UMEM Educational Pearls

• Beware of the patient who can't open his/her eyes but is otherwise awake!
• This coma mimic is the result of eyelid apraxia, which is the inability to voluntarily open eyes despite intact frontalis muscle contraction and absent oculomotor dysfunction.
• This can be seen in injuries of the nondominant hemisphere (e.g. R MCA stroke), medial frontal lobe, bilateral thalami (e.g. bilateral thalami stroke), and brainstem (e.g. progressive supranuclear palsy).
• When asking these patients to open their eyes, they may use their forehead muscles to try and raise their eyelids.

During rapid sequence intubation (RSI) we endeavor to avoid positive pressure ventilation, prior to securing a definitive airway. As such, an adequate buffer of oxygen is necessary to ensure a safe apneic period. This process involves replacing the residual nitrogen in the lung with oxygen. It has been demonstrated that a standard nonrebreather (NRB) mask alone does not provide a high enough fractional concentration of oxygen (FiO2) to optimally denitrogenate the lungs (1). Even when a nasal cannula at 15L/min is utilized in addition to the NRB, the resulting FiO2 is not ideal. A bag-valve mask (BVM) with a one-way valve or PEEP valve has been demonstrated to provide oxygen concentrations close to that of an anesthesia circuit. But its effectiveness is drastically reduced if a proper mask seal is not maintained during the entire pre-oxygenation period (1). This is not always logistically possible in the chaos of an Emergency Department intubation.

A standard NRB with the addition of flush-rate oxygen appears to be a viable alternative. Recently published in Annals of Emergency Medicine, Driver et al demonstrated that a NRB with wall oxygen flow rates increased to maximum levels, rather than the standard 15L/min, provided end-tidal O2 (ET-O2) levels similar to an anesthesia circuit (2).

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Question

A 25-year-old male was brought in by EMS with a stab wound to the chest. What's the diagnosis?

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Pneumopericardium

 

 

 

 

 

CT Chest was done with the image below:

 

 

 

Penetrating Cardiac Trauma

• Initial Assessment of ABC, ATLS primary survey guidelines.
• Evaluate for tension pneumothorax or cardiac tamponade in all patients presenting with chest trauma and shock.
• Cardiac Box: Surrounded by sternal notch, xiphoid process and nipples.
• Order of injury: Right Ventricle --> Left Ventricle --> Right Atrium --> Left Atrium
• Beck’s Triad: Hypotension, JVD, muffled heart sounds may not be present initially.
• Conduct FAST exam to examine for cardiac tamponade, hemothorax, pneumothorax.
• Cardiac Tamponade more common from stab wounds than from gun shot wounds.
• Hemodynamically unstable patients require immediate operative therapy after quick bedside assessment (physical exam, ultrasound, chest tube as needed)

Differential Diagnosis: Bronchial injury, Diaphragm injury, Hemothorax, Tension Pneumothorax, Aortic Transection, Esophageal injury, Pneumomediastinum

Evaluation: Ultrasound (FAST Exam), CXR, CTA in stable patients, ECG, troponin.

Management: Penetrating cardiac trauma require emergent thoracotomy, pericardial window.

 

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Young athletes, especially around the age of puberty, are at higher risk for pelvic avulsion fractures

Often seen in sports that require sprinting, rapid changes in movement or jumping

Caused by sudden, forceful contraction of the muscles of the abdominal, the hip and thigh or the hamstring

Avulsion fractures can occur at many areas of the pelvis.

A mnemonic is: Alabama’s stoned rappers got ill hunting armadillos

·  Iliac crest: Abdominal muscles

·  Anterior superior iliac crest: Sartorius

·  Anterior inferior iliac crest: Rectus femoris

·  Greater trochanter: Gluteal muscles

·  Lesser trochanter: Iliopsoas **(rare in adults)

·  Ischial tuberosity: Hamstrings

·  Pubic symphysis: Adductor group

http://roentgenrayreader.blogspot.com/2010/07/pelvic-avulsion-fractures.html

** Isolated nontraumatic avulsion fractures of the lesser trochanter in adults is a pathognomonic sign of metastatic disease

This site has some good images of common injury patterns

http://radiopaedia.org/articles/apophyseal-avulsion-fractures-of-the-pelvis-and-hip

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Antipsychotic as a class has diverse range of toxicity. The atypical (2^nd generation) antipsychotics are considered to possess less toxicologic manifestation compared to the typical (1^st generation) antipsychotics - lower K channel blockade and minimum Na channel blockade properties. However, select atypical antipsychotics overdose can results in significant morbidity in addition to sedation.

Alpha-1 blockade (hypotension)

• Clozapine
• Olanzapine
• Quetiapine
• Risperidone
• Ziprasidone

Antimuscarinic effect (anticholinergic toxicity)

• Clozapine
• Olanzapine
• Quetiapine

Delayed rectifier K channel blockade (QT prolongation)

• Ertindole
• Ziprasidone

Bottom line:  Although lethal overdose from atypical antipsychotics are rare, they can result in significant clinical toxicity when ingested alone or in combintation with other classes of medications.

