A 36-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department 20 minutes after being involved in a high-speed motor vehicle collision. On arrival, she is unconscious. Her pulse is 140/min, respirations are 12/min and shallow, and blood pressure is 76/55 mm Hg. 0.9% saline infusion is begun. A focused assessment with sonography shows blood in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. Her hemoglobin concentration is 7.6 g/dL and hematocrit is 22%. The surgeon decided to move the patient to the operating room for an emergent explorative laparotomy. Packed red blood cell transfusion is ordered prior to surgery. However, a friend of the patient asks for the transfusion to be held as the patient is a Jehovah's Witness. The patient has no advance directive and there is no documentation showing her refusal of blood transfusions. The patient's husband and children cannot be contacted. Which of the following is the most appropriate next best step in management?
AAdminister hydroxyethyl starch
BTransfusion of packed red blood cells
CConsult hospital ethics committee
DAdminister high-dose iron dextran
A 26-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department after a motor vehicle accident. She was driving on the highway when she was struck by a van. At the hospital she was conscious but was bleeding heavily from an open wound in her left leg. Pulse is 120/min and blood pressure is 96/68 mm Hg. She receives 3 L of intravenous saline and her pulse slowed to 80/min and blood pressure elevated to 116/70 mm Hg. The next morning she is found to have a hemoglobin of 6.2 g/dL. Her team decides to transfuse 1 unit of packed RBCs. Twenty minutes into the transfusion she develops a diffuse urticarial rash, wheezing, fever, and hypotension. The transfusion is immediately stopped and intramuscular epinephrine is administered. Which of the following scenarios is most consistent with this patient's reaction to the blood transfusion?
AA patient history of cardiovascular disease
BUnsanitary blood product storage practices in the hospital
CA patient history of frequent sinopulmonary infections
DFacial twitching when the patient's cheek is tapped
EPrior transfusion reactions caused by the same donor
A 70-year-old Caucasian male presents to the emergency room following a fall. The patient's past medical history is significant for myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation. His home medications are unknown. The patient's head CT is shown in Image A. Laboratory results reveal an International Normalized Ratio (INR) of 6. Which of the following is the most appropriate pharmacologic therapy for this patient?
APlatelet transfusion
BFresh frozen plasma
CProtamine
DCryoprecipitate
EVitamin K
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