Emergency Neurology (WHAT DO I DO NOW)

Neurological emergencies, either presenting in the emergency department, arising in hospitalized patients, or presenting in the field are among the most worrisome of all medical situations. Neurologists are trained in best approaches to these emergencies, which include such diverse presentations as severe headache, transient neurologic deficits, altered consciousness and coma, severe vertigo and balance problems, uncontrolled seizures, radicular and facial pain, and posttraumatic conditions. However, as time is often “the enemy” as ER physicians commonly say, diagnostic and treatment dilemmas are particularly challenging in the field of emergency neurology. This volume attempts, as do all the offerings in Oxford University Press’s What Do I Do Now series, to present straightforward but thorough roadmaps for handling the most common and worrisome impasses faced by neurologists and other providers in the topic area. Illustrative cases in cerebrovascular, epileptic, infectious, inflammatory, metabolic, traumatic, neoplastic, and structural conditions are presented with recommendations for best approaches to differential diagnosis, diagnostic testing, and management decision-making in important challenges faced in both adult and pediatric cases. Each case contains a brief summary of key information. The reader is encouraged to imagine the case under discussion, formulate a differential diagnosis, plan diagnostic testing, and begin thinking about best management approaches. Then read Drs. LaHue’s and Levin’s approach to the situation. At the end of each chapter is a list of key points to remember in the topic and a selection of resources for further reading. Cover Series Emergency Neurology Copyright Contents Preface Acknowledgments Section 1 Diagnostic Dilemmas 1 Neurological Deficits Following Carotid Endarterectomy 2 Prolonged Migraine Aura 3 Acute Generalized Weakness 4 Syncope 5 Monocular Visual Loss 6 Thunderclap Headache 7 Generalized Convulsive Status Epilepticus 8 Hospital-​Acquired Delirium 9 Coma with Fever 10 Refractory Vertigo 11 Febrile Dystonia 12 Myelopathy 13 Neurologic Complications of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors 14 Cauda Equina Syndrome 15 Intracranial Mass in a Person with HIV 16 Rapidly Progressive Dementia 17 Functional Hemiparesis 18 Acute Myopathy Section 2 Treatment Dilemmas 19 Cardioembolic Stroke with Contraindications to Anticoagulation 20 Recurring Transient Ischemic Attack 21 Acute Neuralgia 22 Intractable Migraine 23 Intracerebral Hemorrhage on Anticoagulation 24 First Seizure 25 Acute Stroke Up to 24 Hours 26 Acute Cervical Radiculopathy 27 Post-​Cardiac Arrest Management 28 Myasthenic Crisis 29 Encephalopathy and Seizure After Transplant 30 Nonepileptic Spells 31 Migraine in a Pregnant Patient Section 3 Pediatric Dilemmas 32 Acute Migraine in a Child 33 Febrile Seizure 34 Acute Ataxia in a Child 35 Concussion in an Adolescent 36 Acute Stroke in an Adolescent Index Part of the "What Do I Do Now?" series, Emergency Neurology uses a case-based approach to cover challenging cases for clinicians caring for patients with urgent neurologic illnesses, addressing difficult questions of diasnosis and treatment. Each chapter provides a discussion of the diagnosis, key points to remember, and selected references for further reading. For this new edition, all cases and references have been updated, reflecting the advances in emergency neurologic care. Emergency Neurology is an engaging collection of thought-provoking cases which clinicians can utilize when they encounter difficult patients, who are in need of timely emergency treatment. The volume is also a self-assessment tool that tests the reader's ability to answer the question, "What do I do now?" "This book is for clinicians at all levels of training and in all fields of medicine who treat patients with urgent or emergent neurological illnesses. This book can serve as a reference for common clinical questions or a focused primer to prepare the busy consultant for a number of eventualities on service. We hope that sharing our passion for caring for patients suffering from neurologic emergencies deepens your knowledge and clinical practice"-- Provided by publisher