Critical care in the emergency department: traumatic brain injury.

Head injury outcome is influenced by the initial insult and the various pathophysiological changes that take place in the posttraumatic phase, some of which may be amenable to intervention. Appropriate measures taken during initial emergency department management and subsequently in the intensive therapy unit can significantly improve outcome. The primary goal is to limit secondary brain injury. Early imaging, rather than admission and observation for neurological deterioration, reduces the time to the detection of life-threatening complications. This paper discusses the current management of severe head injury, some prognostic indicators and methods used to rule out an associated spinal injury.

Thyrotoxicosis presenting as hypokalaemic paralysis and hyperlactataemia in an oriental man.

A 35-year-old Malaysian man presented with rapid onset of flaccid quadriparesis associated with nausea and vomiting. General blood tests revealed severe hypokalaemia (serum potassium 1.5 mmol/L) and hypophosphataemia (serum phosphate 0.29 mmol/L) as a potential cause of the flaccid paralysis. Arterial blood gases showed mixed acid base disturbance of respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis with hyperlactataemia. Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) was suspected as the underlying cause of this presentation and thyroid function tests showed severe hyperthyroid results (free T4 > 77.2 pmol/L, free T3 19.3 pmol/L, thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] < 0.05 mIU/L). Treatment with intravenous potassium and phosphate infusion and oral propranolol resulted in rapid resolution of his symptoms. A discussion of the clinical and pathophysiological features and treatment of TPP (a very rare encounter in UK clinical practice) is presented, and to our knowledge associated hyperlactataemia has not been previously described.

Critical care in the emergency department: severe sepsis and septic shock.

Severe sepsis is a common and commonly fatal disease and is essentially an exaggerated inflammatory response. The epidemiology of severe sepsis and septic shock has been difficult to determine because of an inconsistent approach to definitions and diagnosis. Patients with sepsis account for approximately a third of hospital and intensive care unit bed days in the UK and mortality ranges from 25% to 80%. A number of interventions have recently been shown to improve outcomes. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends a package of evidence based interventions known as the sepsis resuscitation bundles and the sepsis treatment bundles. The aim is to ensure that eligible patients receive all appropriate treatments in a timely fashion, utilising protocol driven prescriptions.

Audit of thrombolysis initiated in an accident and emergency department.

Early thrombolytic therapy after acute myocardial infarction is important in reducing mortality. To evaluate a system for reducing in-hospital delays to thrombolysis pain to needle and door to needle times to thrombolysis were audited in a major accident and emergency (A and E) department of a district general hospital and its coronary care unit (CCU), situated about 5 km away. Baseline performance over six months was assessed retrospectively from notes of 43 consecutive patients (group 1) transferred to the CCU before receiving thrombolysis. Subsequently, selected patients (23) were allowed to receive thrombolysis in the A and E department before transfer to the CCU. The agent was administered by medical staff in the department after receiving oral confirmation of myocardial infarction from the admitting medical officer in the CCU on receipt of fax transmission of the electrocardiogram. A second prospective audit during six months from the start of the new procedure established time intervals in 23 patients eligible to receive thrombolysis in the A and E department (group 2b) and 30 ineligible patients who received thrombolysis in the CCU (group 2a). The groups did not differ significantly in case mix, pre-hospital delay, or transfer time to the CCU. In group 2b door to needle time and pain to needle time were reduced significantly (geometric mean 38 min v 121 min (group 2a) and 128 min (group 1); 141 min v 237 min (group 2a) and 242 min (group 1) respectively, both p < 0.0001). The incidence of adverse effects was not significantly different. Nine deaths occurred (six in group 1, three in group 2b), an in-hospital mortality of 9.9%. Thrombolysis can be safely instituted in the A and E department in selected patients, significantly reducing delay to treatment.

Isolated anterior interosseous nerve palsy following herpes zoster infection: a case report and review of the literature.

A 64-year-old lady noticed weakness of her thumb within two weeks of having developed "shingles" causing vesicular lesions on her arm and hand. Clinical and neurophysiological testing confirmed a lesion of the anterior interosseous nerve. Although motor involvement after herpes zoster infection is recognised, this usually has a myotomal distribution; isolated involvement of a branch of a peripheral motor nerve has not previously been described.

Thrombolysis after acute myocardial infarction.

