Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Multicenter Study
Cardiac monitoring of high-risk patients after an electrical injury: a prospective multicentre study.
To report our experience monitoring patients with previously identified theoretical risk factors of significant electrical injury. ⋯ Although only patients deemed at risk of late arrhythmias were monitored, none developed potentially lethal late arrhythmias. Asymptomatic patients with transthoracic current and/or tetany and a normal initial ECG do not require cardiac monitoring after an electrical injury with voltage <1000 V and no loss of consciousness.
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We report on an uncommon cause of epistaxis presenting to the emergency room. Epistaxis is not an uncommon presentation to emergency rooms across the world. ⋯ We present a case of a carotid-cavernous fistula presenting with massive epistaxis culmination in cardiovascular collapse and death. Awareness of this entity will reduce the frequency of this condition resulting in major morbidity and mortality.
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A case of death from severe paracetamol poisoning which presented early and received appropriate treatment according to evidence-based guidelines is presented here. It is very rare for patients to die from paracetamol poisoning when they receive N-acetylcysteine (NAC) within 8 h of ingestion. The patient had a marked lactic acidosis on presentation to hospital. This case demonstrates that a patient can die from paracetamol poisoning despite early and appropriate treatment, and raises the question whether lactic acidosis in a patient following paracetamol overdose should prompt the initiation of NAC treatment while awaiting paracetamol levels.
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(1) To define blood product requirements in patients with trauma whose underlying injuries are consistent with major blood loss; (2) to use these data to estimate the annual number of patients in Scotland who sustain significant trauma and require substantial blood product replacement; and (3) to place these data in the context of recent findings concerning the efficacy of recombinant factor VIIa in patients with major trauma. ⋯ In summary, this study estimates that approximately 67 patients annually in Scotland, above the age of 13 years, require blood transfusion as a direct result of significant traumatic injury. Of these 67 patients, an estimated 35 patients (28 of whom had a blunt form of trauma) require > or =8 units of RCC during the first 24 h in hospital. On the basis of the current limited trial evidence, the potential benefit in using recombinant factor VIIa in such patients, in Scotland, is small-approximately seven patients per million population aged >13 years, per year.