A Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Case in Which Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Was Not Possible Due to Iatrogenic Pneumothorax after Unnecessary Central Catheterization

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is used to treat carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. However, untreated pneumothorax is an absolute contraindication for HBOT. More caution is needed with regard to monoplace hyperbaric chambers, as patient monitoring and life-saving procedures are impossible inside these chambers. Central catheterization is frequently used for various conditions, but unnecessary catheterization must be avoided because of the risk of infection and mechanical complications. Herein, we describe a case of CO poisoning in which iatrogenic pneumothorax developed after unnecessary subclavian central catheterization. The patient did not need to be catheterized, and HBOT could not be performed because of the pneumothorax. Hence, this case reminds us of basic—but nonetheless important—principles of catheterization.

A case of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis caused by an Epstein-Barr virus infection, presenting with unremitting fever and rash

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a hyperinflammatory syndrome caused by excessive activation of lymphocytes and macrophages, leading to cytokine storm. Infection-associated HLH is most common, and Epstein-Barr virus is the leading triggers. Quick diagnosis is essential for starting the treatment before irreversible damage. We report a case of 16-year-old boy who presented with unremitted fever, jaundice, and erythematous maculopapular rash all over the body. Investigations showed thrombocytopenia, hyperferritinemia, hypertriglycemia, and the bone marrow biopsy showed hemophagocytosis. Epstein-Barr virus antibody was positive. He responded to chemotherapy as per the HLH-2004 protocol and supportive treatment, and was discharged without complication on day 17.

Inter-rater agreement of Korean Triage and Acuity Scale between emergency physicians and nurses

OBJECTIVE: The Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) has been used in all emergency departments (EDs) since 2016. Medical personnel can provide the treatment priority based on the KTAS levels. The inter-rater agreement with KTAS has not been reported, even though most triage assignments are performed by nurses in Korea. This study was aimed to verify the agreement of triage levels between emergency physicians (EPs) and nurses with KTAS. METHODS: This was a prospective, single-center study of an academic tertiary medical center. If the patient visits the ED, the triage nurse and EP meet the patients together. The nurse performed the history taking and physical examinations including vital signs measurements then recorded the KTAS levels. The EP did not interfere with the nurse's decision. The EP also decided the KTAS levels. The designated codes and levels were compared. The EP recorded the detailed reasons for the disagreement if there was discrepancy. RESULTS: Comparisons were performed with 928 patients. The number of patients in each KTAS level was 95 (10.2%) in level I, 263 (28.3%) in level II, 348 (37.5%) in level III, 144 (15.5%) in level IV, and 78 (8.4%) in level V. The overall agreement was 761 (82%), and the Kappa coefficient was 0.691. The errors of history taking were most frequent (131, 78.4%). Insufficient understanding of the disease pathophysiology, inaccurate neurological examinations, and errors that did not consider the vital signs except for the blood pressure were encountered in 12 (7.2%). CONCLUSION: The agreement rate was high between EPs and nurses using KTAS (K=0.691, substantial agreement).

A case of chilaiditi syndrome complicated by acute small bowel obstruction

Chilaiditi syndrome is an extremity rare disease that is typically asymptomatic, but can lead to fatal complications, such as volvulus, perforation, and bowel obstruction. This paper reports a case of an 80-year-old female patient who was admitted for right upper quadrant pain and nausea. She showed a positive Murphy sign with tenderness in the right upper quadrant area. Abdominal ultrasound showed that the gall bladder was normal, but abdominal computed tomography revealed multiple small bowel loops interposed among the liver and diaphragm, as well as an abrupt small transition in the bowel caliber with air fluid levels. Therefore, she was diagnosed with an acute small bowel obstruction by Chilaiditi syndrome. She was managed with surgical repair and was discharged without complications after 18 days of admission. Small bowel obstructions by Chilaiditi syndrome is one etiology of which every emergency physician should be aware.

