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A Desert Rash

A 29-year-old man presented to the emergency department (ED) with a rash across his chest and abdomen. The rash began 2 hours before his arrival and was initially pruritic, but subsequently became painful. The patient also complained of acute onset of aching pain in both hips and his left arm. He denied associated chest pain or dyspnea, and had no paresthesias or disequilibrium. Routine laboratory studies and chest radiograph were normal. Earlier in the day, the patient had completed a dive to 235 feet in depth in Lake Mead, Nevada, but reported a very controlled ascent with appropriate decompression stops. Two days earlier, he had completed a dive to 315 feet in Lake Mead without any problems.

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Contact Information

WestJEM/ Department of Emergency Medicine
UC Irvine Health

333 The City Blvd. West, Rt 128-01
Suite 640
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.