Rabies Encephalitis With Myocarditis Mimicking ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Rabies virus infection remains a significant public health threat particularly in developing countries without effective canine vaccination programs. After symptoms develop, there is no effective treatment and mortality approaches 100%. In countries such as the United States where human rabies remains rare, initial diagnosis is often delayed.

Illness Experience, Self-Determination, and Recreational Activities in Pediatric Asthma.

Although asthma self-management depends on ongoing and accurate self-assessment by the patient, pediatric asthma patients have weak skills in the area of symptom perception. Before developing an asthma game targeted to improving asthma self-management and improved symptom awareness, we sought to identify gaps in existing games. To clarify the role of relatedness and autonomy in asthma health game design, we investigated symptom awareness, vocabulary, and self-determination through a series of semi-structured interviews with children suffering from asthma.

Criteria for empiric treatment of hyperfibrinolysis after trauma.

Background: Recent studies identify a survival benefit from the administration of antifibrinolytic agents in patients with severe injury and trauma. However, identification of hyperfibrinolysis requires thromboelastography, which is not widely available. We hypothesized that analysis of patients with thromboelastography-diagnosed hyperfibrinolysis would identify clinical criteria for empiric antifibrinolytic treatment in the absence of thromboelastography.

Characterization of platelet dysfunction after trauma.

Background: The increased morbidity and mortality associated with coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia after trauma are well described. However, few studies have assessed platelet function after injury.

Methods: Blood samples were prospectively collected from 101 patients with critical injury and trauma on arrival to the emergency department and serially after admission to a Level I urban trauma intensive care unit from November 2010 to October 2011 and functionally assayed for responsiveness to adenosine diphosphate, thrombin receptor-activating peptide, arachidonic acid (AA), and collagen using multiple electrode impedance aggregometry.

Screening for mental illness in a trauma center: rooting out a risk factor for unintentional injury.

Background: Injury prevention and screening efforts have long targeted risk factors for injury recurrence. In a retrospective study, our group found that mental illness is an independent risk factor for unintentional injury and reinjury. The purpose of this study was to administer a standard validated screening instrument and psychosocial needs assessment to admitted patients who suffer unintentional injury.

Cost-driven injury prevention: creating an innovative plan to save lives with limited resources.

Background: Pedestrian injury costs >$20 billion annually. Countermeasures such as blinking crosswalks can be expensive but expectedly vital to injury prevention efforts. We aimed to create a new framework of cost-driven surveillance.