A hypothetical 7 month-old infant presents to the emergency department for mild respiratory distress. There is no recent illness or symptoms to explain the infant’s tachypnea and mild hypoxia. There is no visible bruising on exam. The parent states that the infant is starting to pull to stand but does not yet cruise. They have had several falls onto their tile kitchen floor. The CXR (below) is read by the radiologist left posterior rib fractures in ribs 4-8…
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A 19 year-old male presents to the emergency department with a complaint of right shoulder pain. He was tackled from behind in a rugby game three days prior to presentation and has been experiencing pain over the anterior aspect of his right shoulder since that time. Physical exam is notable for tenderness over the right acromioclavicular (AC) joint and pain with both active and passive range of motion of the right shoulder. X-rays (Figure 1) show “no obvious fracture or subluxation.” However, based on your exam and clinical suspicion, closer inspection reveals abnormal alignment between the clavicle and the acromion consistent with AC joint injury…
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A 53 year-old woman with no past medical history stepped out of the house to walk her dog when she slipped on the icy front stairs. She noted immediate pain and an obvious deformity of her right ankle, but denied head strike, loss of consciousness, or other symptoms…
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An otherwise healthy 17-year-old male presents to the ED after an ATV accident. He was riding at a low speed when he swerved to avoid a branch, lost control, forcing him to bail forward over the handlebars. He sustains a laceration to his knee during the fall, but suffers no other injuries…
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