Welcome to another ultrasound-based case, part of the “Ultrasound For The Win!” (#US4TW) Case Series. In this case series, we focus on a real clinical case where bedside ultrasound changed the management or aided in the diagnosis. In this case, an 18-year-old man presents with a sore throat.
(more…)
Amoxicillin is a penicillin derivative antibiotic against susceptible gram positive and gram negative bacteria. It has reasonable coverage for most upper respiratory infections and is used as prophylaxis for asplenia and bacterial endocarditis. This post aims to demystify amoxicillin treatment for common pediatric infections.
(more…)
An 82-year-old woman presents with left hip pain after a mechanical fall while cleaning the kitchen floor. When EMS arrived, the left leg was foreshortened and externally rotated. The paramedics administered 10 mg of IV morphine, but she is still writhing in pain on arrival. The AP pelvic x-ray demonstrates a left femoral neck fracture (arrow). You consider performing a fascia iliaca nerve block for better pain control.
History of Present Illness: A 2-year-old male presents to the emergency department in January after waking up with left-sided facial swelling. Mother states her son has had cough and congestion for the past 4 days for which she has been giving Tylenol and a children’s cough medication. The patient went to bed, awoke the following morning with facial swelling, and was brought to the emergency department.
He has no allergies, history of trauma to the area, or bug bites. The patient is fully vaccinated including the influenza vaccine.
After eating the mushroom pictured, a 15-year-old patient arrives to the emergency department agitated, diaphoretic, and hallucinating, and then acutely becomes more somnolent and less responsive. Which neurotransmitter systems are affected by the toxins contained in this mushroom?
History of Present Illness: A 41-year-old man presents with pain and a foreign body sensation in the right eye since welding 4 days ago. The patient wore eye protective gear; however, he explains that he only wore sunglasses. A spark flew in from above his glasses and hit him in the right eye. The pain has been steady since. He complains of irritation exacerbated by blinking, but vision has remained unchanged. He has no other injury and no other physical complaint.
History of present illness: A 46 year-old female with a past history of fibromyalgia, irritable bowel disease, and chronic abdominal pain presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. She reported a one-year history of similar symptoms but states that her symptoms are worse today than usual, and not improved by her home hydrocodone, medical marijuana, or heating pad use – all of which she uses daily. She has not been able to tolerate oral intake today, vomiting up her breakfast of plain toast.
The patient was observed using her home heating pad in the emergency department.