Urgent Message: Patients commonly present with respiratory symptoms in the urgent care setting and not infrequently complain of some degree of shortness of breath—or dyspnea. It is critical for clinicians to have comfort with the clinical assessment and appropriate use of diagnostic resources for the dyspneic patient. Identifying patients requiring immediate emergency department referral is an important skill. Evan Price, DO; Eric Patten, MD; Shakil Hossain, DO; Michael Weinstock, MD Citation: Price E, Patten E, …
Read MoreA Review of Genital Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma Infections for the Urgent Care Clinician
Urgent Message: Mycoplasma species, most notably Mycoplasma genitalium are an increasingly recognized etiology of persistent urethral discomfort and non-gonococcal urethritis in males. These infections are commonly asymptomatic and can also have significant consequences in females. Antibiotic resistance is a common concern and treatment recommendations differ significantly from those for other sexually transmitted infections. Joseph Something, PA-C; Greg Smithers, PA-C; Ina Park, MD, MS Citation: Something J, Smithers G, Park I. A Review of Genital Mycoplasma …
Read MoreHow Useful Is Ultrasound in Acute Female Pelvic Pain?
Andrew Alaya, MD, MSc Urgent Message: For time-sensitive diagnoses related to acute pelvic pain, ultrasound is generally the recommended initial diagnostic imaging study. While not universally available in urgent care, it can often be completed more rapidly than computed tomography or magnet resonance imaging. Citation: Alaya A. How Useful Is Ultrasound In Acute Female Pelvic Pain? J Urgent Care Med. 2024;18(7):35-40 Introduction Acute pain in the pelvic or lower abdominal region among women of reproductive …
Read MoreIsolated Sternal Fractures After Trampoline Falls in Children: A Case Series
Urgent Message: Isolated sternal fractures in children can occur from relatively minor trauma, such as a trampoline fall, and patients can often be managed conservatively. NaShayla Davis, MD; Olabisi Pearse, MD; Swati Mahajan, MD; Marie-Helene Gagnon, MD; Rebecca Burger, MD Citation: Davis N, Pearse O, Mahajan S, Gagnon MH, Burger R. Isolated Sternal Fractures After Trampoline Falls in Children: A Case Series. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(6): 13-16 Key Words: Trampoline, Fall, Fracture, Injury, …
Read MoreUpdates in Weight Management Pharmacotherapy: Essential Knowledge For The Urgent Care Clinician
Urgent Message: As more glucagon-like peptide-1 and gastric inhibitory polypeptide agonists are prescribed, it is important for clinicians to have familiarity adverse reactions and complications that may present in urgent care. Sergio Ramoa, MD, MS; Darya Zakirov, MS, APRN, FNP-C; Pascale Carbonara, MD; Deann Isherwood, MSN, FNP; Tu-Mai Tran, MD, MSc Citation: Ramoa S, Zakirov D, Carbonara P, Isherwood D, Tran TM. Updates in Weight Management Pharmacotherapy: Essential Knowledge For The Urgent Care Clinician. J …
Read MoreCase Report of Renal Cell Carcinoma Presenting to Urgent Care with Indolent Back Pain: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Urgent message: Although back pain is often due to benign etiologies, symptoms of progressive pain, weakness, and near syncope in one patient ultimately led to a diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. Citation: Hamazaspyan A, Kedia A, Weinstock M. Case Report of Renal Cell Carcinoma Presenting to Urgent Care with Indolent Back Pain: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. J Urgent Care Med. 2024;18(5): 17-22. Anahit Hamazaspyan DO; Ayush Kedia DO; Michael Weinstock MD Abstract Introduction Back …
Read MoreCharting with Purpose: Precision Strategies for Accurate Coding and Malpractice Defense
Jeff Willis, MD Urgent Message: A well-told story explaining your thought process during a patient encounter will contain all the elements required for accurate coding. Attorneys are less likely to question care when a logical and complete story is clearly documented. Citation: Willis J. Charting with Purpose: Precision Strategies for Accurate Coding and Malpractice Defense. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(4) 13-16. As a medical legal consultant, I have learned medical malpractice claims are an …
Read MoreThe Importance of Providing Clinical History for Radiology Studies in the Urgent Care Setting
Morgan P. McBee, MD, CIIP; Leah S. McBee, MD Urgent Message: Urgent care clinicians need to provide relevant clinical history for radiology orders to ensure that the correct exam gets performed, an accurate ICD-10 code can be assigned for billing, and that radiologists are able to provide high-quality reports that contribute to timely and appropriate patient care in the urgent care setting. Citation: McBee M, McBee L. The Importance of Providing Clinical History for Radiology …
Read MoreTympanic Membrane Conditions Beyond Otitis Media in Urgent Care Practice
Urgent Message: Better understanding of tympanic membrane/middle ear conditions can inform more accurate diagnoses at the point of care. Citation: LaCour J. Tympanic Membrane Conditions Beyond Otitis Media in Urgent Care Practice. J Urgent Care Med. 2023;18(3):15-19 Author Affiliation: Jeff LaCour, MD, Compassio Medical Education. Video: Watch a video featuring Jeff LaCour, MD, that further explains tympanic membrane conditions with supplemental images. WATCH VIDEO Urgent care providers are often tasked to determine the source of …
Read MoreSystemic Steroid Stewardship in Urgent Care: Recognizing Indication Creep to Limit Avoidable Harms
Urgent Message: Steroid overprescribing is a universal urgent care issue. While systemic steroids have several indications in which the preponderance of evidence supports their use in the urgent care setting, indication creep has led to their use outside of these scenarios resulting in significant risk for avoidable and unjustifiable adverse reactions. Citation: Hansen P. Systemic Steroid Stewardship in Urgent Care: Recognizing Indication Creep to Limit Avoidable Harms. J Urgent Care Med. 2023;18(3);29-32 Author Affiliation: Paul …
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