The New Diagnostic Algorithm for New or Presumably New Left Bundle Branch Block and Suspected Acute Myocardial Infarction

PURPOSE: Patients with a suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the setting of a new or presumably new left bundle branch block (LBBB) present an important diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to clinicians. This study was conducted to identify the frequency of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)-equivalent in this population, determine the diagnostic value of electrocardiographic and echocardiographic features and propose a new diagnostic algorithm. METHODS: From 793 patients who underwent emergent coronary angiography between January 1, 2012 and July 31, 2015, we examined data pertaining to 21 patients with new or presumably new LBBB. These patients were classified into three groups: 1) STEMI-equivalent, defined as an acute coronary occlusion on coronary angiogram (six patients), 2) non-STEMI (NSTEMI) (six patients), and 3) diagnosis other than myocardial infarction (non-MI) (nine patients). RESULTS: Six patients who met the ST-segment concordance criteria (score≥3) were STEMI-equivalent. On the other hand, seven patients with a discordant ST-elevation of ≥5 mm (score=2) were NSTEMI or non-MI. Therefore ST-segment concordance was highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of STEMI-equivalent. Compared with NSTEMI patients, nine non-MI patients with a normal angiogram had a low ejection fraction (35.6±19.0 vs. 56.0±12.9, p=0.04) and increased left ventricle end-diastolic dimension (63.9±8.8 vs. 51.7±6.4, p=0.012). CONCLUSION: Only a minority of patients with LBBB and suspected AMI have a STEMI-equivalent. Low ejection fraction and increased end-diastolic dimension of left ventricle indicate normal coronary angiogram in patients without ST-segment concordance of Sgarbossa criteria. We propose a new modified diagnostic algorithm in this population.

V5E and V6E, the New Additional Electrocardiographic Leads to Detect Lateral Wall Acute Myocardial Infarction: Preliminary Study

PURPOSE: The 12-lead electrocardiogram has limitation for detection of lateral wall myocardial infarction (MI). Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the location of leads V5 and V6 with the left ventricle (LV) lateral wall using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and propose new additional leads for detection of lateral wall MI. METHODS: From 120 study subjects who underwent chest MDCT, we measured the angle (Θ) between the midsagittal plane and long axis of LV on the coronal imaging of MDCT. Using this, another angle (90-Θ) between the long axis of LV and leads V5 and V6 was calculated. After the location of the leads V5 and V6 was identified using axial and coronal images of MDCT, the positional relationship between leads V5 and V6 and the lateral wall was compared based on the thoracic spine. RESULTS: The Θ and 90-Θ was 52.2°±10.3°and 37.8°±10.3°, respectively. Leads V5 and V6 faced the LV lateral wall very obliquely. The score of leads V5 and V6 position based on the thoracic spine was 6.9±1.8 points as the level of lower part of 9th vertebral body. Meanwhile, the lateral wall of LV was 4.7±2.2 points as the lower part of the 8th vertebral body. Thus, leads V5 and V6 were located lower by the height of one thoracic vertebral body than the lateral wall of LV on coronal images (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Leads V5 and V6 are inappropriate for detection of the lateral wall MI. To diagnose that more efficiently, we propose the new additional leads, elevated V5 and elevated V6, located two or three intercostal spaces upward from leads V5 and V6.

A New Formula for Optimal Endotracheal Tube Depth using Mid-Sagittal Multidetector Computed Tomography Imaging

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to propose a new useful formula using the upper incisor-sternal notch length to predict the airway length for the optimal positioning of the endotracheal tube (ETT) through mid-sagittal multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). METHODS: From March 2014 through February 2015, 102 of 470 patients undergoing neck MDCT were randomly selected. Using the ViewRex program to analyze the mid-sagittal image of the MDCT, we measured the straight length from the upper incisor to the sternal notch and the curved airway length from the upper incisor to the carina. Linear regression was used to analyze the relationship among measured variables. RESULTS: The average age was 52.1±14.2 and 44 subjects were male. The straight length from the upper incisor to the sternal notch and the curved airway length from the upper incisor to the carina were 15.3±1.6 cm and 27.7±2.0 cm, respectively. The correlation between two variables was significant (p < 0.001). A formula was obtained by linear regression in which the airway length from the upper incisor to carina (cm)=1.02×the straight length from the upper incisor to sternal notch+12.1. CONCLUSION: The proposed simplified formula (Y=X+12; Y, curved airway length from upper incisor to carina; X, straight length from upper incisor to sternal notch) can provide a useful guide to determine the optimal positioning of the endotracheal tube in most of patients who required orotracheal intubation.

