FOAMed in EM @ Copyright 2016
Hypodermoclysis: An alternative to IV infusion therapy
Hypodermoclysis, which can also be called interstitial infusion or subcutaneous infusion, is the subcutaneous administration of fluids to the body, often saline or glucose solutions. Hypodermoclysis can be used where a slow rate of fluid uptake is required compared to intravenous infusion. Typically, it is limited to 1 ml per minute, although it is possible to increase this by using two sites simultaneously. The chief advantages of hypodermoclysis over intravenous infusion is that it is cheap and can be administered by non-medical personnel with minimal supervision. It is therefore particularly suitable for home care. The enzyme hyaluronidase can be added to the fluid to improve absorption during hypodermoclysis. Advantages of HDC over IV:
Disadvantages of HDC:
Blood Transfusion Thresholds
■ Sepsis: 7 g/dL ■ Upper or lower GI bleeds: 7 g/dL ■ Acute neurologic injury or TBI : 7 g/dL ■ Stable CV disease: 8 g/dL ■ ACS: 10 g/dL Calculating Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) is crucial in determining initial fluid resuscitation and potential disposition. The Rule of 9s is inaccurate and consistently overestimates TBSA by about 20% which can lead to over-resuscitation. For TBSA <15%: The Rule of Palms is highly accurate and easy to teach. Use the size of the patient's hand (including the fingers) to estimate burn size. https://emergencymedicinecases.com/burn-inhalation-injuries/ Lemierre’s syndrome - septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein Lemierre’s syndrome is an uncommon complication of pharyngitis usually caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum, an anaerobe, that leads to suppurative thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein and subsequent disseminated infection, often with septic pulmonary emboli. It usually presents as a prolonged pharyngitis in a patient who is febrile, appears ill, has asymmetric anterior neck swelling, often pleuritic chest pain, shortness of breath, and often tachypnea with abnormal oxygen saturation. It is diagnosed with CT neck (and usually chest) with contrast. It’s treated with broad spectrum antibiotics that cover anaerobes, such as piperacillin-tazobactam or ampicillin-sulbactam, often in an ICU setting. https://westjem.com/diagnostic-acumen/lemierres-syndrome.html https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMicm1808378 Modified Brooke/Parkland Formula
The formula is recommended as a starting point for fluid resuscitation for burns >15% BSA in children and >20% BSA in adults. Titrate rate of fluid for a urine output of 30-50cc/hr in adults and 0.5-1cc/kg/hr in children. Increase or decrease resuscitation fluid rate by 30% if hourly target not reached. https://emergencymedicinecases.com/burn-inhalation-injuries/ |
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