fulminating bacterial pyelonephritis. To obviate unnecessary intervention, preserve organ function, and achieve better outcomes, clinicians should not miss this entity.
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Emergency department (ED) staff comments frequently about how patients are poorly prepared to answer important medical questions. To determine if the impression that patients were or were not prepared, a total of 309 patients were all asked a series of important medical questions and were graded as positive (or prepared) if they answered the question completely or negative (unprepared) if they partially answered, did not answer, or changed their answer during the ED stay. The patient population was older (mean age, 60 years) and was seen at 1 specialty hospital. ⋯ Patients were least prepared to know about an advance directive (79%) or to know their complete medical history (70%). Results indicated that most patients (99%) were not prepared to answer at least 1 or more important medical questions. The discussion considers why patients and others are not prepared for an ED visit and provides examples of ways to help people better prepare for such a visit.
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This study aims to explore the risk factors and predictors involved in the missed diagnosis of acute aortic dissection (AAD) among patients in the emergency medicine department (EMD). ⋯ Well-known risk factors for AAD such as age, male sex, and hypertension were not risk factors for missed diagnosis for AAD presenting in the EMD. The absence of pulse deficit or widened mediastinum does not exclude the diagnosis of AAD.
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Exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease pattern frequently seen in emergency medical services and intensive care units. Usually, exacerbations of COPD are of infectious origin, and an acute vital threat may take several days to develop. Tension pneumothorax in patients with COPD is a rare and often unexpected cause of acute vital threat. ⋯ Pneumothorax was diagnosed in the hospital by chest x-ray and resolved after pleural drainage. The patient could be extubated early and discharged without sequelae. In conclusion, we want to report the occurrence of a tension pneumothorax as an important and potentially overseen condition in patients with COPD with acute respiratory failure.
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In recent years, significant growth has been seen in the field of emergency medicine. However, the national productivity to the field of emergency medicine remains unknown. This study aimed to reveal the national contributions in the field of emergency medicine. ⋯ United States is the most productive country in the field of emergency medicine.