Bottom Line:

• Cancers figure among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with approximately 14 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer related deaths in 2012.
• The number of new cases is expected to rise by about 70% over the next 2 decades.
• More than 30% of cancer deaths could be prevented by modifying or avoiding key risk factors

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Question

--Aggressive BP management (SBP <140) in atraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) does NOT signifcantly improve mortality or disability compared with traditional goal (SBP <180) [1]

--However, a lower goal (SBP <140) has been shown to decrease hematoma size and be safe compared to a higher goal (SBP <180) [2]

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Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) are used for INR reversal in patients on vitamin K antagonists (VKA) (e.g., warfarin) with life-threatening bleeding. Guidelines from the Neurocritical Care Society and Society of Critical Care Medicine recommend using PCC over FFP for patients with VKA-associated hemorrhage and an INR >=1.4.

New study-INCH trial:

• Multi-center, prospective, randomized, open-label trial comparing FFP IV 20 ml/kg + phytonadione IV 10 mg versus 4-factor PCC IV 30 IU/kg + phytonadione IV 10 mg
• Adult patients on VKA with intracerebral or subdural hemorrhage with INR >=2.0 were included. Patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage were excluded.

What they found:

• Analysis included 50 (23 FFP and 27 PCC) patients (trial was stopped early after a safety analysis)
• 2 (9%) patients in the FFP group and 18 (67%) patients in the PCC group achieved an INR <=1.2 within 3 hours (adjusted OR 30.6, 95% CI 4.7-197.9; p=0.0003)
• Hematoma expansion at 3 hours was higher in those treated with FFP than PCC (adjusted difference 16.9 ml, 95% CI 2.5-31.3; p=0.023)
• Time until INR <=1.2 was longer in the FFP group than the PCC group (1482 vs 40 minutes; p=0.050)

Application to clinical practice:

• Of note, FFP 30 ml/kg has been suggested to provide more complete coagulation factor correction (this trial used 20 ml/kg), and package inserts for PCCs recommend doses based on INR and weight (this trial used 30 IU/kg for all patients)
• Although the sample size was small, this study suggests that in patients with VKA-associated non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage and an elevated INR, PCC may provide faster INR correction than FFP, and may additionally be associated with a smaller degree of hematoma expansion.

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Zika virus and its transmission is currently an important infectious disease topic in the United States and the Western Hemisphere.  With domestic spread in the Continental United States, and the likely further spread to other parts of the southern United States, continued vigilance by healthcare providers remains important.

What are the signs and symptoms of Zika?

Most common signs and symptoms are:

• Fever
• Rash
• Arthralgias
• Conjunctivitis (generally nonpurulent)

Other symptoms can include

• Myalgias
• Headaches
• Retro-orbital pain
• Gastrointestinal upset

Symptoms can generally last 2 to 7 days.  Most individuals will have minimal or no significant symptoms and may not seek medical care. These symptoms are similar to other arboviruses, such as dengue or chikungunya. Potential serious complications include Guillian Barre syndrome.

Of course, the main concern remains infection of pregnant women and the impact that Zika has on the developing fetus, especially for the brain.

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Ketamine for RSE?

• Up to 43% of patients with status epilepticus may progress to refractory status epilepticus (RSE).
• Propofol, midazolam, and barbituates are often recommended for patients with RSE.
• Importantly, all of these medications may be limited by hypotension and respiratory depression.
• Ketamine is emerging as adjuvant therapy for patients with RSE.
• The loading dose of ketamine ranges from 0.5 to 3 mg/kg, followed by a maintenance infusion of 0.3 to 4 mg/kg/h.

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Ataxia is an important clinical sign of cerebellar pathology, but how is it actually described?

Stance ataxia: inability to stand with feet together for more than 30 seconds

Gait ataxia

Sensory ataxia: the first 2 elements, in addition to a positive Romberg sign

Truncal ataxia: oscillation of body while sitting or standing

Limb ataxia: functional impairment in performing actions such as writing or buttoning and improves with slowing down the movement

Dysdiadokinesia: impairment of rapidly alternating movement

Intention tremor: tested by finger-to-nose and heel-to-shin.

Dysmetria: pastpointing or undershooting on finger-chasing or shin-tap.

Dysarthria: irregular and slow speech with unnecessary hesitation

Nystagmus and other ocular disturbances, such as ocular flutter and opsoclonus.

The first 3 are present in both cerebellar pathology and loss of proprioceptive input, the rest are usually due to cerebellar pathology or ataxic syndrome.

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Is it possible to have a patient present in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) with both negative serum and urinary ketone levels?

