Joseph A Salomone

Prophylactic penicillin for intraoral wounds

We conducted a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adult patients to determine whether prophylactic penicillin prevents infection in intraoral lacerations secondary to minor trauma or seizures. Uninfected full-thickness, mucosal-only, or through-and-through wounds presenting within 24 hours of injury were considered. Management consisted of cleansing, irrigation, debridement, and closure as indicated: no topical antibiotics were applied. Patients were randomly assigned to receive penicillin VK 500 mg or identically appearing placebo four times daily for five days. Home wound care was standardized and patients were followed for a minimum of four or five days. Infection was assessed clinically. Seventy-six patients were enrolled and 62 completed the study. Penicillin (30) and placebo (32) groups were similar in all parameters except wound etiology; assault was more common in the placebo group (P = .02). Two infections occurred in patients receiving penicillin, and six infections were seen among placebo-treated patients (P = .05, beta = 0.17). When patients poorly compliant with therapy were eliminated from analysis, none of the penicillin-treated patients and five of the placebo-treated patients developed infections (P = .027). Our data suggest that patients with intraoral wounds may benefit from prophylactic penicillin if compliant with their therapy. More studies are needed to further delineate the usefulness of prophylactic antibiotics for these wounds.

Blood pressure effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone and epinephrine in anaphylactic shock

To compare the effects of a single dose of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), epinephrine, and control (normal saline) on mean arterial pressure (MAP) and survival over a one-hour observation period, we carried out a randomized, blinded study using a rabbit model of anaphylaxis. Epinephrine resulted in an increased MAP over normal saline and TRH at one minute after treatment (P less than .001). TRH resulted in an increased MAP over normal saline at two minutes (P less than .017) and over epinephrine at four minutes (P less than .011) after treatment. No differences in MAP were detected beyond four minutes after treatment. There was no difference in survival between treated and control animals (alpha less than .168). Although no difference in survival existed, TRH had a slower onset, but more sustained effect on MAP than did epinephrine and normal saline.

Ambulance Staging for Potentially Dangerous Scenes: Another Hidden Component of Response Time

Abstract Background. Emergency medical services (EMS) responses to some scenes are potentially more dangerous than others, requiring EMS systems to develop policies that stage medical responders away from the scene until law enforcement has the area secured. Objectives. We sought to characterize the calls that are staged and to demonstrate the effect of staging on the response time interval and differences in red lights and sirens (RLS) transport to the hospital between staged calls (SC) and nonstaged calls (NSC). Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study of all 9-1-1 calls received during calendar year 2006 in a midwestern, high-performance system. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, and chi-square analysis were used as appropriate; p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results. There were 62,157 emergency calls for which responders arrived on scene during the study period; 4,414 (7.1%) were SC and 57,743 (92.9%) were NSC. By protocol, dispatchers ordered EMS to stage on five categories: 924 for assault/rape (20.9%), 393 for unknown problem/man down (8.9%), 918 for overdose (20.8%), 734 for psychiatric/suicide attempt (16.6%), and 413 for stab/gunshot wound (9.4%). Dispatchers ordered staging using their own discretion for 1,032 (23.4%) calls. The median response time interval (call received until ambulance arrived at the scene) was 10 minutes 55 seconds (i.e., 10:55 minutes) (interquartile range [IQR]: 8:00–14:27) for SC and 6:16 minutes (IQR: 4:42–8:28) for NSC (p < 0.0001). Patients were transported to the hospital for 3,104 (70.3%) of SC, 223 (7.2%) with RLS; patients were transported to the hospital for 41,716 (72.2%) of NSC, 2,802 (6.7%) with RLS. There was no difference in the rate of RLS return between SC and NSC (p = 0.314). Conclusion. The practice of staging ambulances while police secure potentially dangerous scenes added approximately 4.5 minutes to the response time. We were unable to demonstrate a difference in RLS return to the hospital (our proxy for patient acuity) between SC and NSC.

Successful Administration of Intranasal Glucagon in the Out-of-Hospital Environment

Abstract We present a case of successful prehospital treatment of hypoglycemia with intranasal (IN) glucagon. Episodes of hypoglycemia can be of varying severity and often requires quick reversal to prevent alteration in mental status or hypoglycemic coma. Glucagon has been shown to be as effective as glucose for the treatment of hypoglycemia. The inability to obtain intravenous (IV) access often impairs delivery of this peptide and is therefore frequently given via the intramuscular (IM) route. Intranasal administration of glucagon has been shown to be as effective as the IV route and may be used for rapid correction of hypoglycemic episodes where IV access is difficult or unavailable and IM administration is undesirable. We describe the first documentation in the peer-reviewed literature of the successful treatment and reversal of an insulin-induced hypoglycemic episode with IN glucagon in the prehospital setting. We also present a review of the literature regarding this novel medication administration route.

Hemodynamic and respiratory effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone and epinephrine in anaphylactic shock

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) has been shown to increase mean arterial pressure during anaphylactic shock. The hemodynamic mechanism of action and the effect of TRH on the respiratory system during anaphylactic shock are not known. A rabbit model of anaphylaxis was used to determine the effect of TRH, epinephrine (EPI), and normal saline (NS) on various cardiovascular and respiratory parameters during anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock was induced by antigen challenge in 31 sensitized animals. After a 25% decrease in mean arterial pressure, they were randomly treated with TRH (2 mg/kg), EPI (0.005 mg/kg), or NS (10 mL/kg). Blood was drawn at baseline and at the end of the experiment for laboratory analysis. Cardiac and respiratory parameters were monitored continuously and measured at baseline, at onset of shock (time zero), and at time intervals for 30 minutes. Animals were treated with repeated doses during the first 15 minutes as needed to maintain mean arterial pressure above shock level. Five of ten TRH-, five of 11 EPI-, and six of ten NS-treated animals survived. The TRH-treated group required fewer doses than the other groups and had increased heart rate, mean arterial pressure, peripheral vascular resistance, respiratory rate, and minute ventilation as well as decreased stroke volume index and lung compliance compared with the NS-treated group. EPI treatment resulted in increased minute ventilation and decreased pulmonary airway resistance compared with NS treatment. The EPI group also had a higher postsurvival epinephrine level than the other groups. No difference in right atrial pressure, cardiac index, acid-base status, pO2, A- a gradient, lung weight, lactate, or norepinephrine levels was found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

An unusual presentation of bilateral facet dislocation of the cervical spine

We report the case of a patient who presented complaining of neck pain after a fall. Initial physical examination was remarkable for an occipital scalp contusion and tenderness to palpation in the mid-cervical spine. Neurological examination demonstrated an absence of response to pinprick below approximately the T4 level. Upper extremities had equal withdrawal to pain and lower extremities were without movement. Initial cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine films were normal. An emergency myelogram demonstrated a complete extradural block at the C6 level. Cross-table lateral cervical spine films revealed a C5-C6 bilateral facet dislocation. The patient subsequently underwent closed reduction with in-line-traction. He had a prolonged hospital course and was eventually transferred for rehabilitation, with some improvement in neurologic status.