The epidemic of opioid overdose brought a major health crisis to the front line of public health in the United States. Early efforts have focused on the prevention of production, distribution, and consumption of the drugs. However, there is little information about youth populations at risk for opioid overdose and their response to targeted treatment plans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChyle leak is a relatively rare post-operative complication of breast and axilla surgery, and the majority of these cases can be managed conservatively. We present the case of a 42-year-old female with chyle leak within the external thoracic cavity following elective augmentation mammoplasty and mastopexy. This patient failed initial operative management consisting of implant removal, washout, suture plication, and intra-operative drain placement as well as subsequent conservative management including diet modification, total parenteral nutrition, and percutaneous aspiration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The recent global pandemic due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 resulted in a high rate of multi-organ failure and mortality in a large patient population across the world. As such, a possible correlation between acute kidney injury (AKI) and increased mortality rate in these patients has been suggested in literature.
Methods: This is a two-year retrospective study of critically ill adult patients infected with COVID-19 that were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) on ventilatory support.
Introduction The management of maxillofacial trauma can be challenging in different unique clinical presentations. While maxillofacial fractures vary in location based on the mechanism of injury, the mandibular fracture is noted to be one of the most common facial fractures. The objective of this study was to explore the differences in injury patterns, outcomes, and demographics of isolated traumatic mandibular fractures between incarcerated and general populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground Cases of alopecia areata (AA) attributed to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination have been reported in recent literature. However, these reports are reflective of specific geographic areas, and whether this phenomenon is observed in other regions remains to be investigated. This study focused on the association between AA and COVID-19 vaccination among patients from a large single-center safety net hospital in California.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground COVID-19 infection has caused a global pandemic affecting a group of patients with chronic conditions including diabetes with exacerbating insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. Investigators noted that pre-existing diabetes and newly diagnosed diabetes are associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection. Aim To evaluate the relationship between ICU patients infected with COVID-19 and mortality among those with high versus low glucose levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cervical epidural hematoma (CEH) is defined as a collection of blood in the suprameningeal space. Mechanisms of this rare pathology include spontaneous, postsurgical, and traumatic as the main subtypes. This unique case of traumatic CEH represents an even smaller subset of these cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Ocular complaints, including acute or subacute vision loss, are commonly encountered in emergency departments (ED). These potentially time-sensitive complaints are difficult to diagnose and evaluate without adequate, specialized equipment and expertise. Additionally, a thorough evaluation often requires a more extensive and specialized physical exam, imaging, and ophthalmologic consultation, all of which may not be readily available in the acute setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe application and provision of prehospital care in disasters and mass-casualty incident response in Europe is currently being explored for opportunities to improve practice. The objective of this translational science study was to align common principles of approach and action and to identify how technology can assist and enhance response. To achieve this objective, the application of a modified Delphi methodology study based on statements derived from key findings of a scoping review was undertaken.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant factor in injury-related deaths in the United States and may lead to complex psychological disorders. Auto-cannibalism as a sequela of a TBI has yet to be reported in the literature. The current literature regarding such behavior is often associated with psychosis, intellectual disability, or substance use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Serum lactate levels have been recommended as a standard in guiding resuscitation and management of post-traumatic orthopedic injuries. Studies have suggested an increased incidence of postoperative complications in trauma patients with injury severity scores (ISSs) greater than 18. However, in trauma patients without an elevated ISS, the role of lactate in guiding operative timing has not been explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Methamphetamine is an addictive drug with various effects on the neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Methamphetamine-induced encephalopathy in the absence of hyperammonemia presents a unique challenge in a clinical setting. Previously published cases of methamphetamine-induced encephalopathy suggested that methamphetamine-induced hepatotoxicity and subsequent hyperammonemia may be the cause of encephalopathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFShock is the clinical presentation of circulatory failure with impaired perfusion that results in inadequate cellular oxygen utilization. Treatment requires properly identifying the type of shock that is impacting the patient (obstructive, distributive, cardiogenic, and/or hypovolemic). Complex cases may involve numerous contributors to each type of shock and/or multiple types of shock which can present interesting diagnostic and management challenges to the clinician.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBurn injuries carry an increased risk of intra-abdominal hypertension and are an independent risk factor for abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). ACS is most commonly due to large volume resuscitation. The added concern of ACS can complicate resuscitative efforts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a psychoactive substance that is used commonly as a recreational drug at rave music festivals. MDMA intoxication can cause a myriad of symptoms and side effects including the manifestation of hyperpyrexia in patients. Hyperpyrexia can mimic a heat stroke and ultimately lead to various forms of end-organ damage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Cardiac masses are a rare cause of chest pain. They can often be missed on a chest radiograph performed to evaluate non-specific chest pain and are not readily evaluated with traditional laboratory testing. However, these masses can be visualized with point-of-care ultrasound.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Emergent cricothyrotomy (EC) is a rare and lifesaving procedure to secure a difficult airway when other methods have failed. Many techniques have been discussed in the literature. This study aimed to identify major techniques used to perform EC in a regional trauma center and evaluate outcomes associated with the techniques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of bladder pressures in the diagnosis and management of abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Methods After Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, nine operative abdominal trauma patients were prospectively studied over an 18-month period. Bladder pressures were compared to pressures obtained from intra-operatively placed electronic transducer located in the pelvis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPediatric intussusception has been reported to be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in the literature since the start of the pandemic in the past two years. Although this occurrence is exceptionally rare, rapid diagnosis based on recognition of gastrointestinal manifestations, clinical examination, and ultrasound confirmation can expedite appropriate care and prevent delayed complications. Intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction and acute abdomen in pediatric patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The rising costs associated with trauma care in the United States is an important topic in today's healthcare environment. Factors such as innovations in technology, increasing governmental and organizational regulations, and the specialization of care have led to increasing costs to the patient. A component of trauma cost is the one-time trauma team response fee (TTRF).
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