A New Formula for Optimal Pediatric Endotracheal Tube Depth by Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Limited Study

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to propose a new, simplified formula using an upper incisor-sternal notch (UI-SN) to predict the airway length of optimal positioning of the endotracheal tube via a midsagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in pediatric patients. METHODS: Between August 2000 and September 2014, a total of 56 pediatric patients (under 8 years old) who underwent MRI for C-spine or whole spine were included for analysis. Variables, such as curved airway length from upper incisor to carina (UI-C), straight length from upper incisor to sternal notch (UI-SN), and from the clivus to sternal notch (C-SN), were measured. Linear regression was used to analyze the relationship among these variables. RESULTS: The average age was 3.5±2.6, and there were 30 (53.6%) males. The mean airway length for UI-C and UI-SN was 16.0±2.8 and 8.8±2.1 cm, respectively. There was a close linear correlation between UI-C and UI-SN (p<0.001). By linear regression, a formula was obtained as UI-C (cm)=1.26×UI-SN (cm)+5.0 (R²=0.873). CONCLUSION: The airway length from the upper incisor to the carina with the head placed in neutral position can be well predicted by a straight length from the upper incisor to the sternal notch. The proposed simplified formula (UI-C=1.26×UI-SN+5, cm) can provide good guidance in determining the optimal positioning of endotracheal tube in pediatric patients.

Multi-Detector Computed Tomography Coronal View for Deciding Optimal Incision Site in Acute Appendicitis

PURPOSE: This study identifies the optimal incision site by describing the relationship between McBurney's point and the base of appendix using the coronal view of abdominal multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in patients with acute appendicitis. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 206 patients with positive MDCT findings who were histologically diagnosed with acute appendicitis after appendectomy between January 2014 and September 2015. The outer 1/3 point between two points, the umbilicus and the right anterior superior iliac spine, was marked as McBurney's point on the coronal view. The superoinferior, mediolateral and radial distances between the base of appendix and McBurney's point were measured and recorded. RESULTS: The average age was 35.1±20.3 years. There were 34 patients below the age of 15-years-old (children), and 172 patients over 15-years-old (adults). In 35.4% of patients, the base of appendix was located within a radius of 2 cm from the McBurney's point, in 39.8% it was within 2~4 cm, and in 24.8% was over 4 cm. The average center coordinate of the base of inflamed appendix in our patients is 9.32 mm, 8.31 mm and the distance between two points is 12.5 mm. CONCLUSION: The location of appendix has wide individual variability; therefore the McBurney's point has limitations as an anatomic landmark. If we choose to customize appendectomy incisions considering the base of appendix by using an abdominal MDCT coronal view, additional incision site extension can be reduced.

Estimation of optimal pediatric chest compression depth by using computed tomography

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the optimal chest compression depth for infants and children with that of adults when the simulated compression depth was delivered according to the current guidelines. METHODS: A total of 467 consecutive chest computed tomography scans (93 infants, 110 children, and 264 adults) were reviewed. The anteroposterior diameter and compressible diameter (CD) for infants and children were measured at the inter-nipple level and at the mid-lower half of the spine for adults. Compression ratio (CR) to CD was calculated at simulated 1/4, 1/3, and 1/2 antero-posterior compressions in infants and children, and simulated 5- and 6-cm compressions in adults. RESULTS: In adults, the CRs to CD at simulated 5- and 6-cm compression depth were 41.7±0.16%, 50.0±7.3% respectively. In children and infants, the CRs to CD at 1/3 chest compression were 55.1±2.4% and 51.8±2.4%, respectively, and at 1/2 chest compression, CRs were 82.7±3.7% and 77.7±3.6%, respectively. The CRs to CD of 4-cm compression depth in infants and 5-cm compression depth in children were 74.4±10.9%, 62.5±8.7%, respectively. The CRs to CD for children and infants were significantly higher than in adults (P<0.001). The CR to CD of 4-cm compression depth in children was almost similar to that of 6-cm compression depth in adults (50.0± 6.9% vs. 50.0±7.3%, P=0.985). CONCLUSION: Current pediatric guidelines for compression depth are too deep compared to those in adults. We suggest using 1/3 of the anteroposterior chest diameter or about 4 cm in children and less than 4 cm in infants.

