J Emerg Med
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Spontaneous pneumomediastinum with concurrent pneumorrhachis (air in the spinal canal) and subcutaneous emphysema can be an alarming presentation, both clinically and radiographically. These clinical entities often require only conservative measures after ruling out any worrisome underlying causes. Management often involves appropriate imaging, hospital admission, and sub-specialty consultation as needed to help determine any potential causes for the presentation that may require anything more than a period of medical observation. ⋯ A 20-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with acute onset of chest pain. Physical examination was significant for subcutaneous emphysema across the anterior chest wall. Radiographs of the neck revealed extensive soft tissue emphysema extending into the upper mediastinum. Computed tomography (CT) of the neck with contrast revealed a small amount of air within the central canal of the spinal cord, in addition to extensive pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. The patient remained stable and was discharged home on hospital day 2, after significant threats for morbidity or mortality were ruled out. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum, pneumorrhachis, and subcutaneous emphysema are rare clinical entities, but each requires thorough investigation in the ED to rule out any underlying life-threatening cause. A conservative treatment approach is appropriate for most patients without evidence of cardiorespiratory compromise or neurologic deficits accruing due to these problems.
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Case Reports
Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Concerning Electrocardiogram in the Emergency Department.
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a rare, complex phenotypic variant of the classically taught hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It is highly variable in its pathophysiology as well as its clinical course, spanning the spectrum from a healthy asymptomatic lifestyle to sudden cardiac death and severe diastolic dysfunction. The hallmark electrocardiographic findings of unusually large T-wave inversions, in conjunction with the most common presenting symptom being chest pain, makes this disease entity concerning in the emergency department (ED) setting. ⋯ A 61-year-old man with a history of hypertension presented to the ED with chest pain. His electrocardiogram exhibited a biphasic T wave in lead V2 with ST depressions in leads V3-V6 with deep symmetrical T-wave inversions in these leads as well. His troponin was negative and the patient was taken for cardiac catheterization. Catheterization revealed no coronary artery disease; however, it revealed a "spade like" filling pattern of the left ventricle, suggestive of an apical variant of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Subsequent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the patient was started on a beta-blocker and discharged with cardiology follow-up. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Electrocardiographic interpretation is a critical skill of the emergency physician. Awareness of the syndrome and its specific electrocardiogram findings may help facilitate further testing that will aid in timely diagnosis and interventions.
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Case Reports
Physostigmine Reversal of Dysarthria and Delirium After Iatrogenic Atropine Overdose From a Dental Procedure.
Sublingual atropine, dosed at 0.4-0.8 mg, is used by dentists as an antisialogogue to facilitate and increase the speed of procedures. Concentrated ophthalmic atropine drops (10 mg/mL) are commonly used off-label for this purpose. These highly concentrated drops may result in medication errors, atropine toxicity, and the antimuscarinic toxidrome. We report a case of a man who suffered acute delirium and dysarthria (from dry mouth) after an iatrogenic overdose from a dental procedure. His symptoms were initially interpreted as a stroke, but they completely resolved with physostigmine. ⋯ A 57-year-old man presented with acute dysarthria and delirium after a dental procedure; 4 hours earlier he was fitted for a temporary replacement of some premolar/molar teeth. He received sublingual atropine to assist in gingival drying for molding of his prosthesis, but a calculation error resulted in the administration of approximately 113 mg. A stroke evaluation was initially planned; however, 2.5 mg of intravenous physostigmine completely reversed his symptoms. His symptoms reoccurred and were successfully treated twice more with physostigmine; the patient was observed overnight with no additional symptoms and safely discharged the next morning. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Ophthalmic atropine drops are highly concentrated and may cause an overdose after ingestion of small amounts. This novel case highlights the importance of considering antimuscarinic poisoning in cases of acute delirium or dysarthria after dental procedures and stands as a reminder to inquire about the use of atropine drops in such cases. Timely recognition of the antimuscarinic toxidrome and appropriate use of physostigmine may prevent unnecessary testing while providing an effective therapy. This case also highlights the need for observation after resolution of delirium treated with physostigmine.
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Urgent care centers (UCCs) can offer a cheap alternative to emergency departments (EDs) for some patients with acute complaints. However, if patients who initially present to a UCC are unnecessarily transferred to an ED, those patients may suffer undue financial harm. The group of patients transferred from UCCs to EDs have never previously been studied. ⋯ Most patients transferred to our ED from a UCC were discharged, and many transfers were unnecessary, especially those involving pediatric patients. These transfers may represent an economic burden to our society.
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Published annual estimates report a global burden of 2.5 million snakebite cases and >100,000 deaths. In Israel, envenomations are the third most frequent cause of poisonings that are of moderate to major clinical severity. Most studies focus on the clinical descriptions of snakebites in tropical climates, and we sought to investigate the association between snakebite frequency and meteorological parameters. ⋯ In a semiarid nontropical climate, we observed an association between an increase in the number of snakebite cases and higher temperatures and lower humidity. Moreover, heat waves increased the frequency of snakebites in both cold and hot seasons.