A case report published in American Journal of Emergency Medicine by Jehle et al provides a helpful reminder of this phenomenon (1). The degree of acidosis is directly related to the ratio of the various ketones/ketone metabolites: acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate present in the serum. The proportion of each respective substance is determined by the existing redox state in the blood. At any given time, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate exist in an equilibrium dependent upon the ratio of NAD+ and NADH(fig.1). These substances freely convert with the assistance of the enzyme beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (2). This conversion requires the donation of a hydrogen atom from NADH. The balance between beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate, is determined by the ratio of NADH to NAD+. Acetoacetate will freely degrade into acetone through non-enzymatic decarboxylation. Early in DKA, acetoacetate is the most prevalent substance. As the disease progresses and the serum ratio of NADH to NAD+ increases, the proportion of beta-hydroxybutyrate rises, decreasing the quantity of acetoacetate and acetone.

Traditional serum and urinary ketone assays react strongly to acetoacetate but neither reliably react with beta-hydroxybutyrate. Patients in whom the majority of their anion gap is filled by beta-hydroxybutyrate, urinary or serum ketone levels may be negative. In such cases, serum beta-hydroxybutyrate assays would be positive but are not universally available.

It is important to note, with resuscitation and insulin therapy, the ratio of NADH/NAD+ will start to normalize causing an increase in the quantity of acetoacetate. As the patient improves and the anion gap clears, the degree of ketones detected in the serum and urine will paradoxically increase.

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According to the 4th International Patellofemoral Pain Research Retreat recently published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, the core criterion required to define Patelofemoral Pain (PFP) syndrome is pain around or behind the patella, which is aggravated by at least one activity that loads the patellofemoral joint during weight bearing on a flexed knee (eg, squatting, stair ambulation, jogging/running, hopping/jumping).

Additional criteria (not essential):

1. Crepitus or grinding sensation emanating from the patellofemoral joint during knee flexion movement
2. Tenderness on patellar facet palpation
3. Small effusion
4. Pain on sitting, rising on sitting, or straightening the knee following sitting

PFP is common in young adolescents, with a prevalence of 7–28%, and incidence of 9.2%.

Stay tuned for recommendations on treatment and diagnosis.

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From 2010-2014 ED visits in the US for injuries from trampoline parks (TPI) increased from 581 visits per year to 6932 visits per year. There was no change in the number of injuries related to home trampoline use. TPI were more likely to involve the lower extremity, be a dislocation and warrant admission and less likely to involve the head.

Bottom line: TPIs are increasing and have a different injury pattern compared to home trampolines.

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In pediatric population, small dose or single pill ingestion can potential result in severe or lethal toxicity.

Clinicians should be mindful of potential toxicity following xenobiotic exposure (below) in pediatric population, especially under the age of 5 years old, even if the patient may initially appear asymptomatic.

• Benzocaine
• B-adrenergic antagonist (sustained release)
• Calcium Channel blockers (sustained release) 
• Camphor
• Clonidine
• TCAs
• Diphenoxylate/atropine (Lomotil)
• Toxic alcohol (methanol or ethylene glycol)
• Methylsalicylate
• MAO-Is
• Opioids
• Phenothiazines
• Quinine or chloroquine
• Sulfonylureas
• Theophylline

Suspected ingestion of above medications/xenobiotics may warrent observation up to 24 hours in asymptomatic pediatric population.

July 2016 was the hottest month ever recorded. As the temperature of the planet continues to rise, changes in infectious disease patterns of transmission are likely to occur. Many formerly exotic diseases, such as Zika, West Nile, malaria and cholera are spreading to new areas. Some of these are now found in the United States. Below is a table (from M. L. Wilson) that exemplifies how environmental changes can impact infectious diseases.

Bottom Line: Remain vigilant for unusual infectious diseases, especially among travelers.  However recognize that many diseases have the potential to spread to the U.S., especially considering ongoing environmental changes.

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47yo M chef presents to your ED with 2 days of worsening left hand pain after sustaining a puncture wound to hand at work. The hand is red and swollen and he complains of pain. Interestingly, his index and middle digits are in an ABducted position at rest.

Collar Button Abscess

Web space infection of the palmer AND dorsal hand

The Palmer aponeurosis prevents volar extension (but promotes dorsal encroachment)

The pus spreads between the MC bones and erupts dorsally....creating a DORSAL abscess.

Loss of palmer concavity is seen.

ABduction of the adjacent digits, resulting in a "V" configuration with the apex pointing to the site of infection. This would not happen from simple pus in the dorsal space!

Can be missed if only focused on the dorsal hand. The palm will show the original injury (splinter, cut, foreign body)

Treatment is urgent surgical drainage.

http://www.eplasty.com/article_images/eplasty16ic06_fig1.gif

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Zika Virus-associated GBS

• Zika virus has been shown to trigger Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) at a rate similar to Campylobacter jejuni infections.
• In patients with Zika virus-associated GBS, neurologic deterioration has been rapid, with approximately 33% of patients developing respiratory distress.
• For patients who have required intubation, the duration of mechanical ventilation and length of ICU stay has been very long.
• Consider Zika virus-associated GBS in patients with muscle weakness, facial palsy, or paresthesias in the setting of a travel or exposure history to the virus.

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