Clinical Cases & Journal Review

Julia Kelly, Cameron Smyres A 62-year-old man who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer presents to the ED after being diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism on outside CT imaging. The patient had a CT scan of his chest for cancer staging and an incidental PE was found. He was told to seek care at the ED. The patient is asymptomatic, and specifically denies chest pain, dyspnea, acute leg swelling and otherwise feels at his baseline. He denies any recent travel and has no history of blood clots in the past. Vitals: BP 106/70 | Pulse 55 | Temp 98 °F (36.7 °C) | Resp 19 | Wt 79.8 kg (176 ...

Anthony Galvez, Tommy Ngo, Akash Desai A 62yo male with a history of HIV and hypothyroidism presents to the ED with left-sided chest pain and shortness of breath after a near-syncopal episode followed by a fall 3 days prior. The patient was carrying groceries when he suddenly felt lightheaded and fell to the ground. He denies loss of consciousness or head trauma and reports having not eaten or drinking anything all day. Since the fall, he has had progressively worsening left-sided chest pain and spasming.Vitals: BP 157/87, HR 70, RR 18, T 98.3F, SpO2 98%Exam: The patient appeared uncom...

Liz Temple, Colleen Campbell A 51-year-old male patient with past medical history of mitral valve prolapse s/p complex mitral valve repair with left atrial appendage exclusion and repair of atrial septal defect complicated by perioperative pericarditis was directly admitted to the ICU following outpatient echocardiography findings of new right heart strain. Since his open heart surgery, he began to develop progressive dyspnea on exertion and orthopnea accompanied with dizziness and lightheadedness. His exertional capacity has decreased from 3 miles to 100 yards over one week. He otherwise d...

Brigid Larkin, Colleen Campbell A 20-year-old female with no significant past medical history presented to the emergency department with 5 days of focal right lower quadrant abdominal pain progressively worsening in severity. The pain was constant and non-radiating, accompanied by generalized abdominal discomfort, nausea, and intermittent light-headedness. Her last menstrual period occurred 3 weeks prior. She denied vaginal bleeding, dysuria, hematuria, constipation, diarrhea, or hematochezia. Past surgical history was unremarkable. Family history was notable for uterine fibroids in her mot...

Colleen Sweeney, Akash Desai A 55-year-old female with no pertinent past medical or surgical history was brought in by ambulance after a bicycle accident with left knee pain.  She was unhelmeted while riding a bicycle going 10mph when she collided into an e-bike. Her left knee was caught in her handlebars; she denied head trauma and had no LOC.   Vitals: BP 168/120, HR 70, T 96.0F, RR 22, SpO2 95% on RA, BMI 24.41  Physical Exam: General/Neuro: alert, in acute distress, diaphoretic HEENT...

Theresa Jo Thomas , Akash Desai Case: A 49-year-old female with a past medical history of type 1 diabetes on insulin and myopia presented to the emergency department for vision changes. The patient stated that three days ago she noticed “flashers” in the vision of her right eye which she described as “squiggly lines”. The patient stated that on the day of her presentation to the emergency department at 1100 she noticed the bottom half of her vision as “grayed out” when looking to the ground. ...

Makhlouf Bannoud, Colleen Campbell  A 22-year-old male with no significant past medical history presented to the emergency department with right shoulder pain and visible deformity after a surfing injury. He reported that a wave forcefully pulled his surfboard while he was holding on, followed by an audible “pop.” He denied head trauma, distal numbness, weakness, or additional injuries.  Vitals: BP 151/81 | HR 104 | RR 27 | Temp 97.8°F (36.6°C) | SpO₂ 93%  On exam, the patient was in acute discomfort but alert and oriented. The right upper extremity was held in ...

Lucia Hong, Elaine Yu A 70-year-old male with a history of cirrhosis, COPD, HTN, T2DM, and large abdominal wall hernia who presented after being found down in his home by a neighbor. Upon arrival, the patient was hypotensive with systolic blood pressures in the 70s and in atrial fibrillation with RVR with heart rates in the 170s. He received 500mL intravenous fluids prior to arrival and was transported on supplemental oxygen. The patient was altered and unable to provide history. On physical examination, the patient appeared acutely ill and minimally responsive. Mucous membranes were dry...

Sanjana Sanghani, Gerald Tolbert, Rachna Subramony A 52-year-old male with a past medical history significant for hypertension and hyperlipidemia presented to the Emergency Department with two days of intermittent chest discomfort accompanied by mild epigastric pain. The pain was non-radiating, episodic, and not associated with nausea, vomiting, diaphoresis, syncope, or exertion. He denied recent trauma, heavy lifting, or prior similar episodes. There was no known personal history of vascular disease, tobacco use, or family history of aneurysmal disease. An electrocardiogram demonstrated...

Sneha Thandra, Anthony Medak Case: A 19 year old female with a history of palpitations, shortness of breath, and syncope presents to the ED with throat pain with swelling for 3 weeks. The pain was noted to be bilateral, worsened with swallowing, but she was able to tolerate some oral intake. Patient had previously been seen on multiple occasions in ED/Urgent Care and had received dexamethasone without significant relief. She had not received antibiotics. Denied fevers or cough and had no PMH or known allergies.  Vitals: BP 127/90 | Pulse 103 | Temp 98.2 °F (36.8 °C) | Resp 16 | Wt...