A 51-year-old woman crushed by an elephant trunk.

Wild and exotic animal attacks are not common in the United States. Animal-related injuries in the United States are usually caused by dog bites, followed by cattle and horse injuries. Exotic animal attacks can occur when the animals are provoked, depressed, or housed improperly by owners. We report the case of a 51-year-old woman who sustained multiple systemic traumatic injuries after she was pinned to a fence by an elephant's trunk. Upon arrival in the emergency department, she was hypothermic with a temperature of 35.1ºC (95.1ºF), hypotensive to 94/60 mm Hg after 5 L crystalloid, tachycardic at 108 beats/min, and intubated with oxygen saturation of 100%. Tranexamic acid was administered in addition to starting a massive transfusion protocol. Injuries included bilateral multiple rib fractures, left abdominal wall degloving injury, right pneumothorax, right hemothorax, left chest wall puncture wound, grade IV splenic laceration, 3 grade III liver lacerations, retroperitoneal hematoma, and degloving injuries to bilateral posterior thighs requiring more than 30 operations. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this? Several factors need to be considered when evaluating animal-related injuries, including type, age, and sex of the animal. Multisystem traumatic injuries should be assumed when a large animal is involved. Prehospital care and transport time are vital to a patient's survival in both urban and rural settings. During the initial resuscitation, administering antibiotics tailored to the specific animal can greatly decrease risk of infection and morbidity. Additionally, tetanus immunoglobulin, tetanus toxoid, and rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine may be needed, unless the victim has been previously vaccinated.

Sixteen-year-old athlete with chest pain and shortness of breath due to pulmonary emboli.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition that is extremely uncommon in the healthy pediatric population. OBJECTIVE: Because pediatric PE is rarely on the Emergency Physician's differential diagnosis, with this case we hope to increase the clinical suspicion for PE in children who present to the Emergency Department (ED). CASE REPORT: This is a case of bilateral pulmonary embolism in a 16-year-old basketball player whose only risk factor is oral contraceptive medication. Initial vital signs demonstrated a temperature of 37.1°C (98.8°F), blood pressure 124/74 mm Hg, heart rate 74 beats/min, respiratory rate 16 breaths/min, and oxygen saturation 100% on room air. Subsequent vital signs, physical examination, chest radiograph, electrocardiogram, and laboratory assessments were all within normal limits. Using clinician gestalt in combination with the patient's Wells score of 0, a D-dimer was obtained and returned at 1916 ng/mL. The computed tomography scan with PE protocol detected a total of seven pulmonary emboli bilaterally. The patient was anticoagulated with Lovenox (Sanofi US, Bridgewater, NJ) in the ED and admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Complete thrombophilia work-up was negative. The patient was discharged with Lovenox and was transitioned to warfarin. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency Physicians may be inclined to discharge a pediatric patient at low pre-test probability for PE with outpatient follow-up if the work-up is non-contributory. But the current adult PE clinical criteria are not as sensitive or specific in the pediatric population. This case demonstrates that the clinician's gestalt should play a major role in combination with the Wells score and PERC (pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria) rule to exclude PE until clinical decision rules specific for the pediatric population are established.

Postobstructive pulmonary edema in a 40-year-old man after suffocation by a swimming pool cover.

BACKGROUND: Postobstructive pulmonary edema (POPE) is a form of sudden onset, noncardiogenic pulmonary edema that can occur after the relief of an upper airway obstruction. OBJECTIVE: Since POPE is an uncommon diagnosis made in the emergency department (ED), this case is presented to increase emergency physicians' awareness of the etiology, pathophysiology, and management of this type of edema. CASE REPORT: This is a case of bilateral POPE in a 40-year-old man with no history of cardiac or pulmonary disease who experienced near suffocation due to the vacuum effect of a swimming pool cover. On presentation to the ED, the patient's symptoms included bilateral pleuritic pain over the anterior chest, shortness of breath, and inspiratory cough. He was tachycardic and tachypneic, with an oxygen saturation of 92% on room air. Pertinent physical examination findings included shallow breathing and right-sided rhonchi. The initial arterial blood gas on room air demonstrated a PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 304 mm Hg. Cardiac enzymes and the electrocardiogram result were normal. The patient's chest radiograph was interpreted as having marked bilateral pulmonary edema. The patient was admitted to the Medicine Intensive Care Unit and placed on noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV). The patient was clinically asymptomatic and was discharged after 72 h. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency physicians should consider the diagnosis of POPE in a symptomatic patient if there is evidence of pulmonary edema immediately after a history of hanging, suffocation, strangulation, choking, naloxone administration, or other forms of upper airway obstruction. Rapid initiation of NIPPV with or without diuretics, steroids, or fluid restriction can lead to symptom resolution within 24 to 48 h.

Aortic dissection and thrombosis diagnosed by emergency ultrasound in a patient with leg pain and paralysis.

The authors present a case of aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysm thrombosis in a 78-year-old male who presented to the emergency department (ED) complaining of lower extremity and paralysis for the past 1.5 hours. The initial vital signs in the ED were as follows: blood pressure (BP) 132/88 mmHg, heart rate (HR) 96, respiratory rate (RR) 14, and an oxygen saturation of 94% at room air. Physical exam was notable for pale and cold left leg. The ED physician was unable to palpate or detect a Doppler signal in the left femoral artery. Bedside ultrasound was performed which showed non-pulsatile left femoral artery and limited flow on color Doppler. Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening ultrasound was performed showing a 4.99 cm infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm and an intra-aortic thrombus with an intimal flap. Vascular surgery was promptly contacted and the patient underwent emergent aorto-bi-femoral bypass, bilateral four compartment fasciotomy, right common femoral artery endarterectomy with profundoplasty, and subsequent left leg amputation. Emergency physicians should utilize bedside ultrasound in patients who present with risk factors or threatening signs and symptoms that may suggest aortic dissection or aneurysm. Bedside ultrasound decreases time to definitive treatment and the mortality of the patients.