Citation

Whiffin ANH, Spangler JD, Dhir K, Zhang R, Ferguson JD. Prehosp. Emerg. Care 2019; 23(1): 90-93.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, National Association of EMS Physicians, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10903127.2018.1471558

PMID

30118356

Abstract

Crush injuries have the potential to cause life-threatening systemic effects such as hyperkalemia, dysrhythmias, acute kidney injury, and renal failure. Systemic involvement is known as crush syndrome (CS) and results from tissue ischemia and muscle necrosis. This is a report of a 76-year-old female who developed a fatal dysrhythmia following release of her extremity from prolonged entrapment in bathroom safety equipment. Hyperkalemia should be presumed in any crush injury and be treated empirically and aggressively. Although tourniquet application prior to extrication is not widely recommended to prevent CS, it should be considered in prolonged extremity entrapment.

Language: en

Keywords

cardiac arrest; crush injury; crush syndrome; hyperkalemia; prehospital; renal failure; resuscitation; rhabdomyolysis; tourniquet; ventricular fibrillation