International journal of emergency medicine
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Accidental hypothermia is defined as an unintentional decrease in body temperature to below 35°C, and cases in which temperatures drop below 28°C are considered severe and have a high mortality rate. This study presents the case of a 57-year-old man discovered drifting at sea who was admitted to our hospital suffering from cardiac arrest. Upon admittance, an electrocardiogram indicated asystole, and the patient's temperature was 22°C. ⋯ CPB was successful in gradually rewarming the patient and restoring spontaneous circulation. After approximately 1 month of rehabilitation, the patient was subsequently discharged, displaying no neurological deficits. The successful recovery in this case suggests that CPB can be considered a useful way to treat severe hypothermia, particularly in those suffering from cardiac arrest.
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⋯ A large number of EM training programs have global health experiences available, but these electives and the trainees may benefit from additional institutional support and formalized structure.
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⋯ Elderly patient OHCA events witnessed by a family bystander were associated with worse 1-month outcomes than those witnessed by a non-family bystander. Healthcare providers should consider targeting potential family bystanders for CPR education to increase the rate and quality of bystander CPR.
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Injuries represent a significant and growing public health concern in the developing world, yet their impact on patients and the emergency health-care system in the countries of East Africa has received limited attention. This study evaluates the magnitude and scope of injury related disorders in the population presenting to a referral hospital emergency department in northern Tanzania. ⋯ These data give a detailed and more robust picture of the patient demographics, mechanisms of injury, types of injury and patient outcomes from similar resource-limited settings.
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Few emergency department (ED) evaluations on acute lung injury (ALI) have been carried out; hence, we sought to describe a cohort of hospitalized ED patients at risk for ALI development. ⋯ Seven percent of hospitalized ED patients with at least one predisposing condition developed ALI. The frequency of ALI development varied significantly according to predisposing conditions and across institutions. Further research is warranted to determine the factors contributing to ALI development.