Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

A 20-year-Old Female with Chest Pain and SOB

Urgent message: Urgent care providers need to be vigilant for more than acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary embolism, and thoracic aortic dissection when patients present with chest pain—such as this 20-year-old who developed pneumomediastinum while smoking marijuana. Xiangyang Jiao, MD Case Presentation A 20-year-old female presented to urgent care for pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath for about 2 hours. The chest pain was located in the upper and mid chest, was dull, pressure like, …

Colorado Hospital Sees Higher Pot-Related Visits Since Legalization

The number of marijuana-related visits to the emergency room and urgent care center at Children’s Hospital Colorado has more than quadrupled since Colorado legalized recreational use, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus reviewed ED and urgent care records for 13- to 21-year-olds, looking for visits where the patient either had a diagnostic code related to marijuana use or a positive urine screen; that number rose from 146 …

Legalized Pot Complicates Workplace Drug Testing Policies

Marijuana is now legal in 28 states in one form or another, but that doesn’t mean employers are obliged to soften their stance on employees’ use. How this could affect urgent care centers that offer drug screenings as part of their occupational medicine services is unclear—as is the ability of employers to bar employees from partaking. Some legal experts have asserted that companies could put themselves at risk if they fire employees for a positive …