1/14. Massive prehospital transfusion in multiple blunt trauma.A 15-year-old male passenger in a motor vehicle accident was transfused 15 units of blood products and 8.5 litres of polygeline while still trapped in the wreckage. This and other advanced interventions at the scene contributed to the patient's survival. This first case report of massive prehospital transfusion highlights some of the advantages of senior physician staffed emergency medical services in the prehospital phase of trauma management.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/14. rupture of a large ophthalmic segment saccular aneurysm associated with closed head injury: case report.OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Although each year approximately 30,000 to 50,000 cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage in the united states are caused by the rupture of intracranial saccular aneurysms, there is little information in the literature documenting the association of aneurysmal rupture with closed head injury. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 61-year-old woman presented after a motor vehicle accident with multiple injuries, including a severe closed head injury. Computed tomography revealed a diffuse basal subarachnoid hemorrhage. angiography revealed the source as a large aneurysm arising from the ophthalmic segment of the left carotid artery. INTERVENTION: After the patient was stabilized for her multiple injuries, she underwent craniotomy and clipping of the aneurysm. She recovered without developing new neurological deficits. CONCLUSION: Although the association of head trauma and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is rare, the presence of significant basal subarachnoid blood on a computed tomographic scan should alert the physician to the possibility of a ruptured aneurysm.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/14. Occult ligamentous injury of the cervical spine.Evaluating the cervical spine for injury is an essential part of the assessment of a traumatized patient. Clinical examination and radiographs are the traditional techniques used for this evaluation. Often, however, a reliable clinical examination is not possible because of head injury, altered mental status, or "distracting" injuries. In such cases, cervical spine injury that is not apparent on radiographs may be missed. This case report illustrates a purely ligamentous cervical spine injury resulting in cervical instability. We describe our method of screening for and evaluating these types of injuries using physician-controlled stretch, flexion, and extension examination under fluoroscopy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/14. Atlanto-occipital dislocation.Reported is the case of a 29-year-old woman who sustained an atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD). This patient survived the initial resuscitation to expire some 72 hours later. survival of patients with AOD is being reported with increasing frequency and with good neurologic recovery in many cases. Emergency physicians should be aware of this injury and the methods of initial evaluation and stabilization in order to maximize the potential for patients with these serious injuries. Radiographic features of AOD are outlined and the potential hazards of longitudinal traction are emphasized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/14. Successful reversal of deleterious coagulopathy by recombinant factor viia.Effective treatment of severe or uncontrolled bleeding is a challenge for physicians in the operating room and intensive care unit. However, even aggressive conventional therapy may ultimately fail in some patients. Administration of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) may be the only remaining therapeutic option to stop life-threatening coagulopathic bleeding. We here describe the clinical course of 5 patients exhibiting severe continuous bleeding that could not be stopped by surgical intervention and appropriate hemostatic management but resolved after a mean dose of 90 microg/kg of rFVIIa (range, 90-120 microg/kg). Four of the five patients recovered completely, and one patient died after developing sepsis in multiorgan failure. In all patients, bleeding from wound surfaces stopped within minutes of the administration of rFVIIa. Coagulation measurements improved, and transfusion requirements declined considerably. No adverse effects associated with rFVIIa were observed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/14. Palmar radiocarpal dislocation resulting in ulnar radiocarpal translocation and multidirectional instability.Posttraumatic ulnar radiocarpal translation is a rare, often subtle, highly unstable, and potentially devastating manifestation of severe "proximal radiocarpal ligamentous instability. Radiocarpal dislocation should alert the treating physician to the risks of the spectrum of radiocarpal instabilities. Radiocarpal instability may initially be masked or unappreciated owing to presentation without radiocarpal dislocation, local pain and swelling, initially normal standard wrist radiographs, lack of recognition, or delay in the appearance of a static lesion. The specificity, sequence, and extent of extrinsic radiocarpal and ulnocarpal ligament traumatic disruptions are not fully understood, vary with injury severity, and may differ in instances of dorsal as opposed to palmar subluxation or dislocation. Multidirectional (global) wrist instability typically accompanies this ulnar radiocarpal instability in its most severe form and consequences may be dire. The carpus may be difficult to reduce or maintain owing to marked instability, compressive