Archives

Isolated Traumatic Expressive Aphasia

A 59-year-old male presented to the emergency department after having been struck on the head multiple times with a hammer. On presentation, vital signs were all within normal limits and primary exam was only impressive for a large left sided parietal-temporal hematoma.

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Patellar Tendonitis

A 51-year-old female with a history of gout, hypertension and diabetes presented to the emergency department with one week of increasing pain and swelling of her left knee, just below the patella. She denied trauma, fever and calf pain.

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Spontaneous Thigh Compartment Syndrome

A young man presented with a painful and swollen thigh, without any history of trauma, illness, coagulopathic medication or recent exertional exercise. Preliminary imaging delineated a haematoma in the anterior thigh, without any fractures or muscle trauma. Emergent fasciotomies were performed. No pathology could be identified intra-operatively, or on follow-up imaging. A review of thigh compartment syndromes described in literature is presented in a table. Emergency physicians and traumatologists should be cognisant of spontaneous atraumatic presentations of thigh compartment syndrome, to ensure prompt referral and definitive management of this limb-threatening condition.

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Fracture Blisters

Fracture blisters are a relatively uncommon complication of fractures in locations of the body, such as the ankle, wrist elbow and foot, where skin adheres tightly to bone with little subcutaneous fat cushioning. The blister that results resembles that of a second degree burn.

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Delayed Duodenal Hematoma and Pancreatitis from a Seatbelt Injury

Traumatic duodenal hematoma is a rare condition that is encountered in the paediatric age group following blunt abdominal trauma. It poses both a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The main concern is increased morbidity secondary to delayed diagnosis and associated occult injuries to the adjacent structures. Most of these hematomas resolve spontaneously with conservative management, and the prognosis is good. We present a case of a 15-year-old boy who had a delayed presentation of duodenal hematoma and acute pancreatitis, which was treated conservatively with complete resolution.

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Symptomatic Morgagni Hernia Misdiagnosed As Chilaiditi Syndrome

Chilaiditi syndrome, symptomatic interposition of bowel beneath the right hemidiaphragm, is uncommon and usually managed without surgery. Morgagni hernia is an uncommon diaphragmatic hernia that generally requires surgery. In this case a patient with a longstanding diagnosis of bowel interposition (Chilaiditi sign) presented with presumed Chilaiditi syndrome. Abdominal computed tomography was performed and revealed no bowel interposition; instead, a Morgagni hernia was found and surgically repaired. Review of the literature did not reveal similar misdiagnosis or recommendations for advanced imaging in patients with Chilaiditi sign or syndrome to confirm the diagnosis or rule out other potential diagnoses.

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Akathisia after Cyclic Antidepressants Poisoning

A 54-year-old depressive woman was admitted to the emergency department with a Glasgow Coma Scale of six (E1V1M4) and hypothermia (34°C). A drug overdose was early suspected by history as the patient was treated by tricyclic antidepressants (TCA).

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Plastic Bronchitis

A 45-year-old male with a one-month history of dyspnea and cough presented with productive sputum consisting of bronchial casts for several days prior to admission.

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Genetics of Warfarin Sensitivity in an Emergency Department Population with Thromboembolic

To identify patients with risk for warfarin sensitivity among an ED population with VTE and to assess if the warfarin sensitivity mutations were of significant enough prevalence to be of clinical significance in customizing treatment of VTE. We sought in a pilot study to identify if testing for common CYP2C9 and VKORC1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in patients who were likely to begin warfarin treatment was feasible in an ED setting.

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The Standard of Care: Legal History and Definitions: the Bad and Good News

The true meaning of the term “the standard of care” is a frequent topic of discussion among emergency physicians as they evaluate and perform care on patients. This article, using legal cases and dictums, reviews the legal history and definitions of the standard of care. The goal is to provide the working physician with a practical and useful model of the standard of care to help guide daily practice.

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Great Tool or Gold Standard? B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Congestive Heart Failure

  Author Affiliation Jeremy Montez, BS, PA-C Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California Sean Henderson, MD Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California We would like to thank the contributing authors Manson et al1 for their article “Identification of Sonographic B-Lines with Linear Transducer Predicts Elevated B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Level.” By attempting to […]

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Contagious Weakness in an Elderly Couple with Neurologic Emergencies

We present an unusual neurologic emergency in an elderly male patient. Given his presentation and risk factors, we presumed the initial symptoms to be secondary to a cerebrovascular accident. As the case evolved, however, it became apparent that a more unusual pathology was present. This case report showcases a rare condition masquerading as a common neurologic emergency.

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Primary Cardiac Tumor Identified as the Cause of Seizure

A 65-year-old woman presented to the emergency department after a seizure. An unexplained bradycardia and heart murmur were detected and an emergency bedside echocardiography was performed. This revealed a mass in the left atrium. The provisional diagnosis of left atrial tumor was later confirmed by formal echocardiography and ultimately by histology. The first presentation of primary cardiac tumors can be misleading and sometimes presents with neurological manifestations. An early echocardiography can be diagnostic and could lead to early surgical intervention with better prognosis.

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Excited Delirium

Excited (or agitated) delirium is characterized by agitation, aggression, acute distress and sudden death, often in the pre-hospital care setting. It is typically associated with the use of drugs that alter dopamine processing, hyperthermia, and, most notably, sometimes with death of the affected person in the custody of law enforcement. Subjects typically die from cardiopulmonary arrest, although the cause is debated. Unfortunately an adequate treatment plan has yet to be established, in part due to the fact that most patients die before hospital arrival. While there is still much to be discovered about the pathophysiology and treatment, it is hoped that this extensive review will provide both police and medical personnel with the information necessary to recognize and respond appropriately to excited delirium.

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Imaging in Acute Stroke

Imaging in the acute setting of suspected stroke is an important topic to all emergency physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons and neuroradiologist. When it comes to imaging, the American College of Radiology (ACR) continually updates its guidelines for imaging pathways through the ACR Appropriateness Criteria.1,2 This article is a general review of the imaging modalities currently used to assess and help guide the treatment of strokes.

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Urine Test Strips to Exclude Cerebral Spinal Fluid Blood

Determining the presence or absence of red blood cells (RBC) or their breakdown products in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is essential for the evaluation of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in headache patients. Current methodology for finding blood in the CSF is either spectrophotometric detection of pigment, which is time consuming and labor intensive, or visual assesment of samples for color change (xanthochromia), which is inaccurate. Bayer Multistix® urine test strips are designed to test urine for RBC by detecting the presence of hemoglobin. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the perfomance of urine reagent test strips for ruling out the presence of RBC in CSF.

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Contact Information

WestJEM/ Department of Emergency Medicine
UC Irvine Health

3800 W Chapman Ave Ste 3200
Orange, CA 92868, USA
Phone: 1-714-456-6389
Email: editor@westjem.org

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WestJEM
ISSN: 1936-900X
e-ISSN: 1936-9018

CPC-EM
ISSN: 2474-252X

Our Philosophy

Emergency Medicine is a specialty which closely reflects societal challenges and consequences of public policy decisions. The emergency department specifically deals with social injustice, health and economic disparities, violence, substance abuse, and disaster preparedness and response. This journal focuses on how emergency care affects the health of the community and population, and conversely, how these societal challenges affect the composition of the patient population who seek care in the emergency department. The development of better systems to provide emergency care, including technology solutions, is critical to enhancing population health.