Fact file 1: Critical care and emergency medicine

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Fancourt
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Sports Medicine ◽  
Orthopaedic Surgery ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
Disaster Medicine ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Medical Disciplines ◽  
The Brain

Emergency medicine involves the care of patients who require immediate medical attention. The specialty encompasses a broad range of medical disciplines, including anaesthesia, cardiology (a field related to the heart), neurology (a field related to the brain), plastic surgery, orthopaedic surgery (surgery relating to the bones or muscles), and cardiothoracic surgery (surgery relating to the heart, chest, or lungs). There are also a number of subspecialties including extreme environment medicine, disaster medicine and sports medicine. Related to emergency medicine is the specialty of critical care medicine, which is concerned with the care of patients with life-threatening conditions often treated in intensive care settings....

Adverse Events Reporting System as Experienced by Critical-Care Nurses in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thusile Mabel Gqaleni ◽  
Busisiwe Rosemary Bhengu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Critical Care Nurses ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Life Threatening

Critically ill patients admitted to critical-care units (CCUs) might have life-threatening or potentially life-threatening problems. Adverse events (AEs) occur frequently in CCUs, resulting in compromised quality of patient care. This study explores the experiences of critical-care nurses (CCNs) in relation to how the reported AEs were analysed and handled in CCUs. The study was conducted in the CCUs of five purposively selected hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A descriptive qualitative design was used to obtain data through in-depth interviews from a purposive sample of five unit managers working in the CCUs to provide a deeper meaning of their experiences. This study was a part of a bigger study using a mixed-methods approach. The recorded qualitative data were analysed using Tesch’s content analysis. The main categories of information that emerged during the data analysis were (i) the existence of an AE reporting system, (ii) the occurrence of AEs, (iii) the promotion of and barriers to AE reporting, and (iv) the handling of AEs. The findings demonstrated that there were major gaps that affected the maximum utilisation of the reporting system. In addition, even though the system existed in other institutions, it was not utilised at all, hence affecting quality patient care. The following are recommended: (1) a non-punitive and non-confrontational system should be promoted, and (2) an organisational culture should be encouraged where support structures are formed within institutions, which consist of a legal framework, patient and family involvement, effective AE feedback, and education and training of staff.

scholarly journals The pathophysiology of “happy” hypoglycemia

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Loeb ◽  
Anna Ozguler ◽  
Geraldine Baer ◽  
Michel Baer
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Hemorrhagic Shock ◽  
Lactate Production ◽  
Severe Hypoglycemia ◽  
Altered Mental Status ◽  
Case Presentation ◽  
Energy Substrate ◽  
Tissue Hypoperfusion ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Critical Care Patients

Abstract Background Hypoglycemia usually includes various neurological symptoms, which are the consequence of neuroglycopenia. When it is severe, it is associated with altered mental status, even coma. Case presentation We report the case of a patient with severe hypoglycemia, completely asymptomatic, due to the increase of lactate production in response to tissue hypoperfusion following a hemorrhagic shock. This illustrates that lactate can substitute glucose as an energy substrate for the brain. It is also a reminder that this metabolite, despite its bad reputation maintained by its role as a marker of severity in critical care patients, has a fundamental role in our metabolism. Conclusions Following the example of the “happy hypoxemia” recently reported in the literature describing asymptomatic hypoxemia in COVID-19 patients, we describe a case of “happy hypoglycemia.”

scholarly journals Diagnosis of gestational diabetes in Uganda: The reactions of women, family members and health workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 174550652110137
Author(s):  
Flavia Zalwango ◽  
Janet Seeley ◽  
Arthur Namara ◽  
Sanjay Kinra ◽  
Moffat Nyirenda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Gestational Diabetes ◽  
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus Diagnosis ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

Objectives: In Uganda, as in many other low- and middle-income countries, screening for gestational diabetes mellitus is suboptimal and is rarely embedded in routine antenatal care. We describe the experiences of women in Uganda who underwent screening for gestational diabetes mellitus and were diagnosed with the condition as they navigate both the reaction of family members and their interaction with health workers. Methods: Pregnant women aged 18 years or older and between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation were enrolled from the antenatal clinics at one of the five hospitals between 13 June 2018 and 31 October 2019. Ten women with gestational diabetes mellitus, ten family members and six health workers were purposively selected to take part. Interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data on the socio-cultural and health system factors that influence timely screening and effective management of gestational diabetes mellitus in Uganda. Data were analysed thematically. Results: Women generally reflected on the importance of gestational diabetes mellitus screening and felt that an early diagnosis helped them to get timely medical attention, and most reported a positive experience of the care provided by health workers. However, women who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus reported feeling fearful and anxious, and some were worried that the condition might be life-threatening. Many women reported that they were upset and largely unprepared to receive a gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis. A gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis not only stirred intense feelings of fear and anxiety in women but also affected their spouses and other family members. Many male partners were sympathetic and willing to provide support. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need to understand the perceptions and emotions that accompany a gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis to best support women and their family members. An improved recognition of these factors can inform the development of effective gestational diabetes mellitus screening and management programmes.

