Introduction: Traumatic subdural hematomas beget significant morbidity and mortality if not rapidly decompressed. This presents a unique challenge to the emergency physician without immediate neurosurgical support.
Case Report: We report two cases of patients in Los Angeles County with traumatic subdural hematomas and clinical deterioration in the emergency department (ED) who were treated with decompression using an intraosseous needle drill.
Discussion: We believe these cases represent the first use of this technique to temporize a subdural hematoma in the ED.
Of the multitude of neurologic injuries related to roller-coaster rides, a majority of them are reported about adults. In this case, we present a patient who presented to the pediatric emergency department with new-onset seizure and hemiplegia 2 days after a roller-coaster ride. She was ultimately diagnosed with a subdural hematoma. The acceleration and G forces of roller coasters are hypothesized to cause enough stress and shearing forces that are thought to directly cause subdural hemorrhage.
Advances in roller-coaster technology may surpass the passenger's physical capacity for acceleration and rotary forces, and we may see an increased number of medical complications after these rides. We recommend that emergency and pediatric health care providers consider amusement park thrill rides as a possible cause of subdural hematomas in previously healthy patients with new neurologic complaints.
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