Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Injuries Presenting to an Emergency Department Before and During the Initial COVID-19 Pandemic Surge.

Study Objective: The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly impacted emergency department volume and acuity. The Delta and Omicron variants contributed to additional surges. We describe the impact that the initial pandemic phase had on frequency and severity of typically non-life-threatening emergencies using upper extremity injuries as a model for other potentially emergent presentation as compared to pre-pandemic times. We do this using the epidemiology of pre-defined significant upper extremity injuries at our facility as a specific example of what occurred at an urban trauma center. Methods: We conducted a comparison of two 6-month periods: between March 2019 and August 2019 (prior to COVID-19) and between March 2020 and August 2020 after the onset of the initial COVID-19 wave. We performed a retrospective chart review of patients who presented with upper extremity injury chief complaints using analysis of the electronic medical record at a single urban tertiary care trauma center in the Midwestern United States. We investigated examination findings, imaging, frequency of surgical procedures and final diagnosis. Results: In the 2019 study period, there were 31,157 ED patients, including 429 with upper extremity injuries, of which 108 patients had significant injuries. In the 2020 study period, there were 24,295 patient presentations, of which 118 of 296 upper extremity presentations were significant. We a priori defined significant injury as follows: fractures, dislocations, neurovascular injuries, or need for operative intervention within 24 hours of ED presentation. Specifically, 25.2% of injuries were significant pre-COVID-19 and 39.9% (p < 0.001) during the initial COVID-19 surge. The absolute number and percentage of significant injuries increased from pre-COVID-19 compared to the initial COVID-19 surge despite an overall 22% decrease in total patient volume. Conclusion: The incidence of significant upper extremity musculoskeletal injuries increased during the pandemic even though the overall number of ED presentations for upper extremity musculoskeletal injuries decreased.

Atypical High-Altitude Cerebral Edema Presentation at an Altitude of Less Than 3000 Meters Elevation: A Case Report.

Introduction: Atypical presentations of high altitude cerebral edema may have a stuttering course that can be similar to more common and benign pathology at a lower altitude than typically causes high altitude cerebral edema. Case Report: A healthy 27-year-old male presented to a medical clinic situated at an altitude of 2829 meters with a "migraine" headache and nausea. He reported several episodes of 'blurry vision' each lasting seconds to a minute over the previous day. Symptoms had started four to five days after ascending from his home at sea level. The visual symptoms did not recur while he was in the clinic and his headache and nausea improved after oral medication. The physician recommended advanced imaging at the local hospital, but he declined and was discharged. The following day while riding a ski lift between 2830 and 3782 meters, he had a one-hour episode of visual disturbance with an intense headache. He was directed to proceed to the hospital for magnetic resonance imaging of the brain which demonstrated changes in his corpus callosum consistent with high altitude cerebral edema and he was evacuated to 1609 meters. Conclusion: An index of suspicion for high altitude cerebral edema must be maintained for any new neurological symptoms in unacclimatized individuals presenting to high alpine environments even those lower than typically associated with this high mortality condition.

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema in a Healthy Pediatric Patient Traveling from Denver to Breckenridge.

A healthy 11-year-old boy presented with headache, nausea, and cough to a clinic at 2926 meters of altitude one day after ascending from his home altitude of 1578 meters. The patient had made multiple trips to the same altitude without any symptoms or sequelae throughout his childhood. Physical examination was significant for rales, tachycardia, and pulse oximetry level of 86% on room air. Radiographic evaluation with plain films revealed patchy alveolar opacities throughout the right lung. He received treatment with dexamethasone and high-flow face mask supplemental oxygen. In less than two hours, his rales had resolved, and his oxygen saturation had dramatically improved. He was discharged back to his native altitude and was at his baseline later the same day. High altitude pulmonary edema is a rare occurrence in children, but it is exceedingly rare for a healthy child with no history of pulmonary hypertension ascending only 1348 meters.

High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema in Ohio at an Elevation of 339 Meters.

BACKGROUND: HAPE (High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema) is a life-threatening form of high-altitude illness caused by noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. It has been most commonly reported in individuals who live at lower elevations and travel to elevations above 2500 m, typically in those who do so without any acclimatization. It can also occur in residents of high altitudes who descend to lower altitudes and then return to their native altitude without acclimatization. HAPE is more common in individuals with a history of prior HAPE, very rapid rates of ascent, upper respiratory illness, extreme exertion and cold environmental temperatures, Down's Syndrome, obesity and congenital pulmonary anomalies. CASE PRESENTATION: Our case discusses a patient presenting to an emergency department in Ohio with severe respiratory distress, hypoxia and a radiograph that showed pulmonary edema without cardiomegaly. Additional history revealed the patient had recently returned from Breckenridge, Colorado (an elevation of approximately 2926 m). The diagnosis of HAPE was recognized and he was appropriately treated. He was educated and will not be returning to high altitude without acclimatization in the future. CONCLUSION: Upon literature review, there has never been a prior documented case of a patient in Ohio with HAPE. Providers must consider altitude illness when evaluating travelers from high altitude destinations, even when traveling to a very low altitude like Ohio, as symptoms may be unresolved by descent alone. This case emphasizes the importance of obtaining relevant historical data including a travel history. It also emphasizes the importance of avoiding early closure of the diagnostic process by only considering common conditions. Finally, the case emphasizes the potential danger of anchoring bias to previously encountered conditions.