The American journal of emergency medicine
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Review Case Reports
Rapid infusion of magnesium sulfate obviates need for intubation in status asthmaticus.
Rapid infusion of intravenous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) was given to two young adults with impending respiratory failure caused by status asthmaticus. The infusion of 2 g of MgSO4 during a 2-minute period was associated with an immediate, dramatic reversal of their severe bronchospasm. This treatment obviated the need for intubation. ⋯ Previous reports of MgSO4 therapy for acute asthma have used slow infusion. This is the first report of rapid infusion of MgSO4 for the emergency department management of asthma. In both cases, this therapy obviated the need for endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation.
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Review Case Reports
Blunt pediatric laryngotracheal trauma: case reports and review of the literature.
Blunt laryngotracheal trauma can be a life-threatening event. Two cases of isolated blunt laryngotracheal trauma in pediatric patients are presented. One case involves a 12-year-old mate who suffered isolated tracheal trauma from a fall. ⋯ The other case involves a 14-year-old female who was kicked in the neck by a horse. After unsuccessful intubation attempts that completed a tracheal transection, she required an emergency cricothyrotomy and a subsequent tracheostomy. The diagnosis, differential diagnosis, associated injuries, and treatment options for blunt laryngeal trauma are reviewed.
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New research has shown that the incidence of success of replanted avulsed teeth can be greatly increased by differentially diagnosing and treating them according to the length of extraoral time and the physiological width of the apical foramen. A specific treatment regimen has been presented that will give the physician the information necessary to maximize the success of replanted avulsed teeth that may be seen.
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The objective of this study was to examine the use of limited, goal-directed, two-dimensional ultrasound studies performed by emergency physicians and to assess the frequency, variety, and accuracy of their readings. A 1-year prospective study was performed by using an emergency department (ED) ultrasound machine with a 3.5-mHz mechanical oscillating sector transducer and a 5.0-mHz vaginal transducer. In a series of proctoring sessions, radiologists trained emergency physicians to do limited, goal-directed ultrasonography. ⋯ Eleven categories of ultrasound use were reported. The three studies most commonly performed were for gallbladder disease (53%), intrauterine pregnancy (28%), and abdominal aortic aneurysms (7%). Accuracy of ED gallbladder ultrasonograms for 65 patients showed a sensitivity of .86, specificity of .97, PPV of .97, and NPV of .85.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Comparative Study
Facial trauma in motor vehicle accidents: etiological factors.
The effects of seat belts and the use of alcohol and drugs have been studied as etiological factors in facial trauma to occupants of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). During a 15-month period, 461 patients were admitted to a regional trauma center as a result of injuries sustained in MVAs. Two hundred thirty-seven (51%) of these patients had facial trauma. ⋯ Head injuries and blunt chest trauma were most commonly associated injuries in these patients. This study suggests that use of alcohol and drugs in occupants of the motor vehicle had a major effect on the etiology of facial trauma. Also it supports the data that suggests that the use of seat belts prevents a wide range of injuries including facial trauma in MVAs.