Trauma

Pediatrics, Small Group Learning, Trauma

Child Maltreatment Education: Utilizing an Escape Room Activity to Engage Learners on a Sensitive Topic

By the end of the escape room, the learner should be able to: 1) understand the national and local prevalence of child maltreatment; 2) understand the different types of child maltreatment and common associated presentations; 3) know the local EMS agency reporting requirements; 4) understand when to make base hospital contact with respect to concern for maltreatment; 5) collaborate effectively as a team.

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Orthopedics, Trauma, Visual EM

Case Report of a Tongue-Type Calcaneal Fracture

Examination of the right ankle demonstrated a large deformity of the superior talus with bruising and blanching of the overlying skin in the area of the Achilles tendon (see images 2,3). The remaining bones of the foot were not tender to palpation and the foot was neurovascularly intact throughout with only mild numbness in the area of the tented skin. Completing the trauma exam, the patient had no signs of head injury and no midline spinal tenderness to palpation. Inspection of the remaining long bones and joints showed no other injuries. There were mild skin scrapes on the right flank from the fall. X-rays of the right foot and ankle showed a longitudinal fracture of the calcaneal tuberosity from the articular surface to the posterior surface (see red outline) with extension into the subtalar joint (blue lines) and roughly 1.8 cm displacement between the fracture segments (yellow double arrow). These findings represented a tongue-type calcaneal bone fracture.

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Trauma, Neurology, Visual EM

A Different Type of Tension Headache: A Case Report of Traumatic Tension Pneumocephalus

CT head without contrast demonstrated a minimally displaced fracture of the frontal sinuses at the midline underlying his known laceration that involved the anterior and posterior tables of the calvarium. This is seen on the sagittal view and indicated by the blue arrow. There was a small volume of underlying subarachnoid hemorrhage along the falx. There was also extensive pneumocephalus most pronounced along the bilateral anterior frontal convexity associated with the frontal sinus fracture, seen on the axial image and indicated by the red arrow. This pattern of air is commonly referred to as the “Mount Fuji” sign.6 Other intracranial air can also be seen on the sagittal image and is indicated by the white arrow.

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Cardiology/Vascular, Trauma, Visual EM

A Case Report of a Transected Carotid Artery Caused by a Stab Wound to the Neck

The post intubation chest x-ray (CXR) showed severe rightward displacement of the trachea (purple arrow). The computed tomography angiogram (CTA) showed transection of the left common carotid artery (LCCA), extensive neck hematoma without extravasation and severe tracheal deviation to the right (blue arrow). The intravenous (IV) contrasted chest computed tomography (CT) image showed a lateral contrast projection from the aortic arch at the level of the isthmus (green and pink arrows). There were no other significant injuries reported on the CT scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis.

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Orthopedics, Trauma, Visual EM

Posterior Sternoclavicular Dislocation: A Case Report

Chest X-ray revealed an inferiorly displaced right clavicle at the right sternoclavicular joint (blue arrow). A computed tomography angiogram (CTA) of the chest was therefore obtained and revealed a right posterior sternoclavicular dislocation with resultant compression of the left brachiocephalic vein (purple arrow). Even though the right clavicle is displaced, the anatomy of the brachiocephalic vein is such that it is positioned to the right of midline, placing the left brachiocephalic vein posterior to the right clavicle. The right brachiocephalic and common carotid artery were normal in appearance. The CTA also revealed a comminuted fracture of the left anterior second rib at the costochondral junction that had not been previously seen on the x-ray.

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