Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Leveraging Physician-Patient Relationships to Increase Patient Portal Access During an Urgent Care Visit

Urgent Message: Urgent care physicians can leverage the physician-patient relationship established during a visit to improve patient portal enrollment and use in a healthcare system. Sandy Wang, MD, MPH; Carolyn Stern, MD; Kevin Fiscella, MD, MPH; Amaya Sanders, BS; Erik Herbert, BS; Rosie Booker, BS; Tyra Barton, LPN; Mechelle Sanders, PhD Key Words: Electronic Health Records, Patient Portals, Urgent Care, Quality Improvement Abstract Background: Patient portals for accessing electronic health records are useful for easy …

7-Year-Old With Knee Pain After Activity

A 7‑year‑old male presents to the urgent‑care clinic with left‑knee pain that began after gym class and has gradually worsened over the past several weeks. The mother reports no significant trauma and notes that the pain improves with rest. Physical examination reveals a slightly overweight child with a visible bowing deformity just distal to the knee. The patient demonstrates a full range of motion and normal knee strength, and no bony tenderness, effusion, or laxity …

Chronic Calf Pain and Limp: A Case Report of Pediatric Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

Urgent Message: Pediatric patients frequently present to urgent care with musculoskeletal complaints, but clinicians must remain aware of the less common surgical and medical emergencies that can present with these symptoms. Key Words: Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis; Pediatric Limp; Antalgic Gait; Obesity; Urgent Care Diagnosis Abstract Clinical Presentation: A 13-year-old male presented to a pediatric urgent care with the chief complaint of left calf pain for a month that had acutely worsened over the past …

STEMI With Musculoskeletal Chest Pain: A Case Report

Urgent Message: Reproducible chest wall pain is often considered a symptom that indicates a musculoskeletal diagnosis. However, it should not be used as the sole criterion for ruling out acute coronary syndrome, especially in high-risk populations. Key Words: STEMI; Reproducible Chest Pain; Atypical ACS; Urgent Care Evaluation Abstract Introduction: Chest pain remains a leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits, and its differential encompasses both life-threatening and benign conditions. In the United States, the lifetime …

Worsening Otitis Media Despite Correct Treatment: A Case Report of Pediatric Leukemia

Urgent Message: Clinical worsening of typically treatable infections should trigger clinicians to dig deeper for possible underlying, undiagnosed conditions. Key Words: Pediatric Leukemia; Otitis-Conjunctivitis Syndrome; Persistent Infection; Urgent Care Diagnosis Abstract Introduction: Clinical worsening of typically treatable infections is a common initial presentation for pediatric patients with developing underlying oncologic conditions such as leukemia. Due to the gradual development of these conditions, patients may come to urgent care (UC) with varied and multiple presentations, which …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – December 2025

Causes, Management, and Outcomes of Diplopia in the ED Take Home Point: For diplopia, binocular diplopia was the most common presentation to the emergency department (ED), with microangiopathies and strokes being the most common etiology. Citation: Occelli C, Coffin V, Raynaud O, et. al. Presentation, management and outcomes of patients with diplopia in the emergency department. Am J Emerg Med. 2025;96:170-175. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2025.06.024. Relevance: Patients with diplopia occasionally present to ED and urgent care (UC) …

52-Year-Old With Calf Pain After Travel

A 52-year-old man presents to urgent care with a 2-day history of left calf pain, described as dull, non-radiating, and worsened by walking. He recently flew from Los Angeles to New York. His history includes hypertension managed with lisinopril. He denies fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, recent surgery, or prior clots. He appears well and is hemodynamically stable. Exam reveals mild swelling and tenderness in the left calf and popliteal region without erythema or …

45-Year-Old Male With Arm Lesion, Headache, and Malaise

A 45‑year‑old male presents to urgent care with headache, malaise, and an arm lesion that appeared three days ago. He reports no recent travel but notes several mice in his New York City apartment. On examination he is febrile (39.4 °C / 101 °F) and dermatologic exam reveals an eschar lesion with surrounding erythema and adjacent erythematous papules on the arm. Numerous scattered papulovesicles are also present on the trunk and forearms. Laboratory studies show mild leukopenia …

55-Year-Old With Lower Extremity Edema

A 55-year-old male presents to urgent care with progressive dyspnea for 2 weeks associated with lower extremity edema. The patient is afebrile, slightly tachypneic, with bilateral lower extremity edema on exam. An ECG is ordered. View the ECG and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.

Shortness of Breath in Pregnancy: Differentiating Physiology from Pathology in Urgent Care

Urgent Message: As shortness of breath and edema are common in pregnancy, urgent care clinicians must distinguish patients with normal physiologic changes from those with emergent conditions like venous thromboembolism, hypertension, eclampsia, and cardiomyopathy. John Ramos, MMS, PA-C, CAQ-EM Key Words: Ambulatory Care; Differential Diagnosis; Dyspnea; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular Abstract Background: Physiologic changes in pregnancy contribute to shortness of breath and edema. However, these symptoms can also be caused by serious etiologies including …

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