The life- or limb-threatening differential diagnosis for upper extremity swelling can include deep vein thrombosis (DVT), infectious processes, and compartment syndrome. Chronic anatomic abnormalities such as axillary vein stenosis are rarely a consideration in the emergency department.
Point-of-care ocular ultrasound in the emergency department (ED) is an effective tool for promptly evaluating for several vision-threatening etiologies and can be used to identify more slowly progressing etiologies as well, such as cataract formation within the lens.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) typically presents with respiratory illness and fever, however some rare neurologic symptoms have been described as presenting complaints. We report a case of an acute motor and sensory polyneuropathy consistent with Miller-Fisher Syndrome (MFS) variant of Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) as the initial symptom.
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a global pandemic that expresses itself with a wide variety of presenting symptoms in patients. There is a paucity of literature describing the dermatologic manifestations of the virus, particularly in the United States.
Respiratory viral illnesses are associated with diverse neurological complications, including acute transverse myelitis (ATM). Among the respiratory viral pathogens, the Coronaviridae family and its genera coronaviruses have been implicated as having neurotropic and neuroinvasive capabilities in human hosts.1 Despite previous strains of coronaviruses exhibiting neurotropic and neuroinvasive capabilities, little is known about the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its involvement with the central nervous system (CNS). The current pandemic has highlighted the diverse clinical presentation of SARS-CoV-2 including a possible link to CNS manifestation with disease processes such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and cerebrovascular disease. It is critical to shed light on the varied neurological manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 to ensure clinicians do not overlook at-risk patient populations and are able to provide targeted therapies appropriately.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread throughout the world since late 2019. Symptoms appear after a two-week incubation period and commonly include fever, cough, myalgia or fatigue, and shortness of breath.
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a challenge for healthcare providers in terms of diagnosis, management, and triage of cases requiring admission.
There is a growing body of literature detailing coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) cardiovascular complications and hypercoagulability, although little has been published on venous or arterial thrombosis risk.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an increase in the number of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with severe hypoxia and acute respiratory distress. With limited resources and ventilators available, emergency physicians working at a hospital within the epicenter of the United States outbreak developed a stepwise, non-invasive oxygenation strategy for treating COVID-19 patients presenting with severe hypoxia and acute respiratory distress.
Neurologic symptoms present as significant complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. This report describes a novel manifestation of tremors triggered by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, emergency providers are not only seeing an increasing number of patients with COVID-19 infections, but also associated complications and sequelae of this viral illness.
As severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads across the globe, physicians face the challenges of a contagious pandemic including which patients to isolate, how to conserve personal protective equipment, and who to test. The current protocol at our hospital is to place anyone with new cough, dyspnea, or fever into airborne and contact precautions and consider them for testing. Unfortunately, the symptomatic presentations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are proving more variable than previously thought.
Given concern for increased aerosolization during intubation of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, we sought to create a portable, inexpensive, and easily constructed device to help protect healthcare workers.
We present a case of a COVID-19 patient who presented to the emergency department twice within a 24-hour period with rapidly progressing illness. A multi-organ point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) evaluation was used on the return visit and assisted clinical decision-making.
Urolithiasis is a common condition seen in the emergency department (ED) that most often presents with calculi located in the kidney, ureter, or bladder. An obstructing calculi located at the urethra is an uncommon presentation where the management options are unique to its location.
This is a novel case report of a 44-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with epigastric pain wrapping around to her back. She had no risk factors for cardiac disease, but her initial electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a Wellens syndrome pattern and she was taken urgently to the catheterization lab.
Kawasaki disease (KD) is a rare vasculitis of childhood that is critical to recognize and treat due to associated morbidity and mortality. A six-year-old male presented to our emergency department (ED) afebrile but with reported recent fevers.
Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic agent currently approved and utilized in the treatment of dysfunctional uterine bleeding, traumatic extracranial hemorrhage, anterior epistaxis, and dental procedures on patients with hemophilia. There is a paucity of literature evaluating the use of TXA for hemostasis in patients on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).
A sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SOVA) is usually a silent entity until one of its complications arises, such as heart failure. SOVA itself is uncommon, but it is more frequently associated with a supracristal ventricular septal defect (SVSD).
This case details a patient with a significant small bowel obstruction (SBO) due to superior mesenteric artery syndrome causing a falsely elevated BV. We believe this is the first case report of a SBO causing an elevated BV by bladder scanner.
We report a case of a 44-year-old male with an uncommon case of an open dorsal proximal interphalangeal (PIP) dislocation. Although open PIP dislocations are often volar, dorsal dislocations are fraught with complications due to the potential for infection and damage to supportive structures.
We report the case of a 34-year-old patient who immigrated from Yemen six years earlier. She presented with acute onset dysuria, suprapubic pain, and fever. Imaging revealed a primary multicystic mass on the right renal pole with a secondary lesion in the right hepatic lobe.
However, this is the unique case of a 62-year-old Asian female who presented with a hemorrhagic stroke suspected to be secondary to refractory hypertension from intracranial large vessel atherosclerotic flow limiting stenosis, with rapid subsequent large vessel occlusion and ischemic stroke.
We describe two patients who presented to the ED with dilated pupils, rigidity in both lower extremities, and clonus in both feet after inhaling the vapor of a highly potent form of marijuana. Serotonin syndrome diagnosis was initially considered in the differential diagnosis.
We report the case of a 23-year-old male who presented with right middle finger pain and swelling and an overlying eczematous rash. The use of point-of-care ultrasound was performed to aid in the diagnosis of pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis. An incision and drainage was performed with deep wound cultures positive for Staphylococcus aureus.