Performance of the Wells and Revised Geneva scores for predicting pulmonary embolism.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to compare two scoring methods to predict the risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) as diagnosed with computed tomography angiography (CTA) and/or CT venography (CTV). METHODS: Prospectively over a 8-month period, emergency department patients and hospital inpatients with suspected PE were consecutively examined and their Wells and Revised Geneva scores calculated to stratify them into a risk group for PE probability. Then all patients were examined with CTA and CTV to determine the presence or absence of PE, as diagnosed by experienced radiology staff physicians. RESULTS: During the study period, 167 patients were suspected of having a PE and were interviewed for the calculation of their Wells and Revised Geneva scores. All patients underwent CTA or CTV, but the images of only 148 patients were adequate enough to make a certain diagnosis regarding PE. The data of these 148 patients were used for the study. The rates of PE in high, moderate, and low PE risk groups determined according to the Wells score and the Revised Geneva score were 89.6, 26.4, 7.8 and 83.3, 25.6, 0%, respectively. Among both inpatients and ED patients the area under the Wells score receiver operating characteristic curve was higher (P=0.04). When data from only ED patients were analyzed (104 patients) the scoring systems was not significantly different (P=0.07). CONCLUSION: The Wells rule seems to be more accurate among both inpatients and emergency department patients. The Revised Geneva score can be used in emergency department patients with high reliability.

Life threatening tongue angioedema associated with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor.

We present a case with angioedema of the tongue, following 1 dose of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor ingestion. A gradual progression of angioedema required tracheotomy despite aggressive medical treatment and illustrates the severity of this adverse reaction. Although ACE inhibitors are considered safe, emergency physicians should be alert for minor angioedema at presentation that may progress to life threatening airway compromise.

Conservative treatment of giant abdominal wall hematoma.

A fifty-seven-year-old male patient on warfarin therapy presented to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain that had started after a cough episode and persisted for four days. Ultrasonography showed an extensive hematoma, 17x14x7 cm in size, but failed to determine whether it was located intra-abdominally or in the abdominal wall. Computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of abdominal wall hematoma (25x21x10 cm). The patient was treated conservatively, and abdominal findings resolved progressively in three days. This case report illustrates that ultrasonography findings may sometimes be inconclusive and, in the early period, computed tomography may be required to confirm the diagnosis of abdominal wall hematomas. Giant abdominal wall hematomas can be successfully treated with conservative methods even physical findings of acute abdomen accompany the clinical picture. To our knowledge, this is the largest abdominal wall hematoma hitherto reported in the literature.

Acute methanol poisonings reported to the Drug and Poison Information Center in Izmir, Turkey.

The demographics, sources and outcomes of methanol poisoning have not been described in Turkey. Our study identified the profile of acute methanol exposures reported to Drug and Poison Information Center (DPIC) in Izmir, Turkey, from 1993 to 2002. Data analysis included patient demographics, sources of methanol, reason for the exposure, clinical effects and outcomes of methanol poisoning. The DPIC recorded 30,485 calls concerning poisoning; 996 (3.3%) alcohol poisonings were recorded and 113 (11.3%) of them were methanol poisonings. There were 91 (80.5%) males and 22 (19.5%) females with a mean age of 34.7+/-1.3 y (range 19-65) and 4.8+/-0.9 y (range 1-18) in adults and children, respectively. The sources of methanol were eu de cologne (72.6%), spirits (10.6%) and antifreeze (2.7%). Accidental poisoning occurred in all children between 0 and 12 y old, abuse (55.7%) and intentional poisoning (27.3%) were predominant in adults. Clinical signs in all cases were central nervous system symptoms (45.1%), metabolic acidosis (23.0%), visual symptoms (21.2%) and gastrointestinal symptoms (10.6%). Sixteen patients (14.1%) died, 63 (55.8%) had complete recovery and 1 (0.9%) had irreversible visual problems. Most patients with methanol poisoning may die or present serious morbidity without appropriate treatment in a health care facility. Methanol for producing cheap "eu de colognes" in Turkey is the principal reason for severe poisoning and deaths. Public education about colognes and legislative control of cologne production are important in preventing methanol poisoning.