Articles

The epidemiology of childhood injury in Maputo, Mozambique

Injury remains a major cause of death and disability worldwide.

Authors: Delmira de sousa Petersburgo, Christine E. Keyes, David W. Wright, Lorie A. Click, Jana B. A. Macleod and Scott M. Sasser

The role of prophylactic anticonvulsants in moderate to severe head injury

Post-traumatic seizures cause secondary brain injury, contributing to morbidity and mortality after traumatic brain injury. Seizure activity may be undetectable if the patient is paralysed and ventilated.

Authors: Arshad Ali Khan and Ashis Banerjee

Use of bivalirudin for heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia after thrombolysis in massive pulmonary embolism: a case report

A 68-year-old man was referred to the emergency department 6 h after onset of sudden acute dyspnoea. Immediate ECG showed sinus tachycardia with the typical S1-Q3-T3 pattern and incomplete right bundle branch ...

Authors: Sergio Fasullo, Sebastiano Scalzo, Giorgio Maringhini, Filippo Ganci, Alfonso Giubilato, Sergio Cannizzaro, Roberto Baglini, Debora Cangemi, Gabriella Terrazzino, Salvatore Paterna and Pietro Di Pasquale

Use of an improvised pneumatic anti-shock garment and a non-pneumatic anti-shock garment to control pelvic blood flow

Pelvic bleeding from trauma and postpartum hemorrhage is often difficult to treat successfully by emergency providers particularly in low resource environments, when hospital presentation is delayed or there i...

Authors: Mark Hauswald, Michael R. Williamson, Gillian M. Baty, Nancy L. Kerr and Victoria L. Edgar-Mied

Epidemiology of injuries presenting to the national hospital in Kampala, Uganda: implications for research and policy

Despite the growing burden of injuries in LMICs, there are still limited primary epidemiologic data to guide health policy and health system development. Understanding the epidemiology of injury in developing ...

Authors: Renee Y. Hsia, Doruk Ozgediz, Milton Mutto, Sudha Jayaraman, Patrick Kyamanywa and Olive C. Kobusingye

Successful treatment of a severely injured soldier from Afghanistan with pumpless extracorporeal lung assist and neurally adjusted ventilatory support

Life-threatening acute lung injury due to combat and/or terror attacks is associated with high mortality. The successful management includes the use of “rescue” extracorporeal lung assist and early transport b...

Authors: Thomas Bein, Eric Osborn, Hans Stefan Hofmann, Markus Zimmermann, Alois Philipp, Hans J. Schlitt and Bernhard M. Graf

Alcohol-related emergency department attendances: is preloading a risk factor? Cross-sectional survey

‘Preloading’ is a phenomenon where people drink alcohol at a private residence before going out. We aimed to identify whether preloading is a risk factor for alcohol-related emergency department attendance. We...

Authors: Adrian Boyle, Naomi Wee, Richard Harris, Alison Tompkins, Michael Soper and Chris Porter

Emergency medicine in Paarl, South Africa: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Emergency Medicine (EM) in South Africa is in its earliest stages of development. There is a paucity of data about emergency department (ED) patient demographics, epidemiology, consultation and admission crite...

Authors: Rens Hanewinckel, Henri P. Jongman, Lee A. Wallis and Terrence M. Mulligan

Ludwig’s angina

Authors: Kael Duprey, Jonathan Rose and Christian Fromm

Knowledge translation of the American College of Emergency Physicians’ clinical policy on syncope using computerized clinical decision support

To influence physician practice behavior after implementation of a computerized clinical decision support system (CDSS) based upon the recommendations from the 2007 ACEP Clinical Policy on Syncope.

Authors: Edward R. Melnick, Nicholas G. Genes, Neal K. Chawla, Meredith Akerman, Kevin M. Baumlin and Andy Jagoda

Antipsychotic-induced priapism in an HIV patient: a cytochrome P450-mediated drug interaction

With upwards of 48% of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons having a probable psychiatric disorder, the possibility of cross-class drug interactions causing adverse effects or fatalities exists.

Authors: Matthew J. Geraci, Stacey L. McCoy, Paul M. Crum and Rajnikant A. Patel

Time-critical neurological emergencies: the unfulfilled role for point-of-care testing

Neurological emergencies are common and frequently devastating. Every year, millions of Americans suffer an acute stroke, severe traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, status epilepticus, or spinal c...

Authors: Jason T. McMullan, William A. Knight, Joseph F. Clark, Fred R. Beyette and Arthur Pancioli

Can ABCD² score predict the need for in-hospital intervention in patients with transient ischemic attacks?

The ABCD² score is increasingly being used to triage patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA). Whether the score can predict the need for in-hospital intervention (IHI), other than initiation of antiplatelet...

