Fearsome Foliage - An Overview of Toxic Plants

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Fearsome Foliage - An Overview of Toxic Plants

Spring has sprung... and so have many species of toxic plants! Poison centers across the United States receive over 100,000 reports of exposures to toxic plants annually. It is often difficult for Emergency Medicine providers to determine the quantity and time of exposure. Plant identification presents another challenge, and can even require the input of a botanist. Now that is an interesting consult! Thankfully, some of the more common and/or dangerous plant poisonings have been well-categorized, and are summarized in this post.

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Caustic Skin Injuries

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Caustic Skin Injuries

Chemical burns are also an evolving pathology, with thousands of new chemicals added to the market each year (4). Since 2000, both assault and warfare with chemical weapons have increased, although these pathologies vary based on practice location (1). For instance, chemical burns can comprise up to 14% of burns in the developing world, compared to 3% in the US and Europe (2, 5). It is therefore important to understand your local chemical burn patterns, in much the same way providers learn local patterns of antibiotic resistance.

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Packers, Stuffers, and Pushers

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Packers, Stuffers, and Pushers

Body packers, stuffers, and pushers may present to the emergency department (ED) for evaluation of symptoms or for medical clearance before prosecution. It is important for the ED physician to have a keen framework for diagnosing, evaluating, and treating these patients.

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Do You Hear What I Hear: Tinnitus and Auditory Disturbances

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Do You Hear What I Hear: Tinnitus and Auditory Disturbances

The majority of cases of hearing loss and tinnitus are not immediately dangerous and may be safely deferred to the outpatient setting. There are, however, several etiologies of such complaints that are dangerous and require prompt evaluation in the emergency department. The approach to hearing loss and/or tinnitus in the emergency department must focus on identifying characteristics that may clue the examiner in on a potentially harmful etiology.

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Lymphedema and Its Mimics

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Lymphedema and Its Mimics

Lymphedema is a progressive pathologic condition of the lymphatic system where interstitial accumulation of protein-rich fluid leads to subsequent inflammation, adipose tissue hypertrophy, and fibrosis [1]. The direct effect of this development and its long-term complications can lead to disfigurement, decreased mobility, and significant morbidity. While the management of lymphedema typically requires long-term therapeutic interventions outside of the role of the Emergency Department, a thorough understanding of this condition and its mimics will help Emergency Physicians appropriately evaluate and manage the broad presentation of “swelling”.

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Diagnostics: Dysnatremias

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Diagnostics: Dysnatremias

Abnormal sodium values are a common finding on basic metabolic testing, however the more deranged the value, the more critical it is to think causation, as interventions to treat the abnormality can become as dangerous as the abnormality itself. Join Dr. Chhabria as she dives into the causations and treatments of dysnatremias

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Atypical Headaches

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Atypical Headaches

Headaches account for approximately 4 million, nearly 3% of all ED visits annually. [1] We classify headaches as either primary (benign) or secondary, with secondary headaches occurring due to underlying pathology. In the ED, the goal is to alleviate symptoms safely and effectively while excluding dangerous causes of headaches. While nearly 98% of headaches in the ED are primary or benign [2], ruling out secondary causes of headaches is imperative as failing to diagnose correctly may result in significant morbidity or mortality.

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