September 2012
Abdominal Pain of Unusual Origin in a Teen
Urgent message: Always be mindful of the ‘zebra’ in a stampede of ‘horses’ in the differential diagnosis. ELISABETH L. SCHEUFELE, MD, MS, FAAP Case Presentation J.H. is a 19-year-old Hispanic male presenting with abdominal pain and shortness of breath for the last 4 days. He had visited the urgent care clinic about 2 days before with similar symptoms and was discharged with a diagnosis of muscle strain. J.H. returned with persistent symptoms and he indicates …
Read More
High-Risk Conditions Presenting as Back Pain (Part 4)
Urgent message: Back pain with incontinence and focal neurological changes are red flags for serious conditions. ERICA MARSHBURN, BS, BA, and JOHN SHUFELDT, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP Low back pain is a common presentation in the urgent care setting and it is important for providers to be aware of signs and symptoms that could indicate a more serious condition than nonspecific muscular pain. Be sure to make a thorough evaluation of your patients and pay …
Read More
July/August 2012
June 2012
Drug Toxicity Following Trip to the Local Head Shop
Urgent message: Thorough work-up is mandatory for patients with mild symptoms from recent use of “bath salts” because of the potential for multi-systems failure. JOHN K. GRANDY BS, MS, RPA-C Case Presentation A 19-year-old male is brought to an urgent care clinic by his mother, who states that her son and his friends took “Molly Mosquito Caps” 2 days ago that were purchased from a local head shop. The patient and his friends all experienced …
Read More
The Role of Urgent Care Centers in Regional Acute Coronary Syndrome Care
Urgent message: Patients with chest pain/acute coronary syndrome often present in outpatient medical settings—including urgent care centers—not designed to treat life-threatening conditions. Exclusive new data suggest that urgent care centers need to be integrated into pre-hospital cardiovascular care pathways. JASON T. WEINGART, MD, THOMAS P. CARRIGAN, MD, MHSA, LEE RESNICK, MD, DANIEL ELLENBERGER, BS, DANIEL I. SIMON, MD, and RICHARD A. JOSEPHSON, MS, MD Emergency medical services and hospital-based emergency departments (EDs) are typically incorporated …
Read More
High-Risk Conditions Presenting as Back Pain (Part 3)
Urgent Message: Fever plus back pain should alert a provider to a potentially serious condition that warrants further workup. ERICA MARSHBURN, BS, BA, and JOHN SHUFELDT, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP Many high-risk conditions can present as back pain and back pain is a very frequent presenting complaint in urgent care medicine. When the back pain is associated with fever of unknown etiology or if it occurs in someone with a history of receiving intravenous (IV) …
Read More