Practical Summaries in Acute Care Archives – July 1, 2003

July 1, 2003

• Glasgow: The Power Is in the Motor

  If youre using the GCS, you had better pay more attention to the motor scale, or use the motor scale exclusively. Every time the patient drops a point on that scale, it means something important

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• Etomidate Appears to Be Safe in Children

  The objective of this study was to enumerate and quantify any adverse effects associated the use of etomidate for RSI in a pediatric patient population.

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• Nitroprusside May Benefit Patients with Heart Failure and Aortic Stenosis

  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. This study puts that long-standing dictum to the test.

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• Special Feature: Techniques for Removing Nasal Foreign Bodies

  Patients with foreign bodies in the nose commonly present to the emergency department. Objects can be found in any portion of the nasal cavity, though most commonly on the floor below the inferior turbinate or immediately anterior to the middle turbinate.

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• ECG Review: V₂ in the Mirror

  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?

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• Trauma Reports Supplement: Pediatric Cervical Spine Injuries: Avoiding Potential Disaster

  Although cervical spine injuries are uncommon in children, a missed or delayed diagnosis may have devastating consequences for the patient. A thorough understanding of normal pediatric anatomy, injury patterns, and children who are at increased risk for injury is critical for the physician caring for the acutely injured child.

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