The Change of Surface Temperature in Healing Process of Wound and Burn in Porcine Model

PURPOSE: The goal of wound managements are to prevent further tissue injury during dressing changes, and absorb the excessive exudates, provide moist condition, reduce the infection. But the usual dressing methods have several limitations to serve the information about wound surface environment. Moist, pressure, temperature, pH are the important factors that give us the information about the healing process phase, speed of healing, & the risk of infection. METHODS: We made full thickness wounds & burn on porcine model, then assessed the surface temperature intermittently until repithelialization were completed, and size measurement were done with Image Pro Plus 6.0. RESULTS: In wound areas, the surface temperature was lowest at post operation #1 day, then slightly increased till POD #21 days, and again down slope curvature. In burn area, the surface temperature was highest at POD #1 day, then slightly decreased till POD # 21 days, and more fall curvature. Modern sensing technology along with wireless radio frequency communication technology is posed to make significant advances in wound management. Our result will be a basic data for the future researches about the surface temperature monitor to detect the early infection and the intervention to modulate the surface temperature to increase the rate of epithelialization. CONCLUSION: The result of the correlation between the surface temperature and area reduction have weak or moderate negative Pearson correlation coefficient.

Estimation of Optimal Pediatric Chest Compression Depth by Using Computed Tomography

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess optimal chest compression depth for infants and children compared with adults, when the simulated compression depth was delivered according to the current guidelines. METHODS: A total of 467 consecutive chest computed tomography scans (93 of infants, 110 of children, and 264 of adults) were reviewed. The anteroposterior (AP) diameter and compressible diameter (CD) for infants and children were measured at the inter-nipple level and at the middle of the lower half of the sternum for adults. Compression ratio (CR) to CD was calculated at simulated one-fourth, onethird, and one-half AP compressions in infants and children and simulated 5-cm, 6-cm compressions in adult. RESULTS: In adults, the CRs to CD at simulated 5-cm, 6-cm compression depth were 41.7±0.16%, 50.0±7.3%, respectively. In children and infants, the CRs to CD at onethird chest compression were, respectively, 55.1±2.4%, 51.8±2.4% and 82.7±3.7%, 77.7±3.6% at one-half chest compression. The CRs to CD of 4-cm compression depth in infants and 5-cm compression depth in children were 74.4±10.9%, 62.5±8.7%, respectively. The CRs to CD for children and infants were significantly higher compared with adults (p<0.001). The CR to CD of 4-cm compression depth in children was similar to that of 6-cm compression depth in adults (50.0±6.9% vs 50.0±7.3%, p=0.985). CONCLUSION: The current pediatric guideline for compression depth was too deep compared with adults. We suggest that one third of the AP chest diameter or approximately 4-cm in children and less than 4-cm in infants is more appropriate.

A New Modified Scoring System to Assess the Prognosis of Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

PURPOSE: An accurate, objective scoring system to assess the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) could be helpful to physicians in predicting patient mortality and improving decisions regarding hospitalization. However reports on the severity scoring system for prediction of mortality in patients with CAP in Korea are rare. The aim of this study was to propose a new modified severity scoring system based on a previously validated A-DROP for CAP and to compare it with pneumonia severity index (PSI), CURB- 65 and A-DROP. METHODS: The medical records of 364 patients admitted with CAP via ED from January 2013 through August 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. The demographic data, comorbidities, laboratories, PSI class, CURB-65 score, and A-DROP score were reviewed. The authors investigated a modification factor by comparing the survivors with the nonsurvivors. RESULTS: The study subjects were composed of 264 men and 100 women, with a mean age of 66.2+/-15.2 years. The overall 30-day mortality was 9.6%. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for prediction of 30-day mortality in patients with CAP were 0.803 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.739-0.868), 0.734 (95% CI: 0.652-0.816) and 0.747 (95% CI: 0.662-0.833) for PSI, CURB-65 and A-DROP respectively. The new DROP-70 scoring system which includes age> or =70 years is a simple modified version of the A-DROP. The area under the ROC curves of DROP-70 was 0.774 (95% CI: 0.698-0.850). CONCLUSION: A new severity scoring system, DROP-70, could be a useful index for predicting 30-day mortality in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Fever Phobia in Korean Caregivers and Its Clinical Implications

Fever is the most common complaint among children brought into the emergency department (ED). 'Fever phobia' is a descriptive term for an unrealistic concern about the consequences of fever. 'Fever phobia' is prevalent among parents and even healthcare providers, worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the implications of fever-phobic ideas in Korean caregivers. A prospective, multi-center survey was conducted on Korean caregivers who visited the EDs with febrile children. In total, 746 caregivers were enrolled. The mean age of the subjects was 34.7 yr (SD+/-5.0). Three hundred sixty respondents (48.3%) believed that the body temperature of febrile children can reach higher than 42.0degrees C. Unrealistic concerns about the improbable complications of fever, such as brain damage, unconsciousness, and loss of hearing/vision were believed by 295 (39.5%), 66 (8.8%), and 58 (7.8%) caregivers, respectively. Four hundred ninety-four (66.2%) guardians woke children to give antipyretics. These findings suggest that fever phobia is a substantial burden for Korean caregivers.

