FOAMed

EM@3AM: Acute Hemolytic Anemia

A 3-year-old male with G6PD deficiency presents to your ED by ambulance with shortness of breath, found to be hypoxic with SpO2 80% on 15L NRBM. He appears pale and dyspneic. The child is placed on HFNC with no improvement of saturation. Given his persistent hypoxia on noninvasive methods, a decision is made to intubate. Bedside CXR is unremarkable, and in spite of full ventilatory support with FiO2 of 100%, the patient’s saturation remains at 85%.  You later learn he had eaten a full box of blueberries earlier that day. What is the likely diagnosis?

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EM@3AM: Rabies

A 13-year-old male presents to the ED for aggressive behavior which progressed to confusion and decreased level of consciousness. He initially was very agitated and aggressive and refused to drink any water. He then became disoriented and is now difficult to rouse. The parents note that he had recently had a fever, sore throat, and general malaise prior to this behavior but those symptoms resolved, although they note excessive salivation. Review of systems is remarkable for a bat bite for which he never sought care. He is tachycardic, tachypneic, febrile, and appears toxic. What’s the most likely diagnosis?

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