Rupture of the diaphragm is almost always due to major trauma and is most commonly associated with road-traffic accidents. We report a case of delayed presentation of a 35-year-old woman with a ruptured diaphragm, 11 days following apparent minor blunt trauma. This case illustrates how the diagnosis of ruptured diaphragm can be missed and demonstrates the importance of considering this diagnosis in all cases of blunt trauma to the trunk. It also demonstrates the potential pitfall of misinterpreting the chest radiograph, and the value of repeat imaging after insertion of a nasogastric tube.

This article presents a case of a 43-year-old man with paradoxical embolism. The patient had simultaneous deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and bilateral limb-threatening arterial occlusions. The unifying diagnosis was paradoxical embolism through a previously undetected atrial septal defect. Suggestions for the evaluation and emergency management of paradoxical embolism are outlined, and the literature is briefly reviewed.

In 1717, Blair first described pyloric stenosis based on autopsy findings. It was not until 1887 that Hirschsprung described the clinical picture and pathology of pyloric stenosis. Ninety years later, Teele and Smith described the use of ultrasonography to diagnosis pyloric stenosis. Traditionally, this diagnosis has been based on the clinical findings of projectile nonbilious vomiting, the palpation of a pyloric tumour (or “olive”), and the presence of classic metabolic disturbances. Currently, ultrasonography is regarded as the diagnostic test of choice for an infant presenting with nonbilious emesis in which an “olive” is not palpated.

In-flight medical emergencies are uncommon, generally non-lethal events. In fatal cases, the most common cause of death is a sudden cardiac event. This fact, and the awareness that early defibrillation is the most important determinant of successful cardiac resuscitation, have led to the increasing availability of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) aboard commercial airplanes. AEDs are sophisticated and extremely reliable devices that are designed to be used by trained laypersons in the hope of minimizing the crucial time to defibrillation. Although designed to be foolproof, both machine- and operator-dependant usage errors have been recognized. In this case study we report a unique operator-dependent error involving the misreading of an AED instruction window, briefly review the history of AED use in the airline industry, and underscore the need for a sound knowledge of basic life support skills when working with these devices. We conclude by making recommendations to prevent similar errors from occurring in the future.

A 14-year-old boy presented with fever and progressive respiratory distress, one week after an episode of pharyngitis. Although there was a concern about pulmonary embolism secondary to a lower extremity fracture, his presentation was most consistent with Lemierre syndrome. This syndrome is an uncommon but potentially lethal complication of otolaryngological infections. Early recognition and aggressive antibiotic therapy are critical elements in reducing mortality. Emergency physicians should be aware of this syndrome because its incidence appears to be increasing.

Traumatic rupture of the pericardium with cardiac herniation is rare. Clinicians are often unfamiliar with the clinical and radiological manifestations of the injury, and the diagnosis is frequently missed preoperatively. This case report describes a patient with multiple trauma following a fall from a height, who developed this injury. The diagnosis was not made preoperatively despite suggestive clinical, electrocardiographic and radiological findings. Clinicians need to be aware of the presentation of this potentially fatal injury so that the diagnosis can be made and treatment instituted at an earlier stage. Pericardial rupture with cardiac herniation presents as cardiogenic shock, mimicking cardiac tamponade.