Practice Management
Urgent message: This is a really big deal to urgent care clinicians and operators. Introduction Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures account for approximately 40% of all operative tendon repairs.1,2 With 18 ruptures per 100,000 people, it is the most frequently ruptured tendon—and the incidence of AT ruptures has been steadily increasing over the past few decades.1–4 Typical patients include athletic males between the ages of 30 and 50.3 Because the AT is the strongest, yet most …
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Urgent message: Triceps tears are an uncommon acute injury that can occur from multiple mechanisms, including direct trauma. Assessment of these injuries requires obtaining a medical history and exam and a knowledge of characteristic diagnostic imaging findings. Early diagnosis and identification in patients presenting to an urgent care center is critical to ensure that appropriate treatment is initiated in a timely fashion. Introduction Triceps tendon (TT) tear is the least common of all tendon injuries …
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Urgent message: Recognizing the need for workup and referral in patients, even if their symptoms are relatively common, is crucial for optimal outcomes Introduction Abdominal symptoms can be attributed to a wide array of causes. When etiology is not immediately apparent, searching for signs and symptoms the patient may not have reported—or even be aware of—may be the first steps toward timely diagnosis and treatment. In this case, the abdominal symptoms were ultimately due to …
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Urgent message: Quadriceps tendon tears are misdiagnosed frequently, leaving patients at excessive risk for long-term disability. Early identification and immediate referral for further care—often, surgery—is necessary for optimal outcomes. Low-riding patella (patella baja) commonly seen in complete tendon tears. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.) Introduction Musculoskeletal injuries are among of the most common problems seen in the urgent care setting. Quadriceps tendon tears are uncommon injuries, with an incidence of approximately 1.4/100,000 per year. Consequently, …
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Urgent message: Common nasal infections can have serious health consequences if not quickly diagnosed and treated. Introduction Both children and adults present to urgent care centers with nasal pain. Infectious causes of such pain include impetigo, furuncles, and nasal vestibulitis (NV). Noninfectious causes include squamous cell cancer and lupus vulgaris. A careful physical examination and a thorough medical history can allow the health-care provider to rule out more serious conditions or to transfer the patient …
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Urgent message: Swelling of the neck is a common problem seen in the urgent care setting. Etiologies range from infectious to lymphatic to malignant. If serious conditions are not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, complications may lead to airway compromise, sepsis, or even death. How this article helps you: alerts you to uncommon presentations of neck masses. Introdution Swelling in various areas of the neck is frequently seen in urgent care centers. Most …
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Urgent message: Though the cause of nonspecific numbness and tingling will often be benign, serious illnesses should be included in the differential diagnosis. Introduction Many patients at urgent care centers present with numbness and tingling. The symptoms can be caused by variety of underlying benign or potentially malignant pathologies. The medical history and physical examination play a central role in the determination of the cause of numbness. Numbness that is limited to a part of a limb suggests mononeuropathy, whereas numbness that involves most …
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Urgent message: Be aware of new fads and habits that are growing in popularity. Some of them can result in life-threatening symptoms and serious permanent health consequences. Introduction Vomiting is a common presentation in the urgent care setting, especially in the pediatric population. With children, health-care providers must start with a comprehensive differential diagnosis because of the difficulty in obtaining accurate information directly from the patient. The medical history, often presented by the parent, must be carefully sorted through for clues to a …
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Urgent message: Adolescent patients present to urgent care facilities with unique needs and diagnoses. It is imperative that those who care for them be familiar with some of these diagnoses and keep in mind the importance of obtaining a full and accurate medical history and performing a thorough physical examination. Introduction Adolescent patients can represent unique challenges for health-care providers. In caring for them, providers must work from a broad differential, including diagnoses common to …
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Urgent message: Proptosis may be caused by a variety of vascular, infectious, endocrine, and neoplastic diseases that may threaten vision or cause serious systemic complications or death. Providers should be familiar with causes and work-up, including which findings suggest a need for immediate imaging and consultation. ARMIN GOLLOGLY, MD, BRIAN ZIPSER, MD, WENDY HUANG, MD, FAAO, FAAP, CHRISTOPHER M. FECAROTTA, MD, FAAO, FAAP, FCPP, AND MARK RICHMAN, MD, MPH Introduction This report describes a case of unilateral proptosis due to …
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