Archives

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.

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55-year-old Woman with Headache, Vomiting, and Visual Disturbance

Shaker, MD, et al.

A 55-year-old woman with a past medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and iron deficiency anemia presented to the emergency department with three days of headache, nausea, vomiting, and visual changes. Her vital signs were within normal limits. She was noted to have a left cranial nerve six palsy on exam.

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Heroin Adulterated with the Novel Synthetic Cannabinoid, 5F-MDMB-PINACA: A Case Series

Ershad, MD, et al.

Heroin can be adulterated with various substances that may or may not have pharmacological effects. Here we report a case series of 8 patients who presented to the emergency department after overdose with intravenous heroin preparation adulterated with the synthetic cannabinoid methyl 2-(1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indazole-3-carboxamido)-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (5F-MDMB-PINACA).

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Urethral Calculi

Lee, MD, et al.

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.

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Topical Tranexamic Acid for Hemostasis of an Oral Bleed in a Patient on a Direct Oral Anticoagulant

Boccio, MD, et al.

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).

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Open Dorsal Proximal Interphalangeal Dislocation

Derrah, MD, et al.

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.

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An Atypical Presentation of Cystic Echinococcosis

Tetali, BS, et al.

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.

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Pyogenic Flexor Tenosynovitis as a Rare Complication of Dyshidrotic Eczema

Nimjareansuk, DO, et al.

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.

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A Case Report of Acute Heart Failure Due to Infective Aortic Endocarditis Diagnosed by Point-of-care Ultrasound

Gallagher, MD, et al.

A 36-year-old man presented to the emergency department for worsening dyspnea and chest pain. Point-of-care echocardiography demonstrated a mobile oscillating mass on the aortic valve with poor approximation of the valve leaflets, suggesting aortic valve insufficiency secondary to IE as the cause of acute heart failure. The patient underwent emergent aortic valve replacement within 24 hours.

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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

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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.