Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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A survey was undertaken of the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in Spain. 45.7% of emergency departments use NIV. The average time it has been in use is 4 years. Public hospitals use NIV more frequently (89.5%) as well as teaching hospitals (78.1%). ⋯ High flux continuous positive airway pressure (58.4%) and facial masks (63.5%) are most commonly used. Only 18.9% of hospitals have quality registration in NIV and 35.6% have protocols for using NIV. The method is underused by technicians working in hospital emergency services and there is a lack of uniform protocols with other departments involved.
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A keen female gardener presented to the emergency department of the hospital with a large corneal abrasion, conjunctival injection, an anterior chamber reaction and a hypopyon. She put it down to trauma that day while gardening, as she had been pruning her patio plant. The Euphorbia species of ornamental plants have been known to cause an intense reactive anterior uveitis and kerato-conjunctivitis caused by the milky sap it produces. Emergency medicine doctors and ophthalmologists should be aware of the effects of the sap of the Euphorbia species of plants.