Emergency Medicine Alert articles from July 2003

Emergency Medicine Alert archives from July 2003

Glasgow: the power is in the motor. (Abstract & Commentary).(Glasgow Coma Scale)
July 1, 2003... THE GLASGOW COMA SCALE (GCS) HAS SERVED AS AN ASSESSMENT tool in head trauma, as a measure of physiologic derangement in outcome models, and often is used to rapidly assess neurologic status. Its value as a predictor of survival never has been...

Etomidate appears to be safe in children. (Abstract & Commentary).(induction agent used for rapid sequence intubation)
July 1, 2003... ETOMIDATE, AN IMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVE COMMONLY used for rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in the emergency department (ED), is indicated for this purpose in patients 10 years and older. Despite this fact, it frequently is used for both procedural...

Nitroprusside may benefit patients with heart failure and aortic stenosis. (Abstract & Commentary).
July 1, 2003... FOR DECADES, CONVENTIONAL TEACHING HAS DICTATED that patients with aortic stenosis and congestive heart failure should not be treated with vasodilators because of the concern of life-threatening hypotension. In this prospective observational...

Techniques for removing nasal foreign bodies. (Special Feature).
July 1, 2003... PATIENTS WITH FOREIGN BODIES IN THE NOSE COMMONLY present to the emergency department (ED). These foreign bodies include a wide range of small objects limited only by the imagination, and include inanimate materials (e.g., toy parts, rocks,...

Physician CME questions.(continuing medical education)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... 8. Which of the following components of the Glasgow Coma Scale appears to be the best outcome predictor? a. Motor b. Sensory c. Verbal d. Eye opening 9. Recent literature suggests etomidate appears to be safe: a....

[V.sub.2] in the mirror. (ECG Review).(silent heart attack )
July 1, 2003... Clinical Scenario: The ECG in the Figure was obtained from a 90-year-old woman admitted to the hospital for shortness of breath. In view of this history, how would you interpret her 12-lead ECG? Can you also account for the finding of early...