forces across the wrist, and soft tissue or bony fragment interposition. Additional local distal radioulnar joint or intercarpal injuries may further confound stability and require their own specific and simultaneous treatment. Radiocarpal reduction and repair of the radioscaphocapitate ligament and radiolunate ligaments may be sufficient treatment for acute isolated palmar radiocarpal instability. Temporary K-wire fixation may be added as a precaution to prevent palmar carpal subluxation during the time of ligament healing. Radiocarpal reduction, palmar and dorsal soft-tissue repair, and temporary K-wire fixation comprise one method of treatment for early recognized cases of post-traumatic ligamentous ulnar radiocarpal transposition. Halikis et al have recommended radiolunate arthrodesis. Rayhack et al have suggested that limited or complete wrist arthrodesis may be indicated for patients with delayed presentation or in acute cases with extreme instability. wrist arthrodesis is one means of management for patients with severe radiocarpal instability confounded by distal radioulnar joint or intercarpal instability, as seen in our patient. Damaged ligaments may have a poor blood supply and often may not hold sutures or heal well. Bone anchor sutures or some type of ligament augmentation may help to restore joint stability in some patients. Loss of stability may occur later owing to ligamentous laxity or inadequate soft-tissue healing. Radiolunate, radiocarpal, or complete wrist arthrodesis may be necessary to relieve pain, restore wrist alignment and stability, and reestablish extremity function for patients with chronic radiocarpal instability. wrist symptoms, age, general health, hand dominance, and occupation may be among the factors that influence the necessity for and timing of reconstruction. Rayhack et al have also postulated that negative ulnar variance may accommodate the occurrence of ulnar radiocarpal translocation and confound repair owing to lack of buttress at the ulnocarpal joint. They further speculated that a joint leveling procedure might improve the support for ligamentous repair or reconstruction in these cases. Permanent functional impairment must be anticipated in patients with ulnar radiocarpal instability. Impairment has typically been commensurate with the extent of the initial lesion, additional confounding local lesions, and length of follow-up.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/14. Difficult airway management.airway management is unequivocally the most important responsibility of the emergency physician. No matter how prepared for the task, no matter what technologies are utilized, there will be cases that are difficult. The most important part of success in the management of a difficult airway is preparation. When the patient is encountered, it is too late to check whether appropriate equipment is available, whether a rescue plan has been in place, and what alternative strategies are available for an immediate response. The following article will review the principles of airway management with an emphasis upon preparation, strategies for preventing or avoiding difficulties, and recommended technical details that hopefully will encourage the reader to be more prepared and technically skillful in practice.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/14. Mauling by pit bull terriers: case report.A child with extensive soft-tissue defects following an attack by four pit bull terriers is presented. Some future procedures are required and she will have a permanent gait disability. The multidisciplinary management of this patient is described. The escalating problem of dog attacks in the united states is discussed. It is hoped that increased physician and public awareness will expedite the enactment and enforcement of effective vicious-dog legislation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/14. Case study: when the nurse and physician don't agree.nurses and physicians by virtue of their roles as health care professionals must work together to provide care for their patients. Decisions regarding life support and death and dying are made almost daily in most intensive care units. Conflicts frequently arise among health care providers when decisions of this nature are made. nurses and physicians, despite having similar value systems, operate under a different frame of reference. Understanding the differences and how they play themselves out in the clinical setting can alleviate much of the stress and frustration common when these issues are encountered. This article examines the value systems and perspectives of nurses and physicians using a case study format.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/14. A case of Purtscher's retinopathy.This article describes a case of Purtscher's retinopathy, a syndrome believed to be caused by microembolic infarction of the retina, in a 20-year-old man after remote extraocular trauma. The patient jumped from a 20-meter high building. He suffered multiple crush injuries, but a computed tomographic scan of the brain and orbit was normal. More than 1 month after injury, his visual acuity diminished to light perception in the right eye and counting fingers in the left. The ophthalmoscopic picture was characteristic of Purtscher's retinopathy with cotton-wool exudates and retinal hemorrhages localized to the posterior pole. His vision was improved only slightly 6 months later. Although rare, emergency physicians should be familiar with this entity as a cause of diminished vision associated with extraocular trauma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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