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Case Reports
. 2017 Jul 6;1(3):201-204.
doi: 10.5811/cpcem.2017.4.30837. eCollection 2017 Aug.

Compartment and Crush Syndromes After Sleep Deprivation and a Therapeutic Dose of Zolpidem

Martin R Huecker  1 , Eric Yazel  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Compartment and Crush Syndromes After Sleep Deprivation and a Therapeutic Dose of Zolpidem

Martin R Huecker et al. Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Despite extensive review in the literature, compartment syndrome and crush syndrome remain difficult to diagnose. Trauma, toxins and reperfusion have been associated with these syndromes. Cases involving alcohol and drug abuse have described patients "found down" compressing an extremity. We present a case of a registered nurse who developed compartment syndrome in multiple limbs due to prolonged sleep after sleep deprivation and zolpidem use. To our knowledge, this is the first case of compartment syndrome or crush syndrome to have occurred in the setting of zolpidem use. Sleep disruption in healthcare workers represents a public health issue with dangerous sequelae, both acute and chronic.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: By the CPC-EM article submission agreement, all authors are required to disclose all affiliations, funding sources and financial or management relationships that could be perceived as potential sources of bias. The authors disclosed none.

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