[Serious burns associated with a fracture : how to react in emergency].

The incidence of burns associated with one or even several fractures is rare and linked to high-energy mechanisms (traffic accidents, terrorist attacks, etc.). Treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach both at the medical and paramedical levels.

Report on a study of fires with smoke gas development : determination of blood cyanide levels, clinical signs and laboratory values in victims.

Background: This is a report on an international non-interventional study of patients exposed to fires with smoke development in closed rooms. The objective of the study was to document clinical symptoms, relevant laboratory values and blood cyanide concentrations from fire victims in order to confirm or rule out presumptive correlations between the individual parameters.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted in five European countries with patients being included if they presented with the characteristic clinical signs, such as soot deposits and altered neurological status.

Mass casualty incidents with multiple burn victims: rationale for a Swiss burn plan.

Introduction: Mass casualty incidents involving victims with severe burns pose difficult and unique problems for both rescue teams and hospitals. This paper presents an analysis of the published reports with the aim of proposing a rational model for burn rescue and hospital referral for Switzerland.

Methods: Literature review including systematic searches of PubMed/Medline, reference textbooks and journals as well as landmark articles.

An easier method for percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy tube placement.

Background: The current procedures for percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy (PEG-J) tube placement require fluoroscopy and are time consuming. We describe a new, simple method.

Methods: Ten patients had a PEG-J tube placed by the new method.

Severe diltiazem poisoning with intestinal pseudo-obstruction: case report and toxicological data.

This case report concerns a 30-year-old man who survived a 4.2 g diltiazem overdose. He sustained vasoplegic shock with a junctional escape rhythm which required high doses of norepinephrine and epinephrine.

Paraquat poisoning. "State of the art".

The authors describe the main features of acute paraquat poisoning. The clinical picture together with severity grading is presented. The pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for multiple organ dysfunction are discussed.