Practice Management
Urgent message: A validated platform effective in performing rapid point-of-care tests for SARS-CoV-2 would be ideal for use in urgent care centers. While reports of false negative results with one system called the viability of such a platform into question, results of this study support the use of POC testing using self-collected nasal swabs. Bronson Elizabeth Delasobera, MD; Amanda Joy, PA; Masashi Waga; Rita Malley, MS; Anisha Patel, MS; Sarah Greenwood, PA; Jerry Creighton, RN; …
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The patient is a 24-year-old male who presents for a pre-employment physical. While undergoing his exam, he mentions being “curious” about tiny papules he noticed recently in his mouth on the inside of his cheek. They seemed to be a group of slightly yellow lesions, present on both sides of his mouth. He reports that they have been there “for a few months,” but they have not caused discomfort so he hasn’t sought care. …
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The patient is a 67-year-old male with no medical history who presents with severe chest pain radiating to his left arm that started 1 hour prior to arrival. The patient also endorses progressive dyspnea on exertion of six months duration. View the ECG and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page. (Case contributed by Gregory J Ducach, MD.) Figure 1. ECG upon urgent …
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Urgent message: The urinalysis is a ubiquitous test in urgent care settings, though there is nuance and complexity in its interpretation. An evidence-based approach is essential to assuring correct interpretation and decision-making. Douglas W. Wallace, MD, Blakeley Hudson, MD, and Matthew Delaney, MD Introduction The urinalysis (UA) is one of the most commonly ordered tests across a variety of practice settings. Despite its ubiquity, interpreting a UA can be complicated and nuanced. Given the variable …
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Urgent message: Though it occurs relatively rarely, mushroom toxicity can result in irreversible organ damage and, in certain cases, death if not recognized quickly. Diagnosis can be difficult due to the facts that toxicity may present at different intervals from time of ingestion, depending on the species of mushroom, and initial symptoms are nonspecific and similar to those of benign gastrointestinal illnesses. Timely consultation with a poison control center may be life-saving. Michele L. Stowe, …
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Shelter at home. Wash your hands. Use a tissue and properly dispose it. See your primary care if you are not feeling well. The advice goes on and on. But what if you are homeless? What if you do not have ready access to soap and water, or hand sanitizer, or tissues, or medical care? Universally, efforts to contain and mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19 leave out a vulnerable population: people experiencing homelessness (PEH). …
Read MoreAfter the vivid video of the wrongful death of George Floyd went viral in late May, millions of people of all races in America and abroad took to the streets to demonstrate in the name of solidarity and justice. This was all motivated by one man’s story and, more broadly, was a potent remind of the power of story to capture our attention and provoke action. George Floyd was the most recent widely publicized victim …
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Joshua Russell, MD, MSc, FACEP MD; Ana Echenique, MD, DABR; Steven R. Daugherty, PhD; and Michael Weinstock, MD Abstract Background/Objective A prior study of patients presenting to urgent care (UC) centers with COVID-191 showed that only a small proportion of these ambulatory patients demonstrated significant pathology on chest x-ray (CXR). In this secondary analysis of 636 ambulatory patients with confirmed COVID-19 from greater New York City (NYC), our primary objective was to determine whether the …
Read MoreHydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 Herd Immunity for COVID-19 Treating Minor MSK Pain Primary Care Visit Trends in the U.S. POCUS in Children with Respiratory Illness POCUS in Vision Loss YIJUNG RUSSELL, MD Hydroxychloroquine Not Beneficial in Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19 Infections Contributing author: Lauren Bulgarelli, MD Key Point: Hydroxychloroquine was compared with the standard of care in a randomized trial and was not shown to be associated with a higher probability of negative conversion than the standard of …
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The patient is a 67-year-old man who presents with pain in his right shoulder and posterior right neck pain that he says radiates to his right arm. He reports that he first noted the pain “a few months ago” and is seeking care now because it has become more severe and “constant.” View the image taken and consider what the diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next …
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