Appropriate use of a thrombolytic agent may save 20 to 30 lives per 1000 treatments. Thrombolysis should be considered in all patients presenting with cardiac chest pain lasting more than 30 minutes for up to 12 hours after symptom onset. ECG criteria include ST elevation of at least 1 mm in limb leads and/or at least 2 mm in two or more adjacent chest leads or left bundle branch block. There is no upper age limit. All patients should also receive oral aspirin and subcutaneous (intravenous with rt-PA) heparin. Other adjuvant treatments have been reviewed previously in this journal. Streptokinase is the drug of choice except where there is persistent hypotension, previous streptokinase or APSAC at any time, known allergy to streptokinase, or a recent proven streptococcal infection. In these circumstances the patient should receive rt-PA. Additional indications for rt-PA, based on subset analysis by the GUSTO investigators, include patients with ALL of the following: age less than 75 years, presentation within four hours of symptom onset, and ECG evidence of anterior acute myocardial infarction. Treatment should be initiated as soon as possible. The greatest benefit is observed in patients treated early, pain to treat intervals of less than one hour make possible mortality reductions of nearly 50%. "When" matters more than "where": fast tracking to the CCU is one option but A&E initiated thrombolysis is feasible and timely. Prehospital thrombolysis is appropriate in certain geographical situations. The development of practical guidelines for thrombolysis represents the most comprehensive example of evidence based medicine. Streptokinase was first shown to influence outcome in acute myocardial infarction nearly 40 years ago. More recently alternative regimes have been evaluated in several prospective randomised controlled trials yielding pooled data on nearly 60,000 patients. However, systematic review of cumulative data reveals a statistically significant mortality gain for intravenous streptokinase over placebo which could have been identified as early as 1971-at least 15 years before it became generally used in clinical practice.

Chickenpox pneumonia: case report and literature review.

The incidence of primary chickenpox infection in young adults appears to be rising in the UK and other developed countries. The infection is more severe in adults than in children and complications, including pneumonia, are more frequent. An illustrative case of severe chickenpox pneumonia in an immunocompetent, non-pregnant adult smoker is presented. The epidemiology and pathology of the disease is discussed and a review of current management in the emergency department and the intensive care unit is presented. Strategies for the prevention of chickenpox pneumonia are also discussed.

CS exposure--clinical effects and management.

The number of people exposed to CS spray presenting to accident and emergency departments is on the increase. Its effects, though usually minor and short lived, involve several systems and can occasionally be life threatening. It is therefore important that staff are able to manage these patients and know when and how to protect themselves and others from further contamination.

Successful out-of-hospital defibrillation for ventricular fibrillation complicating solvent abuse.

The Authors describe the case history of a child who suffered a cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation after deliberate inhalation of 1,1,1-Trichloroethane in typewriter correction fluid thinners. Successful out-of-hospital defibrillation was carried out and the patient made a full recovery. The literature relating to this particular form of volatile substance abuse is reviewed.

Biomechanical factors in patient selection for radiography after head injury.

In order to assess the predictive value of certain biomechanical parameters for skull fracture after head injury, a prospective analysis was undertaken of a series of 5416 head-injured patients. In each case an assessment was made at presentation as to the velocity of impact and the physical properties of the impacting agent. The incidence of skull vault fracture was then calculated for injuries sustained at different velocities and for different types of contact. The incidence of fracture was also calculated with respect to the presence of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA). The incidences (95 per cent confidence intervals) of skull fracture at low, medium and high speeds were 0.17 (0.0427-0.433), 1.99 (1.47-2.63) and 10.2 (7.41-12.6) per cent respectively. Fractures tended to occur with greater frequency after impacts against broad hard surfaces or small objects rather than against broad soft objects. The percentage incidence of fracture in adults suffering more than 5 min of PTA was 17.93 (12.4-23.5) compared with 0.674 (0.372-1.1) in those without amnesia. Patient selection for skull radiography after an apparently minor head injury can be guided by an assessment of post-traumatic amnesia and the biomechanics of the injury.

Radiographic features in 1016 adults admitted to hospital with acute asthma.

A retrospective review was carried out of the radiographic features of 1016 adults admitted to hospital with acute asthma over a 4-year time period. The radiographic features were classified into five groups: (I) normal, 536 patients (52.9%); (II) features compatible with obstructive lung disease, 323 patients (31.8%); (III) complications of asthma including infection, segmental or greater atelectasis, one case of pneumomediastinum and one case of pneumothorax, 83 patients (8.2%); (IV) unimportant incidental findings, six cases (0.6%); and (V) important incidental findings including tuberulosis, heart failure, and bronchial neoplasm, 68 cases (6.7%). We conclude that in this large series of patients presenting with asthma symptoms severe enough to merit admission there is an incidence of clinically significant radiographic abnormalities of approximately 15%. Admission chest radiography is therefore indicated in adults who are hospitalized with acute asthma.

