A common complaint seen in the ED is a sore throat. While most sore throats are easily diagnosed and treated, less common causes are often not considered in the differential diagnoses. Therefore, the purpose of this case study was to present an atypical case of sore throat and discuss differential diagnoses.
A 6-year-old female presented with low back pain and swelling, difficulty ambulating, and rash two weeks after a respiratory infection. She was approached with a broad differential and ultimately diagnosed with IgA vasculitis.
Brugada syndrome is an arrhythmogenic disorder that is a known cause of sudden cardiac death. It is characterized by a pattern of ST segment elevation in the precordial leads on an electrocardiogram (EKG) due to a sodium channelopathy.
Brugada syndrome is a genetic disorder of the heart’s electrical system that increases a patient’s risk of sudden cardiac death. It is a syndrome most prevalent in Southeast Asians and is found 36 times more commonly in Asians than in Hispanics.
We present a case of spontaneous CAD presenting with the classic intermittent “lightning-like” jaw and head pain suggestive of trigeminal neuralgia that was ultimately diagnosed utilizing computed tomography angiogram after multiple visits to the ED.
Anion gap metabolic acidosis is a common disorder seen in the emergency department. The differential can include toxicological, renal, endocrine, infectious, and cardiogenic disorders. Ketosis, however, is one of the rarer causes of metabolic acidosis seen by the emergency physician in developed nations.
A 26-year-old woman prescribed contraceptive vaginal ring presented with abdominal pain and was diagnosed with an extensive portal venous thrombosis. Management included heparin and later an oral anticoagulant with good short-term outcome.
Central cord syndrome (CCS) is a clinical syndrome of motor weakness and sensory changes. While CCS is most often associated with traumatic events. There have been few documented cases being caused by abscesses resulting from osteomyelitis.
This case illustrates the importance of rapid ED assessment and management of complex penetrating ocular trauma. Examination should specifically look for signs of globe rupture and optic nerve injury. Expedited foreign body removal should be managed together with an ophthalmologist with procedural sedation and broad-spectrum antibiotics to avoid further visual and infectious complications.
In this article we present a case of a patient who received reversal of anticoagulation therapy with factor IX in violation of hospital guidelines. As a direct result, myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke occurred, leaving the patient neurologically debilitated. Factor IX is indicated in the setting of warfarin-induced, life-threatening bleeding.
Our cases illustrate the feasibility and analgesic efficacy of the SAPB in providing pain management in ED patients with a variety of painful syndromes, including those with severe pain from multiple rib fractures, herpes zoster, and tube thoracostomy placement.
We report the case of a 38-year-old woman gravida 2, para 0, abortion 1 with type 1 diabetes who had euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis and review the literature on DKP, with a focus on diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of the mother and fetus.
We describe a case of bilateral patellar tendon rupture that presented after minor trauma, and had the diagnosis confirmed at the bedside by point-of-care ultrasound. Physicians caring for patients with orthopedic injuries should be familiar with the use of ultrasound to diagnose tendon ruptures.
A 10-year-old male vaccinated against varicella had developed left-sided rashes on his thoracic region in single dermatomal distribution, which is consistent with herpes zoster. Although herpes zoster is uncommon in children, especially with the current vaccination regimen, this case report serves as a reminder to consider it in one’s differential diagnoses, even in the immunocompetent, fully immunized pediatric patient.
A 27-year-old female presented to the emergency department with sudden onset shortness of breath. A diagnosis of bilateral catamenial pneumothoraces was made following chest radiograph.
We have described a low energy case of bilateral luxatio erecta and the reduction method used and the continued instability following successful reduction under procedural anesthesia.
A 29-year-old man presented with a carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level of 29.8%. He was treated with HFNC, and COHb levels declined to 5.4% in 230 minutes. Given several theoretical advantages of HFNC relative to NRB, HFNC is a potential option for use in the treatment of CO poisoning.
Here we discuss a case of early neurosyphilis and new HIV diagnosis in a 27-year-old previously-healthy trans woman presenting for the second time with progressive, ascending weakness and cranial nerve VI palsy.
Formic acid, when combined with sulfuric acid, gets dehydrated to form carbon monoxide (CO). A 27-year-old female was found unconscious inside a car, next to a container with a mixture of sulfuric acid and formic acid.
Pediatric paraspinal abscesses are not well documented in the literature. We report a case of a two-year-old female presenting with fevers, lower back pain, and decreased oral intake ultimately diagnosed with isolated lumbar paraspinal abscess.
There have been a number of case reports discussing the association of patients on bisphosphonates who suffer a non-traumatic or a low-energy mechanism of injury atypical of subtrochanteric fractures. The purpose of this case report is to raise awareness of this potential side effect and provide increased clinical suspicion for this rare type of fracture.
We present a rare case of cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy as diagnosed by transvaginal ultrasonography. Cases such as this are rare, but they are becoming more commonly detected with the growing frequency of cesarean sections, improving technology, and provider proficiency with point-of-care ultrasound.