Korean Guidelines for Pediatric Procedural Sedation and Analgesia

Procedural sedation and analgesia (below PSA), which is used for induction of appropriate sedation and elimination of pain during many procedures, is particularly essential for children. Many other countries have pediatric PSA guidelines. PSA guidelines are also needed in Korea. We have developed pediatric PSA guidelines for Korea by reference review of pediatric PSA for standard and safe PSA practice in Korea. Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic methods could be used for performance of ideal pediatric PSA. Pre sedation phase included assessment of patients, with accompanying personnel who have adequate knowledge and experience, and informed consent. For sedation phase, the route of medication should be determined, along with monitoring of patients and evaluation of the depth of sedation. This phase also included writing all of the PSA process, adverse events, and intervention. Considering the pain of the procedures, the time of procedures, necessity for immobilization, and characteristics of PSA medication, we decided on the PSA method. Procedures were categorized into three types according to the level of pain, anxiety, and immobilization. The first type was radiologic imaging, which requires immobilization. The second type of procedure involves a high level of anxiety and a low level of pain, such as simple suturing and lumbar puncture. The third type of procedure involves a high level of anxiety and a high level of pain, such as reduction of fracture and dislocation. After performance of the procedure, patients must be observed and monitored at a location where oxygen and airway management can be applied until they reach full recovery. Discharge information should be provided to competent parents. The main characteristics of Korean guidelines for pediatric PSA were as follows: 1. We emphasized assessment and monitoring of patients during and after PSA. 2. We suggested selection of medication by categorization of procedures according to the level of pain and anxiety. 3. We suggest that PSA be performed by two healthcare personnel; one should have adequate knowledge and experience in performance of PSA. More equipment, locations, and specialized personnel are needed for conduct of safe pediatric PSA practice in Korea.

Multicenter Survey of Intoxication Cases in Korean Emergency Departments: 2nd Annual Report, 2009

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the occurrence of toxic exposure cases in Korean emergency centers using a toxic exposure surveillance system-based report form and to provide guidelines for the prevention and treatment of toxic exposures. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of toxic exposure patients who had visited emergency centers from January 2009 to December 2009. Epidemiology data points for the toxic exposure cases included age, gender, type of exposure, number and kind of substances involved, reason and route of poison exposure, management of the patients in the emergency departments, and the clinical outcome. RESULTS: A total of 3,501 patients from 12 emergency departments were enrolled in the study. 50.0% of the total exposure patients were male and 63.0% of the total cases were fatal. Acute intoxication occurred in 91.3% of the total patients and suicidal intent was the most common (43.3%) reason for exposure. The most common route of exposure was ingestion (75.9%). Of the total cases, pesticides were involved in 26.3%, sedatives/hypnotics/antipsychotics were involved in 22.0%, and bites and envenomations were involved in 15.7%. CONCLUSION: We provided a database of patients who were admitted to emergency departments after poisoning incidents. We recommend that toxicology professionals develop a classification scheme for toxicants which is adequate for Korean domestic circumstances and initiate a toxic surveillance system for all types of exposures. With support of a psychiatric surveillance system for suicidal patients and establishment of social mediation for pesticide poisoning, major reductions in poison exposures can be achieved.

Clinical Characteristics of Acetabular Fractures in Motor Vehicle Accident According to Tile's Classification

PURPOSE: Pelvic ring fractures amount to 1.5% of all joint fractures. The most frequent causes of pelvic trauma are related to car accidents (50~60%) and car-pedestrian crashes (24~28%). The incidence and severity according to the types of acetabular fractures are not known well. We wanted to evaluate the clinical characteristics of acetabular fractures. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records and radiographic findings of 46 cases of the acetabular fractures in patients who suffered motor vehicle accidents during a 2 year period (from March 2007 to April 2009). RESULTS: The proportion of acetabular fractures was 35.7% of all the pelvic bone fractures due to motor vehicle accidents. The males made up 65.0% of the patients. The mean patient age was 44 year old. The majority of cases were driver-accidents (37.0%). As basis on Tile's grouping, the anterior fracture was the most common type (45.6%). The initial ISS score was higher for anterior fracture than that for the other types of acetabular fractures. Surgical operations were performed for 59.0% of the study patients. When the operative intervention was performed within 3 days, the ICU stay of the patients was much longer. Early surgical intervention could not reduce the development of late complications or improve the overall clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: Acetabular fractures are not a rare type of pelvic bone injury in patients who are injured in motor vehicle accidents. Anterior fracture was the most common type and it showed a poor prognosis. Early surgical intervention cannot reduce the length of the hospital stay of patients with acetabular fractures or the development of late complications.

