Posts in Critical Care
Rethinking Acute Traumatic Central Cord Syndrome

The patient in this case is a 64-year-old male with a history of hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatic heart disease, and a previous C3-C6 laminectomy and fusion who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with a chief complaint of new-onset, bilateral upper extremity weakness and paresthesia following an unwitnessed fall…

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Caring for the Pregnant Trauma Patient

Trauma affects an estimated 8% of all pregnancies and is the leading cause of non-obstetric maternal morbidity and mortality. Pregnancy can complicate the evaluation of a trauma patient, and we must be aware of the normal anatomic and physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy, as well as the adjustments that must be made to our trauma algorithm. This post will review the keys to managing a pregnant trauma patient, as well as injuries and interventions specific to pregnancy…

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Abnormal Pulses and Pulse Oximetry: Diagnosis of A Critical Congenital Heart Defect in the Emergency Department

A seven-day old male presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with twelve hours of increased work of breathing. His mother reported a healthy pregnancy and spontaneous vaginal delivery. She noted they had been home for 5 days from the newborn nursery. However, overnight she found the patient had increased work of breathing and difficulty with feeds. She noted he was no longer able to finish a full feed…

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