O'Mathuna DP. Topical DMSO for pain. Altern Med Alert 2006;9(1):1-4.
Sprains & Strains: What they are and what to do about them. Altern Med Alert 2006;9(1):S1-S2.
Authors: William J. Kennedy, DO, Fellow, Palliative Care Services, Mount Carmel Health, Columbus, OH; Philip H. Santa-Emma, MD, Medical Director, Palliative Care Services, Mount Carmel Health, Columbus, OH; and Robert M. Taylor, MD, Medical Director, Palliative Care Services, Mount Carmel Health, Columbus, OH. Peer Reviewer: Lynn McDonald, MD, Medical Director, Hospice of Kankakee Valley, Bourbonnais, IL.
Difficult airway is a broad term that unfortunately encompasses many clinical situations and their potential management options. Airway management difficulties can be divided into those that are predicted and those that are unexpected. They also can require immediate attention (emergent) or be stable (non-emergent). Difficulty can arise at any stage of airway management. Development of a standardized airway assessment and approach to management allows the physician to provide better patient care. Optimal care requires skill in assessing the situation, knowledge of equipment, and finally, how to use it successfully.
Once the diagnosis of alcohol withdrawal syndrome is confirmed, the treatment of the life-threatening sequelae must be swift. For many years, the pharmacologic agent of choice to treat AWS has been quite controversial. Benzodiazepines, antiepileptic agents, ethanol, and barbiturates have all been the preferred drug at one time or another. In recent years, benzodiazepines have come to the forefront as the drug class of choice, although some agents may offer advantages over others. Several guidelines have been developed to aid the emergency medicine practitioner select the most effective and efficient therapy. This review outlines, in systematic detail, the full range of AWS and risk-directed interventions shown to improve clinical outcomes in AWS.
