Clinicopathological Cases from The University of Maryland

19-year-old Woman with Intermittent Weakness

Garrett A. Cavaliere, DO, NRP

Systemic weakness is a common chief complaint of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). A well thought out approach to the assessment and workup of these patients is key to diagnostic accuracy and definitive therapy.

Read More

36-year-old Male with Syncope

Samantha A. King, MD

A 36-year-old incarcerated male presented to the emergency department (ED) after an episode concerning for syncope. The patient had nystagmus and ataxia on initial examination.

Read More

40-year-old Female with Sudden Onset Dyspnea

Kebort, MD, et al.

A 40-year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) after the acute onset of dyspnea. The patient was tachypneic with accessory muscle usage and diffuse wheezing on initial examination. Despite aggressive treatment, the patient deteriorated and was intubated. This case takes the reader through the differential diagnosis and systematic workup of a patient presenting to the ED with dyspnea and arrives at the unexpected cause for this patient’s presentation.

Read More

55-year-old Male with Exertional Dyspnea

Friedman, MD, et al.

A 55-year-old man with type I diabetes presented to the emergency department with one month of intermittent palpitations and dyspnea. His lungs were clear to auscultation, and his chest radiograph was normal.

Read More

50-year-old Male With Chest Pain

Fernandez, MD, et al.

This case takes the reader through the differential diagnosis and systematic work-up of the deadly causes of chest pain, ultimately leading to this patient’s diagnosis.

Read More

Eight-year-old Boy with New-onset Seizure

Rosenblatt, MD, et al.

An eight-year-old boy presented to the emergency department for a first-time seizure. The patient had only signs of mild dehydration on physical exam and had an uneventful postictal recovery. First-time seizures in pediatric patients are often benign and require only an outpatient workup; some are dangerous.

Read More

An 18-Year-old Prisoner with Abdominal Pain

Windsor, MD, et al.

An 18-year-old male presented to the emergency department (ED) with a complaint of severe abdominal pain for three days along with painful urination, vomiting, diarrhea and subjective fever and chills.

Read More

Contact Information

WestJEM/ Department of Emergency Medicine
UC Irvine Health

3800 W Chapman Ave Ste 3200
Orange, CA 92868, USA
Phone: 1-714-456-6389
Email: editor@westjem.org

CC-BY_icon.svg

WestJEM
ISSN: 1936-900X
e-ISSN: 1936-9018

CPC-EM
ISSN: 2474-252X

Our Philosophy

Emergency Medicine is a specialty which closely reflects societal challenges and consequences of public policy decisions. The emergency department specifically deals with social injustice, health and economic disparities, violence, substance abuse, and disaster preparedness and response. This journal focuses on how emergency care affects the health of the community and population, and conversely, how these societal challenges affect the composition of the patient population who seek care in the emergency department. The development of better systems to provide emergency care, including technology solutions, is critical to enhancing population health.