Authors: Min Lou, Adnan Safdar, Jonathan A. Edlow, Louis Caplan, Sandeep Kumar, Gottfried Schlaug, D. Eric Searls, Richard P. Goddeau and Magdy Selim

Foreign body in the abdomen

Authors: Wei-Jing Lee, Yu-Hui Lu, Si-Chun Vong and Tang-Yu Lin

Alcohol and injury in Poland: review and training recommendations

Alcohol plays a significant role in accidents, injuries, and their outcomes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 76.3 million people with alcohol use disorders worldwide; in 2000, 1.8 m...

Authors: Piotr Wozniak, Rebecca Cunningham, Sonia Kamat, Kristen L. Barry, Frederic C. Blow and Andrzej S. Zawadzki

Treat the patient by the recognized toxidrome when the ingested herbal juice is non-toxic

This is the case of 63-year-old mother and her 35-year-old daughter who drank herbal juice (Rhizoma Dioscoreae Nipponicae and Ficus formosana Maxim) and then developed diarrhea, cold sweating, and myoclonus. On p...

Authors: Yu-Jang Su and Yen-Chun Lai

The ambulance services in northern Norway 2004–2008: improved competence, more tasks, better logistics and increased costs

The ambulance services in northern Norway have undergone significant development during recent years.

Authors: Jan Norum and Trond M. Elsbak

Echo-enhanced needles for short-axis ultrasound-guided vascular access

Authors: Kumaresh Venkatesan

Spontaneous pneumopericardium in acute asthma

Authors: Mukul P. Agarwal, Subhash Giri, Rajesh Jain and Vishal Sharma

Traumatic bronchial rupture: an unusual cause of tension pneumothorax

Bronchial rupture is a rare and serious complication of blunt chest trauma, which can be easily overlooked on initial evaluation in the emergency room (ER) as the focus of the attending physician is diverted t...

Authors: Shankar Hanamantrao Hippargi

Health information technology in US emergency departments

Information technology may improve patient safety, and is a focus of health care reform. A minority of emergency departments (EDs) in Massachusetts, and in academic EDs throughout the US, have electronic healt...

Authors: Daniel J. Pallin, Ashley F. Sullivan, Rainu Kaushal and Carlos A. Camargo Jr.

The polony phantom: a cost-effective aid for teaching emergency ultrasound procedures

Central venous access and nerve blockade are essential skills in the practice of emergency medicine, and the utility of emergency ultrasound to guide these procedures has been well demonstrated.

Authors: Mike Wells and Lara Goldstein

Daytime running lights in the USA: what is the impact on vehicle crashes in Minnesota?

Daytime running lights (DRLs) are a safety feature intended to reduce crashes by increasing the contrast between vehicles and the background.

Authors: Michele E. Krajicek and Raquel M. Schears

Is it safe to use propofol in the emergency department? A randomized controlled trial to compare propofol and midazolam

This study examined the safety and effectiveness of the procedural sedation analgesia (PSA) technique carried out in the emergency department (ED) of a university hospital over a period of 1 year. The research...

Authors: Nik Hisamuddin Nik Ab Rahman and Ahmad Hashim

Value of the swimming position and arm traction in visualizing the cervicothoracic junction over the standard lateral cervical X-ray

The cervicothoracic junction (CTJ) is often inadequately visualized on lateral cervical X-rays due to anatomic variations and technical factors.

Authors: Aydin Toksoy, Firat Bektas, Cenker Eken, Kaan Ceken and Yildiray Cete

Diagnosis of enteric fever in the emergency department: a retrospective study from Pakistan

Enteric fever is one of the top differential diagnoses of fever in many parts of the world. Generally, the diagnosis is suspected and treatment is initiated based on clinical and basic laboratory parameters.

Authors: Uzma Rahim Khan, Junaid A. Razzak, Ali Faisal Saleem, Adnan Ahmed and Sabeena Jalal

International Federation for Emergency Medicine model curriculum for medical student education in emergency medicine

There is a critical and growing need for emergency physicians and emergency medicine resources worldwide. To meet this need, physicians must be trained to deliver time-sensitive interventions and life-saving e...

Authors: Cherri Hobgood, Venkataraman Anantharaman, Glen Bandiera, Peter Cameron, Pinchas Halpern, C. James Holliman, Nicholas Jouriles, Darren Kilroy, Terrence Mulligan and Andrew Singer

Unexpected death from a colloid cyst

Colloid cysts are usually benign brain tumors, which rarely cause acute neurological deterioration with sudden death due to an acute increase of intracranial pressure. So far, the final pathophysiology and cli...

Authors: Christian Hohenstein and Steffen Herdtle

Unusual cause of severe toxic methemoglobinemia in an infant: a case report

Toxic methemoglobinemia is an uncommon blood disorder induced by exposure to certain oxidizing agents and drugs. In severe cases, this condition may rapidly lead to major cardiopulmonary compromise and constit...

