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Query: UMLS:C0020672 (hypothermia)
 17,327 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We report on six patients in whom hypothermia secondary to acute illnesses, including pneumonia, congestive heart failure, renal failure, drug overdose, and hypoglycemia, developed. Complications that occurred were metabolic acidosis in six patients, altered sensorium in five, bradyarrhythmia in three, and hyperamylasemia in two. All patients failed to demonstrate a shivering response and represent cases of acute thermoregulatory failure. Five of the six patients survived. In the course of treatment, the choice of active or passive rewarming should be based on whether or not normal thermoregulatory mechanisms are intact.
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PMID:Thermoregulatory failure secondary to acute illness: complications and treatment. 43 95

We provide information that we believe should allow the establishment of rational guidelines for discontinuing, with physician supervision, unsuccessful prehospital CPR. Goldberg has advocated that CPR be terminated only after evidence of brain or cardiac death has persisted for more than one hour of adequately applied advanced CPR. This recommendation was made for inhospital resuscitation and does not reflect the limited capabilities of basic and advanced CPR techniques to sustain life outside the hospital. In addition, White and associates have demonstrated that after resuscitation from prolonged cardiac arrest, cerebral cortical blood flow is reduced severely. This state of hypoperfusion may last up to 18 hours. Because this condition can result in extensive neurologic damage, it may explain the poor survival rates after prolonged resuscitation. We propose that CPR be terminated in the ED when, despite adequate rescue attempts (intubation, defibrillation, IV medications, CCCM en route) by those responding at the scene of cardiac arrest, intrinsic cardiac activity has not been achieved in patients brought to the hospital with asystole or bradyarrhythmia. Additionally patients who have had advanced prehospital CPR for more than 45 minutes without generation of any intrinsic cardiac activity are not resuscitatable by current standard techniques, and CPR may be discontinued. These criteria must not be used for victims of hypothermia before a core temperature of 35 C to 36.1 C is achieved by active core rewarming during CPR. The available data suggest that if these criteria are implemented, many unproductive hospital-based resuscitative efforts can be eliminated without jeopardizing potential survivors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Guidelines for discontinuing prehospital CPR in the emergency department--a review. 405 Dec 75

Bradyarrhythmias may be due to varied causes, although acute myocardial infarction, hypoxia, sepsis, and hypothermia should be considered. Emergency department therapy consists of treatment of the underlying cause, pharmacologic interventions, and temporary pacing. This article provides a detailed discussion of the causes and treatment of bradyarrhythmias in the emergency department.
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PMID:Evaluation and management of bradyarrhythmias in the emergency department. 962 48

BACKGROUND Benzonatate is one of the most widely prescribed nonnarcotic antitussives to relieve cough symptoms. As a structurally similar agent to other local anesthetics, including tetracaine and procaine, the risk to the public is not fully appreciated. CASE REPORT A 37-year-old female presented to the Emergency Department (ED) status post cardiac arrest. Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) protocol was performed, and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was achieved. Total downtime was 30 minutes. The patient was intubated, sedated, and hypothermia protocol was initiated. The patient developed bradyarrhythmia and mild coagulopathy suspicious for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), thus hypothermia protocol was terminated later. A review of laboratory data showed acidosis with pH of 6.87, mixed acidosis secondary to high anion gap metabolic and respiratory acidosis with elevated liver enzymes. It was reported that approximately 2 hours prior to her presentation; the patient had ingested less than 30 pills of benzonatate 200 mg capsules with alcohol. CONCLUSIONS Ingestion of benzonatate, a widely prescribed antitussive, may pose a risk to patients due to the potential for rapid development of life-threatening adverse events and limited treatment options in the overdose setting, not only in children but also in adults. Rational prescribing and patient education are needed.
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PMID:Cardiac Arrest Due to Benzonatate Overdose. 3104 69