Background: Hyperkalaemia in oleander (Nerium oleander) poisoning has been associated with a poor prognosis. Different electrocardiographic (ECG) presentations are possible because of vagotonia and hyperkalaemia. Methods/Results: We report a series of three cases of oleander poisoning in which ECG showed unusual hyperkalaemia features, such as bradyarrhythmia, sinoatrial block, atrioventricular block and junctional rhythm. Conclusions: If arterial blood gas analysis or laboratory values indicate hyperkalaemia in oleander poisoning, the hyperkalaemia should be treated immediately, even if the ECG does not show typical hyperkalaemia features.
Background: Basic life support (BLS) is an important component of emergency medical management. Ambulance personnel play a key role in resuscitation to save a life before reaching the hospital. We do not have any published data about the level of knowledge on BLS among the ambulance personnel. Objective: This study was done with the objective to assess the level of knowledge on BLS among the ambulance personnel. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done in the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary care hospital. Universal sampling was done taking all the personnel of ambulances over the period of one month. Data were collected about the type of vehicle used for ambulance, the number of personnel in an ambulance, educational qualifications, and equipment present in their ambulances. The questionnaire to capture the level of knowledge were based on American Heart Association 2015 guidelines. Result: The total number of ambulance arrivals was 729 times. But data analysis was done from 104 ambulances excluding the repeat arrivals and those who did not give consent. There were 62 type-C and D ambulances, and 42 were type-B ambulances. Total of 210 personnel were there in 104 ambulances. Seventy-nine team leaders did not have any paramedical degrees. Fifty-eight team leaders were trained in BLS before working in an ambulance. In spite of this, 66 (63%) team leaders had poor performance (score of 0 to 4). Conclusion: The level of knowledge on BLS was poor in more than half of the ambulance personnel. They should be trained regularly on providing BLS.
BACKGROUND An ideal induction agent provides rapid and smooth onset of action, intraoperative amnesia and analgesia and optimal surgical conditions and adequate muscle relaxation with rapid recovery. Supraglottic airway devices are the most preferred technique of airway management for day care surgery. Etomidate, Propofol and Thiopentone with fentanyl provides optimal condition for supraglottic airway device insertion. The aim of this study was to compare the success rate of introducing i-gel (Supraglottic Airway Device) with induction agent etomidate, propofol and thiopentone in patients undergoing elective short surgical procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a prospective, randomized, double blind study 90 patients scheduled for elective surgeries were assigned to one of three groups (n = 30). RESULTS The age and body weight of patients in three group were statistically analysed by analysis of variance test (Fisher test) found comparable between groups. The overall assessment of i-gel insertion was excellent in 50% Group-I, 67% in Group-II and 48% in Group-III (p< 0.05), which was statistically significant. Incidence of adverse response to airway manipulation in etomidate and thiopentone group was significantly higher than that of propofol group. CONCLUSION Propofol provides best conditions for i-gel insertion compared to etomidate and thiopentone. Propofol was associated with highest incidence hypotension and apnoea during induction, etomidate had least. Recovery in propofol and etomidate group was comparable whereas in thiopentone group recovery was significantly prolonged.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 disease (COVID-19) has caused more than 6 million deaths globally. Understanding predictors of mortality will help in prioritizing patient care and preventive approaches. This was a multicentric, unmatched, hospital-based case-control study conducted in nine teaching hospitals in India. Cases were microbiologically confirmed COVID-19 patients who died in the hospital during the period of study and controls were microbiologically confirmed COVID-19 patients who were discharged from the same hospital after recovery. Cases were recruited sequentially from March 2020 until December–March 2021. All information regarding cases and controls was extracted retrospectively from the medical records of patients by trained physicians. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was done to assess the association between various predictor variables and deaths due to COVID-19. A total of 2,431 patients (1,137 cases and 1,294 controls) were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 52.8 years (SD: 16.5 years), and 32.1% were females. Breathlessness was the most common symptom at the time of admission (53.2%). Increasing age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 46–59 years, 3.4 [95% CI: 1.5–7.7]; 60–74 years, 4.1 [95% CI: 1.7–9.5]; and ≥ 75 years, 11.0 [95% CI: 4.0–30.6]); preexisting diabetes mellitus (aOR: 1.9 [95% CI: 1.2–2.9]); malignancy (aOR: 3.1 [95% CI: 1.3–7.8]); pulmonary tuberculosis (aOR: 3.3 [95% CI: 1.2–8.8]); breathlessness at the time of admission (aOR: 2.2 [95% CI: 1.4–3.5]); high quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score at the time of admission (aOR: 5.6 [95% CI: 2.7–11.4]); and oxygen saturation < 94% at the time of admission (aOR: 2.5 [95% CI: 1.6–3.9]) were associated with mortality due to COVID-19. These results can be used to prioritize patients who are at increased risk of death and to rationalize therapy to reduce mortality due to COVID-19.
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