J Emerg Med
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Haff disease is a rare syndrome of rhabdomyolysis thought to be caused by a heat-stable toxin associated with the consumption of seafood from fresh or brackish water. ⋯ We present the case of a patient with Haff disease who presented to the emergency department with nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, and myalgias after a seafood buffet. Initially, he was treated with i.v. fluids and antiemetics for presumed gastroenteritis, but his symptoms did not improve. He was found to have elevated aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, normal point-of-care ultrasound, urinalysis with large blood and no red blood cells, and an elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK). He was admitted to the hospital to receive ongoing fluid resuscitation for rhabdomyolysis presumed to be from fish. Liver enzymes and CPK downtrended, and patient was discharged on hospital day 3. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Undiagnosed Haff disease has important clinical implications, including multi-organ failure and death. Always maintain a high level of suspicion for Haff disease in patients with symptoms suggestive of gastroenteritis, but complicated by minor liver function test elevations and dipstick positivity for heme, without significant numbers of red blood cells per high-power field, in the setting of recent seafood ingestion.
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Observational Study
Direct Oral Anticoagulant Treatment and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Risk of Early and Delayed Bleeding and the Severity of Injuries Compared with Vitamin K Antagonists.
The risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in patients taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is unclear. ⋯ DOAC-treated patients seem to have lower risk of posttraumatic intracranial bleeding compared with VKA-treated patients.
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Case Reports
Variation in Clinical Presentations and Outcomes of Heat Stroke Victims in the Mass-Casualty Setting.
Immigrants crossing the Southern U.S. border are particularly susceptible to heat illness. We review 3 patients from a heat-related mass-casualty incident with variations in heat stroke presentation, course, and outcome. ⋯ On July 23, 2017, emergency medical services responded to a trafficking-related mass-casualty incident in San Antonio, Texas, involving 39 migrants found inside an abandoned tractor trailer without air conditioning who had been trafficked from Laredo, Texas. Three victims exhibiting heat stroke symptoms were taken to the ED of a large academic teaching hospital. Patient 1 was a 42-year-old man who presented with seizing, vomiting, and a core temperature of 38.8°C (101.8°F). His 54-day hospital course was notable for 2 cardiac arrests, disseminated intravascular coagulation, prolonged lactic acidosis, and residual kidney disease. Patient 2 was a 32-year-old man who presented to the emergency department intubated in the field with a core temperature of 40.7°C (105.3°F). His 60-day hospital course was notable for disseminated intravascular coagulation, severely elevated troponin, prolonged lactic acidosis, and stroke. Patient 3 was a 20-year-old man who presented with seizing and decorticate posturing, with a core temperature of 40.5°C (104.9°F). His 6-day hospital course was notable for rapid clinical improvement and full recovery. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Emergency physicians will encounter heat stroke victims. Our patients were exposed to an identical environment, and while each patient was otherwise healthy and differed significantly only in age, they exhibited a diversity of heat stroke presentations and sequelae. Treatment prioritizes cooling, but rapid deterioration requires intensive treatment of multiorgan failure.
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Emergency departments (EDs) have the potential to promote critical public and preventive health interventions. Cervical cancer (CC) screening has been a cornerstone of preventive health efforts for decades. Approximately 20% of U.S. women are not adherent with CC screening guidelines-considerably below the U.S. Federal Government's target. ED patients are disproportionately nonadherent with CC screening guidelines. The ED, therefore, is an optimal setting to target women with an intervention that promotes CC screening. ⋯ This pilot study demonstrates feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a behavioral intervention to increase uptake of CC screening among ED patients.
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Early thoracotomy (ET) is a procedure performed on patients in extremis. Identifying factors associated with ET survival may allow for optimization of guidelines and improved patient selection. ⋯ ETs performed at Level I TCs were associated with 40% greater odds of survival compared with ETs at non-Level I TCs. This demonstrates that factors extrinsic to the patient may play a role in survival of severely injured patients.