The American journal of emergency medicine
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Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a syndrome characterized by localized apical dysfunction of the left ventricle. It is rarely seen in pediatric patients, but can carry significant morbidity and mortality. While most commonly associated with psychosocial stressors or physical exertion, a growing number of cases are being attributed to medications. ⋯ Rates of pediatric clonidine overdoses are increasing in the setting of changing prescribing practices. Our case illustrates some key features of the clinical presentation, as well as demonstrates a rare sequelae to this common toxic exposure. To our knowledge, this is the first reported pediatric case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy secondary to a clonidine overdose.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Clinical predictors of endotracheal intubation in patients presenting to the emergency department with angioedema.
The objective of this study is to identify predictors of airway compromise among patients presenting to the emergency department with angioedema in order to develop and validate a risk score to augment clinician gestalt regarding need for intubation. ⋯ A simple scoring algorithm may aid in predicting angioedema patients at high and low risk for intubation. External validation of this score is necessary before wide-spread adoption of this decision aid.
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This study aims to investigate the diagnostic value of End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) measured non-invasively at the bedside in order to distinguish between unstable angina pectoris (UAP) and non-cardiac chest pain among patients who present to the emergency department with chest pain without a history of cardiac pathology. ⋯ ETCO2, a non-invasive parameter that can be measured immediately at the bedside, may be proposed as a potential biomarker for differentiating patients with UAP from those with non-cardiac chest pain.