Penetrating cardiac wounds are relatively rare in Belgium, which is mainly due to stabs and with consequent mortality. The implementation of clear guidelines is necessary to improve survival.
IntroductionThe Canadian C Spine Rule (CCR) and the National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (Nexus) low criteria are well accepted as guide to help physician in case of cervical blunt trauma.MethodsWe aimed to evaluate retrospectively the application of these recommendations in our emergency department. Secondly we analyzed the quality of cervical spine radiography (CSR) in an emergency setting.Results281 patients with cervical blunt trauma were analyzed retrospectively. The CCR and the NEXUS rules were respected in 91.2% and 96.8% of cases respectively. No lesions were found in 96.4% of patient. A lesion was present in 1.1% of patient and suspected in 2.5% of patient. The quality of CSR was adequate in only 37.7% of patient. The poor quality of CSR was due either to the lack of C7 vertebrae visualization in 64.6% or other lower vertebrae in 28%. Other causes included the absence of open mouth view (8%), the absence C1 vertebrae visualization (3.4%), artifact in 2.3% and the absence of lateral view in 0.6% of patient.ConclusionCCR and NEXUS are widely used in our emergency department. The high rate of inadequate CSR reinforces the debate about it’s utility in emergency condition.
Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is a potentially lethal skin infection, most commonly due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa with bacteremic dissemination and affecting mostly immunocompromised patients. We present two cases of EG in two men in Belgium recently admitted to our hospital, caused by a suspected coinfection by group A Streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus, with a cutaneous dissemination, in which multiple impetigo lesions were the portal of entry. The first patient had no risk factors nor immunodeficiency but the second was a homeless man with drug and alcohol abuse and advanced HIV infection. Early management of the condition is crucial, with initial broad spectrum antibiotherapy, rapidly narrowed down to the germs identified and skin lesion debridement if necessary. Any immunocompromising condition must be ruled out in any patient suffering from EG.
La légionellose est une maladie respiratoire bactérienne due à un germe gram négatif dont la présentation clinique peut être bénigne se limitant à un syndrome grippal ou plus sévère se caractérisant par une pneumonie pouvant se compliquer d'atteinte multisystémique pouvant conduire au décès. Nous rapportons le cas d'un patient de 48 ans ayant présenté une rhabdomyolyse compliquée d'une insuffisance rénale aigue au décours d'une pneumonie à Legionella pneumophila. Nous revoyons la physiopathologie et le traitement de cette complication rare de la légionellose.
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