SM Emergency Medicine and Critical Care

Archive Articles

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Diagnosis and Monitoring of Neurological Changes in Intensive Care

Since patients are usually incubated or sedated at intensive care units and they are given neuromuscular agents, neurological examination and early diagnosis of neurological complications is difficult and complex for both nurses and doctors. This review includes patient history, evaluation of physical, mental and motor functions and new methods on neurological diagnosis.

Eylem TOPBA޹*


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Clinical-Image-Emphysematous-Gastritis-Due-to-Gastric-Mucormycosis-in-a-Patient-with-Massive-Gastrointestinal-Bleeding

A 75-year-old man, who enjoyed good past health, was admitted for acute coronary syndrome. He was prescribed with double anti-platelet therapy and low molecular weight heparin. He was subsequently complicated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Oi Fung Wong¹* and Terence Man Chun Tong²


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Clinical-Image-Spontaneous-Bilateral-Pneumothoraces-in-a-Patient-with-Human-Immunodeficiency-Virus-Infection

A 28-year-old man with history of substance abuse presented to the emergency department for fever and shortness of breath.

Oi Fung Wong¹* and Terence Man Chun Tong²


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Clinical-Image-A-Suspected-Body-Packer

A 71-year-old male under custody by Custom Officer for suspected body packing was brought to the emergency department for medico-legal examination. Vitals were stable. Physical examination was unremarkable.

Kevin Ching Hin Wong*, Wai Yip Wong, Oi Fung Wong, Hing Man Ma, and Albert Chau Hung Lit


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Strongyloides Hyperinfection in a Patient with Hypogammaglobulinaemia

Strongyloides hyperinfection is a potentially fatal infection in immunocompromised patient. We report a case of Strongyloides hyperinfection in a patient with hypogammaglobulinaemia and suspected Good syndrome (thymoma-related adult-onset immunodeficiency).The patient presented with symptoms of gastroenteritis and developed respiratory failure shortly after admission. The Strongyloides hyperinfection was controlled by a prolonged course of ivermectin therapy. Owing to the profound immunodeficiency, the patient was also suffering from multiple opportunistic infections and eventually died of aspergillosis.

Oi Fung Wong¹* and Mandy Sze Man Chan²


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The use of Rescue Therapy in Three Cases of Aconite-Induced Refractory Ventricular Arrhythmia

Aconite-induced ventricular arrhythmias are often resistant to direct current cardioversion and conventional pharmacotherapy currently advocated in Advanced Cardiac Life Support algorithms and patients may die from refractory ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Aconitum alkaloids are lipid soluble and hence intravenous lipid emulsion is a potential treatment. We report two cases of aconite-induced refractory ventricular arrhythmia which did not respond to intravenous lipid emulsion while another case was successfully managed with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to recovery.

Yu Kwan LI¹*, Shing Kit LAM², Chi Ming CHAN¹, and Albert Chau Hung LIT¹


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Texting versus Talking on Cell Phones While Driving: An Observation

Objectives: This study investigated the rate of texting and talking on a cellphone while driving from actual street observation. We suspect that the rate of texting while driving is underreported in self-reporting studies when compared to observed behavior.

Methods: The research population was drivers entering and exiting the main entrance of a large regional mall. There was no limitation by race, sex, or age from the subjects from which these observations were made. The frequency of texting was compared to the frequency of talking on a hand held cell phone in cars entering and exiting the mall. Demographic information (estimated age, sex), passengers, direction of travel and attempts at hiding behavior were also recorded.

Results: Observations were recorded from 522 consecutive drivers entering the mall and 521 exiting. Texting was documented at that one point in time for 2.7% of drivers and 36% of those were trying to hide this behavior. Talking on the cell phone was noted in 5.6% of the observations. The ratio of texting while driving to talking on the cell phone while driving is 20% for the IIHS (Insurance Institute of Highway Safety) self-reporting study and 48% in our observational study; RR 2.42 (95% CI 1.56-3.86, p =0.0002) times higher for direct observation over self-reporting.

Conclusion: The rate of texting while driving with direct street observation is approximately 2.4 times higher than what is described in the IIHS self-reporting studies.

Dietrich Jehle¹, Murfat Ibrahim¹, Jae Kim¹, Gabrielle Jehle¹, Joseph Consiglio¹, Samantha Williams¹, and Samuel Madden Leaman IV²*


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Severe Accidental Hypothermia: A Crucial Impact of the Prehospital Orientation

The incidence of accidental hypothermia in adults is estimated to be around 1.1 per 100,000 inhabitants per year, with major variations in a etiologies and risk factors depending on demographic data and countries [1,2]. The associated mortality rate varies from 12% to 38% and is mainly explained by the initial an etiology [3,4].

The main risk of hypothermia is the occurrence of cardiovascular inefficacy - i.e., cardiac arrest - resulting from Ventricular Fibrillation (VF). The incidence of VF’s occurrence is correlated with the depth of hypothermia [5]. VF is preceded in 35% to 50% [5] of cases by a Path gnomonic Electro Cardio Graphic (ECG) abnormality known as an Osborn wave or J wave. An Osborn wave is a positive deflection at the J point, which is usually most prominent in the pericardial leads. Its amplitude increases with the depth of hypothermia but might not be associated with fatal arrhythmic events [6].

Hypothermia treatment is based on external and/or internal progressive rewarming [7]. External rewarming methods include active and passive options. Internal rewarming can be achieved by minimally invasive active core rewarming, invasive active core rewarming by Extra Corporeal Blood Warming (ECMO) and non-ECMO methods, including body cavity rewarming, closed thoracic ravage and an endovascular temperature control device. To date, no recommendation exists on the order of implementing therapeutic methods.

R Jouffroy¹,², G Gueret², C Mercier¹, D Jost², and B Prunet²