Hepatitis B vaccination: uptake by medical staff in accident and emergency departments.

To assess the current uptake of hepatitis B vaccine and attitudes towards immunization among accident and emergency practitioners in the UK, a postal survey was carried out. Questionnaires were sent to 742 members of the British Association for Accident and Emergency Medicine (BAEM). Four hundred and six (55%) replies were received. Of 351 respondents in career-grade posts 309 (88%) had received a full course of immunizations. Five respondents were not immunized and not intending to be so, reporting 13 different factors influencing their decisions. The risks of hepatitis B in nonimmune subjects are discussed, as are new government guidelines on the protection of health care workers from hepatitis B infection.

Facilitation of peripheral intravenous access: an evaluation of two methods to augment venous filling.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate two methods of augmenting venous filling as potential aids to i.v. cannulation. DESIGN: Comparative study of cross-sectional areas of preselected antecubital fossa veins. SETTING: Vascular laboratory of a British university teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty healthy, normotensive, adult volunteers. INTERVENTIONS: Vessel cross-sectional areas measured noninvasively using a color flow duplex ultrasound scanner. Measurements were taken at rest, after application of a venous tourniquet, with tourniquet and Esmarch bandage, and with tourniquet and Rhys-Davies exsanguinator. RESULTS: Mean (+/- SD) cross-sectional area at rest was 0.18 +/- 0.094 cm2 and after tourniquet was 0.28 +/- 0.14 cm2. Application of an Esmarch bandage produced an increase to 0.33 +/- 0.14 cm2, and Rhys-Davies exsanguinator produced an increase to 0.32 +/- 0.15 cm2 (P < .0001 for all comparisons except Rhys-Davies exsanguinator versus Esmarch bandage). CONCLUSION: Application of either the Esmarch bandage or the Rhys-Davies exsanguinator caused significant filling of antecubital fossa veins in excess of that produced by a venous tourniquet alone in normovolemic, normotensive volunteers.

Airbag associated fatal head injury: case report and review of the literature on airbag injuries.

Airbags have been shown to significantly reduce mortality and morbidity in motor vehicle crashes. However, the airbag, like the seat belt, produces its own range of injuries. With the increasing use of airbags in the UK, airbag associated injuries will be seen more often. These are usually minor, but in certain circumstances severe and fatal injuries result. Such injuries have been described before in the medical literature, but hitherto most reports have been from North America. This is the first case report from the UK of serious injury due to airbag deployment and describes the case of a driver who was fatally injured when her airbag deployed in a moderate impact frontal collision where such severe injury would not normally have been anticipated. The range of airbag associated injuries is described and predisposing factors such as lack of seat belt usage, short stature, and proximity to airbag housing are discussed. The particular dangers airbags pose to children are also discussed.

Significance of vomiting after head injury.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the presence and severity of post-traumatic vomiting can predict the risk of a skull vault fracture in adults and children. METHODS: Data were analysed relating to a consecutive series of 5416 patients including children who presented to an emergency service in the United Kingdom during a 1 year study period with a principal diagnosis of head injury. Characteristics studied were age, sex, speed of impact, level of consciousness on arrival, incidence of skull fracture, and the presence and severity of post-traumatic vomiting. RESULTS: The overall incidence of post-traumatic vomiting was 7% in adults and 12% in children. In patients with a skull fracture the incidence of post-traumatic vomiting was 28% in adults and 33% in children. Post-traumatic vomiting was associated with a fourfold increase in the relative risk for a skull fracture. Nausea alone did not increase the risk of a skull fracture and multiple episodes of vomiting were no more significant than a single episode. In patients who were fully alert at presentation, post-traumatic vomiting was associated with a twofold increase in relative risk for a skull fracture. CONCLUSION: These results support the incorporation of enquiry about vomiting into the guidelines for skull radiography. One episode of vomiting seems to be as significant as multiple episodes.

Successful treatment of post-transfusion purpura with high dose immunoglobulins after lack of response to plasma exchange.

A 77-year-old woman with post-transfusion purpura failed to respond to two 2.5-litre plasma exchanges with albumin as a replacement fluid. However, intravenous infusion of high-dose human immunoglobulin produced a response within 4 h. It is suggested that plasma exchange and exchange transfusion are effective in this condition mainly because they have allowed large doses of immunoglobulin to be infused in the form of plasma or whole blood.