Anesthesia Key

Dental Emergencies Rawnica L. Ruegner Dental emergencies prompt almost 3 million emergency department (ED) visits nationally, accounting for 0.7% of all ED patients (1). Factors such as poverty, a lack…

Diplopia Kurt Brueggemann and James A. Comes Diplopia is an uncommon and frightening emergency department (ED) complaint. The differential diagnosis is complex and evaluation may require neuroimaging or consultation with…

Syncope Shamai A. Grossman and Christopher M. Fischer Syncope is a sudden and transient loss of consciousness that is associated with a loss of postural tone and that resolves spontaneously…

Altered Mental Status and Coma J. Stephen Huff and Marcus L. Martin Viewed from a physiologic perspective, consciousness is the sum of the activities and interactions of the reticular activating…

Trauma in Older Adults Timothy F. Platts-Mills and Sasha D. Adams The increase in the number of active and independent older US adults has led to an unfortunate corresponding increase…

Penetrating Abdominal Trauma Michael J. Breyer Penetrating trauma to the abdomen continues to be a major cause of trauma and mortality in the United States. Death resulting from trauma is…

Ballistics Jason Imperato and Leon D. Sanchez Ballistics is the scientific study of the characteristics of projectiles, how they move in flight, and how they impart tissue damage. The majority…

Blunt Abdominal Trauma Eric L. Legome and Joseph P. Freedman Blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) accounts for a minority of all traumatic deaths but represents an important source of morbidity. The…

Chest Pain Judd E. Hollander Chest pain is the second most common chief complaint in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). However, when combined with other symptoms that potentially…

Shortness of Breath C. Keith Stone Shortness of breath refers to difficult, labored, or uncomfortable breathing. Shortness of breath results when ventilatory demand exceeds respiratory function. A mismatch between supply…