Author Affiliation Omar K Danner, MD Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia L Ray Matthews, MD Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia Kenneth L Wilson, MD Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia Sheryl L Heron, MD, MPH Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, […]
As 5-year mortality rates for recidivism are as high as 20%, it is important to determine whether victims with a history of violent trauma are at increased risk for fatal outcome with their next trauma. We hypothesized that victims of violent trauma who have had 1 prior ED visit for violent trauma will have increased odds of fatal outcome.
Internuclear ophthalmoplegia is a rare condition caused by injury to the medial longitudinal fasciculus in the brainstem. It usually occurs in conditions such as stroke or multiple sclerosis and is extremely rare after head injury. We report a case of unilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia, which occurred after a minor head injury in a young male. His only symptoms were headache and diplopia. He was treated conservatively, and his symptoms settled after 3 months.
A 58-year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) with pain and swelling to the right arm after receiving propofol during an outpatient procedure for nasal polyps.
A 43-year-old man presented to the emergency department after he was swimming in the ocean and felt a sudden sting followed by a burning pain and muscle spasms in his right hand.
A healthy 19-year-old male presented with complaints of right ankle pain. Twelve hours before, he had jumped off a skateboard, inverting and abrading his right ankle.
A 30-year-old man presented to the emergency department after a motorcycle accident at high speed. He reported neck pain and referred paresthesia along the fourth and fifth fingers of both the left and the right hand. The patient arrived at hospital hemodynamically stable.
We present a case of pylephlebitis, which is an infective suppurative thrombosis of the portal vein. Pylephlebitis is an uncommon complication of intra-abdominal infections and carries with it significant morbidity and mortality.
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of intra-abdominal injury (IAI) and death in hemodynamically normal and stable BAT patients with initially negative ED evaluations admitted to an ED observation unit and to define a low-risk subgroup of patients and assess whether they may be discharged without abdominal/pelvic CT or observation.
A 35-year-old man presented to the emergency department complaining of right hip pain after being struck by a car while crossing the road. His vital signs were stable, and he complained of right hip pain. He had no other comorbidity. On examination, tenderness and reduced abduction were noted in his right hip, but the gait was normal.
This study assesses the efficacy of the rapid sequence intubation (RSI) protocol in preventing patient recollection of resuscitative events and patient discomfort during intubation, as subjectively determined by the patient.
When emergency medical services (EMS) providers respond to the scene of an injury, they must decide where to transport the injured patients for further evaluation and treatment. This is done through a process known as “field triage”, whereby a patient’s injuries are matched to the most appropriate hospital. In 2005–2006 the National Expert Panel on Field Triage, convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, revised the 1999 American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Field Triage Decision Scheme. This revision, the 2006 Field Triage Decision Scheme, was published in 2006.
We present the case of a 31-year-old trauma patient with computed tomography concerning significant C3–C4 subluxation. The abnormality is due to an artifact with which emergency physicians should be aware.
A previously healthy 46-year-old male presented to the emergency department with the sole complaint of lower back pain after being struck by a car while walking. Physical examination revealed the patient to be hemodynamicaly stable and in moderate distress secondary to back pain.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A 47-year-old woman presented with a history of an accidental fall against a glass door at home, causing a 15 cm-wide wound on the right gluteal region and hematuria. General health was good: blood pressure 115/70 mmHg with a heart rate of 100 beats/min; red cell count 4.460 x103/100 mL; hemoglobin concentration 10 g/100 ml; and hematocrit 31%.
This research report examines the feasibility of identifying eligible trauma patients for a study providing an early therapeutic intervention for the prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and identifies reasons around participation.
A 75-year-old male presented to the emergency department (ED) following a fall from his bicycle. The patient fell face-first onto the handlebars, with the brake handle impaling his left upper lip.
A 48-year-old Hispanic male presented to the emergency department for medication refill for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Upon presentation, the patient reported running out of insulin (Novolin) one month prior.
