Acute mastocytosis: a potential dermatologic emergency.

A comatose patient arrived at the emergency room with apnea and in shock after a grand mal seizure. A maculopapular rash, not initially observed, led to a diagnosis of cutaneous mastocytosis. Degranulation of the mast cells with massive histamine release had resulted in cardiovascular collapse.

Unrecognized tracheal intubation: a complication of the esophageal obturator airway.

Esophageal obturator airway (EOA) use is not without risk. We present here the fatal cases of three patients in whom the trachea was inadvertently intubated with the EOA. In all three cases, the presence of tracheal intubation was unrecognized during the initial prehospital resuscitation, but was recognized and documented in the emergency department.