Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

An Uncommon Cause of Rectal Pain: A Case Report of Fishbone Foreign Body

Urgent Message: Careful history and examination are required when assessing patients presenting with rectal pain. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for accidental foreign-body ingestion when assessing unexplained rectal discomfort. Ivan Koay, MBChB, MRCS, FCUCM, FRNZCUC, MD; Cameron Olphert, BSc (Hons), MSc Key Words: rectal pain; foreign body; proctoscopy; fishbone ingestion; hemorrhoids; gastrointestinal issues Abstract Clinical Presentation: A 50-year-old male with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hemorrhoids presented to urgent …

45-Year-Old Woman With Chronic Productive Cough

A 45-year-old woman presents to urgent care with a persistent productive cough for the past few months. Over the past week, she has noticed more sputum production, which is thick and dark in color, as well as fatigue and dyspnea on exertion. She denies fevers, pharyngitis, abdominal pain, or gastrointestinal upset. She denies tobacco use or occupational exposures to any inhaled chemicals. Physical exam reveals that the patient is afebrile with vital signs within normal …

A Rash and Fever Following a Bone Marrow Transplant

A 49-year-old male presents to urgent care with 3 days of progressively worsening fever and a widespread painful rash. He also reports dry mouth and painful lesions on his gums. The patient has a history of acute myeloid leukemia, and he received an allogeneic bone marrow transplant 2 weeks prior to onset of symptoms. Physical examination reveals a fever of 101.3°F (38.5°C), several ulcerated lesions on the buccal mucosa, and a violaceous papular rash to …

75-Year-Old With History Of Hypertension And Diabetes

A 75-year-old female with a history of hypertension and diabetes presents with 1 day of dizziness and nausea. She is markedly bradycardic with a heart rate of 32 beats per minute and blood pressure of 88/52 on arrival. She was awake, alert, and oriented.

Wheezing as a Pneumothorax Presentation: A Case Report

Urgent Message: For patients with presumed asthma exacerbation, clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for other etiologies, including pneumothorax. This may help avoid delays in potentially life-saving interventions when symptoms persist despite treatment or when physical exam findings are atypical. Badi Eghterafi, DO; Nazanin Hazhir Karzar, MD Keywords: asthma, wheezing, chest pain, pneumothorax, spontaneous pneumothorax Abstract Introduction: Large spontaneous pneumothorax is an uncommon but critical complication in patients with asthma. Clinicians evaluating presumed …

51-Year-Old With Chest Pain After a Skiing Fall

A 51-year-old male presents to urgent care after falling while skiing. He reports catching an edge in a patch of slushy snow, causing him to pitch forward and land forcefully onto his left anterior chest. He immediately experienced localized pain over the left chest, worsened by deep inspiration and coughing. He denies shortness of breath, syncope, and neck or head trauma. On exam, vital signs are normal. There is focal tenderness over the left anterior …

64-Year-Old Female With Diabetes and Thumb Pain

A 64-year-old female presents to urgent care complaining of right thumb pain. The patient states she removed a wooden splinter from her thumb herself about 2 weeks prior, she denies any other trauma or systemic symptoms. The patient has a history of Type II diabetes and her last A1C 2 months prior was 9.3. Physical examination reveals the patient is afebrile with normal vital signs. There is a small, scabbed wound on the palmar surface …

42-Year-Old Male With Widespread Rash, Cough and Vomiting

A 42-year-old male presents to urgent care with complaints of cough, throat pain, and vomiting that developed earlier that morning. He returned from a family vacation to the US Virgin Islands 7 days ago and two days later, he began feeling ill with initial symptoms of high fever, myalgia, and severe headache. Over the past 3 days, he has noticed the development of a widespread rash on his trunk. The rash initially appears faint and …

When Bell Palsy Is Actually a Stroke: A Case Report

Urgent Message: While Bell palsy is the most common diagnosis for patients with unilateral facial weakness/paralysis, it is important for urgent care clinicians to be able to quickly differentiate it from other more serious diagnoses. Keywords: facial palsy; stroke mimic; Bell palsy; central facial weakness; peripheral facial palsy; urgent care evaluation Luke Wisniewski, OMS3; Finley Kocher, OMS3; Muhammad Akhtar, MD Abstract Introduction: Bell palsy is the most common diagnosis for patients with unilateral facial weakness/paralysis …

Progressive Ankle Pain in a 12-Year-Old Male: A Case Report of Osteomyelitis

Urgent Message: While most pediatric musculoskeletal complaints are usually benign and self-limited, the urgent care clinician must consider more serious underlying causes of pain in the differential diagnosis. Keywords: pediatric osteomyelitis; atraumatic ankle pain; limping child; bone infection; ESR; CRP; MRI diagnosis Erin Loo, PA-C, MHA, FCUCM Abstract Introduction: Pediatric patients commonly present to urgent care (UC) with musculoskeletal complaints. However, a wide differential should be considered, including musculoskeletal injury, synovitis, autoimmune conditions, cellulitis, avascular …

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