Brown Emergency Medicine Blog — BROWN EMERGENCY MEDICINE BLOG

A 68-year-old male presents to the emergency department (ED) with one week of worsening shortness of breath. He has no known cardiac history and has rarely seen a physician. He reports shortness of breath with exertion, mild non-productive cough, and subjective fever. He is not having chest pain. He is a long-time smoker but denies other drugs. Vitals are as follows: heart rate (HR) of 102, blood pressure (BP) of 105/70, afebrile, 89% on room air (RA), respiratory rate of 20. On exam the patient exhibits labored breathing, crackles in bilateral lower lung fields and +1 pitting edema in bilateral lower extremities…

Cardiology, Community EM, Medical Education, UltrasoundConnor WilsonJuly 22, 2022EPSS, Ultrasound, Cardiology, Emergency Medicine, EM, Cards, ECHO, LVEFComment

Soft Tissue Infection: Diagnosis by Ultrasound

A 31 y.o. male presents to the Emergency Department with a chief complaint of swelling of his right leg. He has no past medical history, and his social history is significant for polysubstance use disorder and housing insecurity. He primarily injects opioids and cocaine and has had periods of time where he received medication assisted treatment with buprenorphine. On exam, there is an area of erythema and swelling on the lower right extremity that does not overly the joints. The area is warm and tender to palpation. There is no obvious wound or purulent drainage. The remainder of a 12 point Review of Systems is negative…

Ultrasound, Infectious DiseaseKeaton Cameron-BurrJuly 16, 2022Ultrasound, Infectious Disease, CellulitisComment

Unresolved UTI: The Search For a Prompt Diagnosis

A 14-year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) with persistent left upper quadrant (LUQ) pain. She was last seen in the ED one week prior for similar symptoms. Initially, she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI), treated with IV ceftriaxone, and discharged home on a course of cefdinir. On re-presentation, she complained of persistent LUQ pain, fevers with a Tmax of 103 F, and one episode of emesis overnight. Physical examination revealed abdominal tenderness in the LUQ, without ipsilateral CVA tenderness…

UltrasoundBrian DruryJune 17, 2022Ultrasound, PyelonephritisComment

A Flare in the ED: Using Ultrasound to Diagnose Gout

A 53-year-old male with hypertension presents to the emergency room with painful swelling of the right first toe at the MTP joint. The patient was in good health until a few days ago, where he was attending a college reunion. The swelling and pain increased overnight. The patient is having difficulty walking this morning due to the pain. He tried taking two Advil for the pain, which helped bring the pain from an 8/10 to a 6/10…

Community EM, Orthopedics, Radiology, Rheumatology, UltrasoundShital ShahApril 22, 2022Gout, Ultrasound, Brown SoundComment

$When laughter isn’t the best medicine: The serratus anterior plane block for multiple rib fractures$

When laughter isn’t the best medicine: The serratus anterior plane block for multiple rib fractures

A 67-year-old man presents to the emergency department after a mechanical fall from standing. During his trauma evaluation, he is found to have severe right-sided chest wall tenderness. His imaging demonstrates multiple right-sided rib fractures with an otherwise unremarkable workup. The patient is in significant discomfort and is given acetaminophen and morphine. Despite this, he remains in severe pain and has difficulty taking deep breaths. The patient is given an incentive spirometer and his maximum vital capacity is measured at 500 ml. What complications is this patient at risk of developing? What interventions can be performed in the emergency department to help manage his pain?

Community EM, Sports Medicine, Trauma, UltrasoundBrendan HolmesApril 15, 2022Ultrasound, Nerve BlockComment

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