[Successful prehospital diagnosis secures fast and correct treatment of acute aorta dissection].

Time from symptom onset to final treatment is crucial for survival. We present a case where prehospital diagnosis by the emergency physician in the ambulance was followed by a telemedicine conference and data transfer to the hospital. This was combined with bypassing of the emergency room and direct transfer to the thoracic surgical theatre, and time to treatment was reduced considerably.

Anemia and 90-day mortality in COPD patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation.

Background: There are data to suggest that anemia is associated with increased mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In contrast, critically ill patients with low hemoglobin levels (4.3-5.

Arterial blood gas derangement and level of comorbidity are not predictors of long-term mortality of COPD patients treated with mechanical ventilation.

Background And Objective: Limited and inconsistent data exist on simple, readily available predictors of long-term mortality of critically ill chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. We therefore examined the influence of arterial blood gas derangement and burden of comorbidities on 90-day and 1-yr mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients treated with invasive mechanical ventilation.

Methods: We identified all chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients (n = 230) treated with invasive mechanical ventilation between 1994 and 2004 at a Danish primary-level hospital.

[Ventricular fibrillation caused by a misplaced Sengstaken tube].

Uncontrollable hemorrhage from esophageal varicose veins in portal hypertension and cirrhosis of the liver may be treated with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube. A case of ventricular fibrillation caused by a misplaced Sengstaken-Blakemore tube is described. Patients with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube in place should be checked by a trained nurse for early signs of misplacement of the tube.