2008 Database of Korean Toxic Exposures: A Preliminary Study

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate toxic exposures in emergency centers with using a toxic exposure surveillance system-based report form as a preliminary study. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of toxic exposure patients who visited emergency centers from January to December 2008. RESULTS: 3,157 patients from 11 emergency centers were enrolled. Males were involved in 47.9% of the total cases of exposure and in 60.1% of the cases of fatal exposure. Suicidal intent was the most common (61.0%) reason and most (87.4%) fatal exposures were suicidal. Pesticides were involved in 30.7% of the cases and sedative/hypnotics/antipsychotics were involved in 20.5%. The substances most frequently involved in fatalities were pesticides, and a 48.4% fatality rate was recorded for paraquat exposure. CONCLUSION: The toxic exposure data showed the preliminary poisoning events in emergency centers. It is recommended that toxicology professionals should develop a toxic surveillance system and serial reporting should be performed.

A Case of Multiple Intracranial Hemorrhage Associated with Enoxaparin Treatment for an Acute Myocardial Infarction after Resuscitation

We report a rare case of multiple intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intraventricular hemorrhage that developed after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A 66-year-old man underwent CPR for about 10 minutes in his community hospital. At that time, his only sequela was ST depression in leads V3, and V4 with an ECG. There was no definite parenchymal lesion in the brain computed tomography (CT) scan taken in the community hospital, and the patient was transferred to Wonju christian hospital for post-resuscitation management. Upon arrival, echocardiographic findings showed akinesia of the anterior wall and anteroseptal wall together with decreased ejection fraction (34%). A cardiac enzyme assay showed a CK-MB concentration of 19.4 ng/ml and a troponin-I level of 1.66 ng/ml. He was mentally comatose and both pupils were isocoric and reflexive to light. We concluded that the cause of cardiac arrest was acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and the patient was treated with drugs including aspirin, clopidogrel, enoxaparin-sodium (1 mg/kg subcutaneous), and isosorbide dinitrate. At 10 hours after admission, a follow-up ECG showed ST elevation in lead I, aVL and all leads from V1 to V6. Right anisocoria was seen in neurologic examination at that time. A subsequent brain CT revealed multiple intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage into all cisternal spaces, and intraventricular hemorrhage. Clotting evaluations yielded a prothrombin time (PT) of 14.6 sec., partial thromboplastin time (PTT) of 45.3 sec. and an INR of 1.32, and a hemoglobin count of 16.2 g/dL.

Operative Timing in Patients with Traumatic Acute Subdural Hematomas

PURPOSE: Acute traumatic subdural hematoma (SDH) increases after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and leads to high mortality. The time to operation is a correctable prognostic factor in TBI, but the timing of hematoma evacuation still remains controversial. We assessed the correlation between operative timing and mortality in traumatic acute SDH. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study over an 8-year period in 163 surgical patients with acute traumatic SDH. Information was obtained about demographic, clinical, and radiological findings, surgical management, and mortality at discharge. RESULTS: Overall, 85 patients (52.1%) died, and 47 patients (28.8%) showed good recovery. The patients who underwent earlier surgery were more likely to have severe head injury. The time to operation in patients that died was shorter than patients with good recovery. The mean time for evacuation [Ed-Is this the same as time to surgery, or is this specifically when the hematoma was removed? Please clarify.] was 351.7+/-220.5 minutes in patients who died and 395.5+/-363.3 minutes in patients with good recovery. Patients undergoing surgery within 4 hours of injury had a mortality rate of 54.4% versus 50.9% receiving surgery after 4 hours. But the risk ratio for time spent to surgery increased until 240 minutes and then decreased. Logistic regression on patients with 240 minutes until surgery showed that the probability of death increased with time to surgery. CONCLUSION: Patients who undergo surgery within 180 minutes after injury have a lower probability of death than those with delayed surgery.