scholarly journals Unilateral mydriasis in a child with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for obstructive hydrocephalus: a diagnostic dilemma

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. e237257
Author(s):  
Monidipa Banerjee ◽  
Eiman Haj Ahmed ◽  
Kathryn Foster ◽  
Arundoss Gangadharan
Keyword(s):  
Ipratropium Bromide ◽  
Obstructive Hydrocephalus ◽  
Sudden Onset ◽  
Unique Case ◽  
Diagnostic Dilemma ◽  
Vp Shunt ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Unilateral Mydriasis ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Rule Out

There are several causes for sudden onset unilateral mydriasis, however impending transtentorial uncal herniation needs to be ruled out. This unique case highlights an uncommon adverse response to a common mode of treatment that leads to a diagnostic dilemma. A 3-year-old boy with a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt for an obstructive hydrocephalus presented with an acute respiratory distress. He developed unilateral mydriasis with absent light reflex during treatment with nebulisers. An urgent CT scan of the brain did not show any new intracranial abnormality. A case of pharmacological anisocoria was diagnosed that resolved completely within 24 hours of discontinuation of ipratropium bromide. Although ipratropium-induced anisocoria has been reported in children, but to our knowledge none in a child with VP shunt for hydrocephalus. This emphasises the urgency in evaluating unilateral mydriasis to rule out life-threatening conditions. Clinicians should remember that ipratropium administered through ill-fitting face masks could cause this completely reversible adverse effect.

scholarly journals Multidisciplinary Approach to Suspected Sudden Death Caused by Arteriovenous Malformation Rupture: A Case Report

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 644
Author(s):  
Federico Giuseppe Patanè ◽  
Massimiliano Esposito ◽  
Andrea Giovanni Musumeci ◽  
Monica Palermo ◽  
Marco Torrisi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arteriovenous Malformation ◽  
Cause Of Death ◽  
Venous Malformation ◽  
Healthy Woman ◽  
Unexpected Death ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Variable Diameter ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Brain Avms ◽  
The Brain

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare congenital conditions with a prevalence of less than 1% and are mostly asymptomatic. However, these malformations can suddenly cause intense pain or bleeding, leading to life-threatening medical problems. This report presents a case of an unexpected death in a 37-year-old previously healthy woman due to an intra-cerebellum arteriovenous malformation rupture identified during autopsy. While infective processes where preliminarily excluded, a Post Mortem Computed Tomography (PMCT) identified a tetra ventricular hemorrhage and intra-cerebellum hemorrhage. Toxicological examination was negative for most substances of abuse. During autopsy an intense hemorrhagic infiltrate in the subarachnoid space was observed. After formalin fixation of the brain the cerebellum showed hemorrhagic infarction on fourth ventricle sides, as well as several small reddish infarctions across the entire cerebellum parenchyma. Histological examination of the brain and cerebellum showed a suffusion of erythrocytes in the sub-arachnoid region. Evidence of an arterio-venous malformation, with several intertwine vessels of variable diameter, surrounded by hemorrhagic evidence. The autopsy played a crucial role in identifying the location and the possibly affected vessel, as well as defining the cause of death. It is necessary to have a greater number of autopsies to make an epidemiological contribution. Furthermore, it is crucial to create a multicenter data network with other authors from other departments to improve information about epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic data. Most brain AVMs as cause of death are often undiscovered.

scholarly journals Bedside examination of the vestibular and ocular motor system in patients with acute vertigo or dizziness

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 2514183X1988615
Author(s):  
Alexander A Tarnutzer ◽  
Marianne Dieterich
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Head Impulse Test ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Ocular Motor ◽  
Bedside Examination ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Ocular Motor System ◽  
Bedside Tests ◽  
The Brain

In the initial assessment of the patient with acute vertigo or dizziness, both structured history-taking and a targeted bedside neuro-otological examination are essential for distinguishing potentially life-threatening central vestibular causes from those of benign, self-limited peripheral labyrinthine origin and thus for deciding on further diagnostic testing. In this article, the key elements of the vestibular and ocular motor examination, which should be obtained at the bedside in these acutely dizzy patients, will be discussed. Specifically, this will include the following five domains: ocular stability for (I) nystagmus and for (II) eye position (skew deviation), (III) the head-impulse test (HIT), (IV) postural stability, and (V) ocular motor deficits of saccades, smooth pursuit eye movements, and optokinetic nystagmus. We will also discuss the diagnostic accuracy of specific combinations of these bedside tests (i.e. HIT, testing for nystagmus and vertical divergence, referred to as the H.I.N.T.S. three-step examination), emphasizing that the targeted neuro-otological bedside examination is more sensitive for identifying central causes in acute prolonged vertigo and dizziness than early MRI of the brain.

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