Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Herpes Simplex Virus Infections: An Overview of Testing for the Urgent Care Clinician

Urgent Message: Polymerase chain reaction testing is recommended for patients with lesions that could represent herpes simplex virus infection. It is imperative that urgent care clinicians understand the utility and characteristics of such testing as well as the implications of findings. Brittney Tice, FNP, DNP; Joseph Something, PA; Benjamin Zimmerman, PhD Editor’s Note: The patient case scenario is hypothetical. Abstract In the urgent care (UC) setting, patients commonly present with nominal requests for herpes simplex …

13-Year-Old With Inversion Injury

A 13-year-old boy presents to urgent care after “rolling” his left foot. He explains that he tripped on a cement curb while riding his skateboard. He has foot and ankle pain that is worse with weight. An x-ray is ordered. Review the image and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the following page.

Dyspnea in an Asthmatic Patient Following an Influenza Infection: A Case Report

Urgent Message: While patients with asthma will frequently experience exacerbations following viral respiratory infections, the urgent care clinician must be cautious when assuming dyspnea is due to asthma. As dyspnea can be caused by a wide variety of conditions, it is important to maintain a broad differential diagnoses, even in patients with underlying asthma. Tracey Quail Davidoff, MD, FCUCM Key words: Influenza, Dyspnea, Asthma, Congestive Heart Failure, Myocarditis, Diagnosis Momentum Abstract Introduction: Patients commonly present …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – June 2025

Can Doctors Predict Patient Outcome from a First Impression? Take Home Point: In this systematic review, the first impressions of “sick versus not sick” and appropriate patient disposition had reasonable predictive value for patient outcomes but was not sufficiently accurate to supplant thorough clinical assessment. Citation: Treloar E, Abraham A, Smith E, et. al. Can first impressions predict patient outcomes? Acad Emerg Med. 2025 Mar;32(3):351-354. doi: 10.1111/acem.15053. Relevance: In busy environments such as urgent care …

33-Year-Old With Pleuritic Chest Pain

A 33-year-old female presents to urgent care with pleuritic chest pain that is gradual in onset over the preceding several days and worse when lying flat. She denies fever, cough, and shortness of breath. She is well appearing with normal vital signs. An ECG is obtained. View the ECG and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.

63-Year-Old With Sudden Visual Disturbance

A 63-year-old man presents to urgent care with sudden-onset floaters and blurred vision in his right eye for one day. He denies trauma, headache, or flashes of light. He has no history of similar symptoms. His past medical history includes hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Vital signs are normal. Visual acuity measures 20/40 OD and 20/25 OS. No facial asymmetry or eyelid swelling is noted. Visual fields are intact bilaterally. A non-dilated fundoscopic exam is …

55-Year-Old With Diffusely Dry Skin

A 55-year-old woman presents to urgent care because of skin dryness and scaling on her legs that developed 2 weeks prior. The patient was recently diagnosed with psoriasis by a different provider and was treated with a combination therapy of tazarotene and a topical steroid for over 4 weeks. Diffuse dryness and white scales were seen on her legs. View the image below and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of …

Legal Considerations and Urgent Care Management of Acute Compartment Syndrome in the Upper Extremity

Urgent Message: Compartment syndrome is a limb-threatening emergency that can present with variable clinical signs and symptoms. When the diagnosis is missed or delayed, poor functional outcomes and subsequent malpractice claims are common. Prevention of negative outcomes relies on early detection and a low-threshold for emergency department referrals. Josie L. Bunstine, DO; Ariel Cohen, DO Key words: Compartment Syndrome, Medical Malpractice Questions for the Clinician at the Bedside Abstract Acute compartment syndrome is a limb-threatening …

Brief Report: PrEPare for Action – A Quality Improvement Project for Expanding HIV Screening in the Urgent Care Setting During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Citation: Hunt E, Greger M, Shipley N. Brief Report: PrEPare for Action – A Quality Improvement Project for Expanding HIV Screening in the Urgent Care Setting During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Urgent Care Med. 2025; 19(9): 21-23 Download the Article PDF: Brief Report: PrEPare for Action – A Quality Improvement Project for Expanding HIV Screening in the Urgent Care Setting During the COVID-19 Pandemic Urgent Message: A quality improvement program demonstrated the successful integration of …

Postpartum Presentations: When Risk Arises After Delivery – Vaginal Bleeding and Discharge

Urgent Message: Postpartum vaginal bleeding and discharge have a broad range of etiologies ranging from benign and self-limited to life-threatening. As postpartum patients may present to urgent care centers with concerns for bleeding or discharge, it is important for clinicians to have an understanding of the unique differential diagnosis for causes of hemorrhage in this population. Alexa Bailey, BS; Lauren Kostandaras, BS; Hannah Poorman, BS; Michael Weinstock, MD; Catherine Neal, DO. Citation: Bailey A, Kostandaras …

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