Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Legal Considerations and Urgent Care Management of Acute Compartment Syndrome in the Upper Extremity

Urgent Message: Compartment syndrome is a limb-threatening emergency that can present with variable clinical signs and symptoms. When the diagnosis is missed or delayed, poor functional outcomes and subsequent malpractice claims are common. Prevention of negative outcomes relies on early detection and a low-threshold for emergency department referrals. Josie L. Bunstine, DO; Ariel Cohen, DO Key words: Compartment Syndrome, Medical Malpractice Questions for the Clinician at the Bedside Abstract Acute compartment syndrome is a limb-threatening …

A 21-Year-Old Male with Foot Pain

Case A 21-year-old male presents with pain after dropping a piece of furniture on his right foot. He is physically able to bear weight during the assessment, though his pain is evident and he is unsteady when shifting his weight to the injured foot. View the image taken (Figure 1) and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.

Managing Foot Fractures in Urgent Care

Second in a Two-part Series Urgent message: Acute injuries to the midfoot and hind foot require immediate treatment or emergent referral. Close attention to the location and mechanism of injury at the urgent care site may facilitate efficient care and prevent long-term disability. Phillip H. Disraeli MD, FAAFP In keeping with the tone of part 1 of this two-part series (JUCM, December 2008), this article will discuss the urgent care clinician’s approach to foot fractures …