Patients with neurologic symptoms are frequently seen in the emergency department and require rapid and thorough evaluation. Appropriate assessment with tailored history-taking, localization of the neurological problem, differential diagnosis, focused testing, and urgent treatment when indicated are essential to prevent patient morbidity. Neurological examination and testing of patients are covered in-depth, along with common neurological presentations using a symptom-based approach, such as coma, dizziness and gait disturbance. Specific neurological disorders are also explored, including traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack and neurotoxicology. Chapters follow a basic outline, including an introduction and a pearls and pitfalls section, providing a succinct overview and key takeaway points for the busy clinician. This well organized handbook will serve as a concise, valued reference for the clinician to use in assisting the evaluation of the most common neurology related emergency department visits.
Section I. Neurological Examination and Neurodiagnostic Testing; 1.1. Neurological examination Melani S. Cheers, Thomas F. Scott, and Kevin M. Kelly; 1.2. Neuroradiology Sheilah M. Curran-Melendez, Margaret S. Blackwood, and Michael F. Goldberg; 1.3. Electroencephalography Timothy Quezada, Andrea Synowiec, and Kevin M. Kelly; 1.4. Lumbar puncture Troy Desai, Dan Geary, Chris Troianos, and Richard Feduska; Section II. Common Neurological Presentations: A Symptom Based Approach; 2.1. Coma, delirium, and dementia Chadd E. Nesbit and Deeksha Agrawal; 2.2. Headache Sandeep Rana, Ye Vivian Liang, Paul S. Porter, Charles Li, Dolores Santamaria, and Andrea Synowiec; 2.3. Weakness George A. Small and Melody Milliron; 2.4. Musculoskeletal and neurogenic pain Nestor Tomycz and Thomas P. Campbell; 2.5. Dizziness Kevin M. Kelly, Arthur Alcantara Lima, and Thomas P. Campbell; 2.6. Gait disturbance Jon S. Brillman and Troy Desai; Section III. Specific Neurological Disorders in Emergency Medicine; 3.1. Ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack Crystal Wong, Melani S. Cheers, Molly A. McGraw, Lauren King, and Russell Cerejo; 3.2. Intracranial haemorrhage Crystal Wong, Khaled Aziz, and Bertram Richter; 3.3. Seizure Kevin M. Kelly, Timothy A. Quezada, and Thomas P. Campbell; 3.4. Infections of the central nervous system Zaw Min, Richard M. Kaplan, Kate DeAntonis, and Evelina Krieger; 3.5. Traumatic brain injury Moira Davenport and James E. Wilberger; 3.6. Increased intracranial pressure and herniation syndromes Diana J. Jho, Brian Rempe, James Burgess, and Alexander K. Yu; 3.7. Traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord disorders Thomas F. Scott, Nestor Tomycz, and David Jho; 3.8. Neuro-ophthalmologic emergencies Matthew Brucks, Erik Happ, Randy Beatty, and Brent Rau; 3.9. Brain tumors and other neuro-oncologic emergencies Tulika Ranjan and Charles J. Feronti; 3.10. Peripheral nerve and neuromuscular disorders George A. Small, Sandeep Rana, and Mara Aloi; 3.11. Movement disorders Susan Baser, Timothy Leichliter, Donald Whiting, and Michael Oh; 3.12. Multiple sclerosis Thomas F. Scott and Omar Hammad; 3.13. Hydrocephalus and shunt evaluation Kristen Stabingas, Diana J. Jho, Raj Nangunoori, Alexander K. Yu, and Jody Leonardo; 3.14. Hypoxic brain injury and the post acute resuscitation syndrome John O'Neill and James P. Valeriano; 3.15. Neurotoxicology, ethanol and substance abuse Matthew Stripp; 3.16. Neurological emergencies of pregnancy Ronald L. Thomas, Andrea Synowiec, Roseann Covatto, and Thomas Campbell; 3.17. Brain death Rade Vukmir, James P. Valeriano, and Austin Oblack; 3.18. Hysteria Arvind Venkat and Jon S. Brillman.
Thomas P. Campbell, MD, MPH, is Associate Professor, Allegheny Health Network, Drexel University College of Medicine. He has practiced emergency medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for over thirty years and serves as system chairman of emergency medicine for fourteen emergency departments. Kevin M. Kelly, MD, Ph.D. is Professor of Neurology, and Neurobiology and Anatomy, Allegheny Health Network, Drexel University College of Medicine. He practiced Emergency Medicine part-time for ten years in Jackson, Michigan and has served as teaching faculty for the last twenty-seven years in the Department of Neurology, Allegheny General Hospital.