Authors: Asma Bouziri, Ammar Khaldi, Khaled Menif and Nejla Ben Jaballah

Accidental tramline bruising and rib fractures

Authors: Giles N. Cattermole

Perceived confidence in the FAST exam before and after an educational intervention in a developing country

Trauma care in developing countries suffers from many limitations related to equipment shortages, disrepair, quality assurance, and lack of training. Health care providers in the three principal hospitals in C...

Authors: Andre K. Crouch, Matthew Dawson, Deanne Long, Derrick Allred and Troy Madsen

Medical student disaster medicine education: the development of an educational resource

Disaster medicine education is an enormous challenge, but indispensable for disaster preparedness.

Authors: Ernst G. Pfenninger, Bernd D. Domres, Wolfgang Stahl, Andreas Bauer, Christine M. Houser and Sabine Himmelseher

Improving trauma care in India: a recommendation for the implementation of ATLS training for emergency department medical officers

Trauma is major cause of morbidity and mortality in India. The Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) programme teaches a standardised method for the initial assessment and management of trauma patients, and has ...

Authors: Robert James Douglas, B. Vasanthi, Andrew J. A. Giles and G. Anand Kumar

Mortality in patients with loss of consciousness at the scene of trauma

The aim of this study was to evaluate if loss of consciousness at the scene of an accident in patients with thoracic trauma classified by the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) as thorax >2 has a different outcome...

Authors: André Luciano Baitello, Francisco de Assis Cury, Paulo César Espada, Rogério Yukio Morioka and José Maria Pereira de Godoy

Lessons from the recent case of CO poisoning due to shisha (hookah, narghile) tobacco smoking in Singapore

Authors: Kamal Chaouachi

Nail gun penetrating injury of the heart mimicking an acute coronary syndrome

We describe the case of a 75-year-old man admitted to hospital for chest pain and syncope. Physical examination was normal with evidence of a very small wound on the left chest. Considering the presence of mul...

Authors: Chiara Comoglio, Fabrizio Sansone, Massimo Boffini, Marco Ribezzo and Mauro Rinaldi

Learner perception of oral and written examinations in an international medical training program

There are an increasing number of training programs in emergency medicine involving different countries or cultures. Many examination types, both oral and written, have been validated as useful assessment tool...

Authors: Sean P. Kelly, Scott G. Weiner, Philip D. Anderson, Julie Irish, Greg Ciottone, Riccardo Pini, Stefano Grifoni, Peter Rosen and Kevin M. Ban

Spontaneous intraperitoneal hemorrhage as the initial presentation of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor: a case report

Spontaneous hemoperitoneum is rare. The most common etiologies are gynecologic, splenic, and hepatic. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are commonly associated with intraluminal bleeding, but rarely with...

Authors: Benjamin B. Freeman, Jonathan F. Critchlow, Steven Cohen and Jonathan A. Edlow

Initial management of potential occult scaphoid fracture in Australasia

To characterise current management of adult patients with possible occult scaphoid fracture in Australasian emergency departments.

Authors: Anne-Maree Kelly

Severe abdominal pain as a result of acute gastric volvulus

Authors: Stylianos Germanos, Stavros Gourgiotis, Mahmud Saedon, Dimitrios Lapatsanis and Nikolaos S. Salemis

Addition of levalbuterol to a pediatric emergency department automated medication management system does not increase its use

Although adding a drug to an emergency department-based automated medication management system is known to increase how frequently it is ordered, little is known about this effect when the added drug does not ...

Authors: Gregory P. Conners, Daniel P. Hays, Thomas Richardson and Frank L. Zwemer

The coffee bean sign

Authors: Brian Darryl Moseley and Anjali Bhagra

Tracheal rupture after emergency endotracheal intubation

Authors: Giovanni Volpicelli, Luciano Cardinale and Francesco Ardissone

Right eye pain

Authors: Yu-Ming Weng, Hung-Jung Lin and Wei-Jing Lee

Orbital pseudotumor

Authors: Norma L. Cooney

Emergency department confirmation of peripherally inserted central catheter placement by bedside ultrasound

Authors: Cindy W. Chan and Michael J. Lambert

Administration of analgesics in patients with acute abdominal pain: a survey of the practice of doctors in a developing country

Analgesic use, particularly opioids in the emergency situation in patients with acute abdominal pain, generally has been avoided in the past; however, newer evidence has shown that the practice should be encou...

Authors: Babatunde A. Ayoade, Adedayo O. Tade, Babatunde A. Salami and Olayemi Oladapo

Fournier’s gangrene

Authors: Phoebe S. Y. Cheung and Colin A. Graham

Pediatric presentation of pulmonic effusion secondary to influenza

Authors: Norma L. Cooney, Derek R. Cooney and Brian Kloss

Traumatic asphyxia: a rare syndrome in trauma patients

Authors: Cenker Eken and Ozlem Yıgıt