Emergency department pain

BACKGROUND: Acute chest pain is a common presentation in emergency departments worldwide. Differentiating between cardiac and non-cardiac chest pain is crucial for patient management and resource allocation. METHODS: This study analyzed 714 patients presenting with acute chest pain in a tertiary care hospital in North India. We investigated demographic characteristics, chief complaints, risk factors, ECG findings, and final diagnoses to identify patterns associated with cardiac (CCP) and non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP)...

Wunderlich syndrome (WS) is characterized by spontaneous renal or perinephric hemorrhage in the absence of known trauma. WS is much rarer than haemorrhage caused by iatrogenic or traumatic conditions. The classic WS presentation of Lenk's triad of acute onset flank pain, flank mass, and hypovolemic shock is seen in less than a quarter of patients. The majority of patients present with only isolated flank pain and are frequently imaged in the emergency department with an unenhanced computed tomography (CT). The underlying aetiology varies, with the majority of cases attributed to neoplasms, vascular disease, cystic renal disease, and anticoagulation...

Streptococcus agalactiae infection is typically seen in specific populations, including neonates, pregnant women, and the elderly. These patients have immature, lower, and waning immune systems, which makes them more susceptible to infections. Typical S. agalactiae infections manifest as cellulitis, bacteremia, endocarditis, meningitis, ventriculitis (a rare complication of meningitis), and osteomyelitis. In rare cases, a patient can present with two or more of these typical infection manifestations. The authors present a case of a 48-year-old female with a past medical history of hypothyroidism and chronic back pain who presented to the emergency department with altered mental status...

BACKGROUND:  Early identification of patients at higher risk of death and hospital admission is an important problem in Emergency Departments (ED). Most triage scales were developed before current electronic healthcare records were developed. The implementation of a national Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS) allows for the standardised recording of presenting complaints and the use of Electronic Patient Records (EPR) offers the potential for automated triage. The mortality risk and need for hospital admission associated with the different presenting complaints in a standardised national data set has not been previously reported...

BACKGROUND There has been an increase in the use of inhalation methods to abuse drugs, including freebasing crack cocaine (alkaloid) and inhaling methamphetamine vapor. This report is of a 25-year-old man with a history of substance abuse presenting with pneumomediastinum due to methamphetamine vapor inhalation. Acute pneumomediastinum is an extremely rare complication of methamphetamine use. CASE REPORT A 25-year-old man was treated for polysubstance abuse following 9 days of methamphetamine abuse. EKG did not show any ST &T change...

BACKGROUND: Compared to conventional cardiac troponin (cTn), the high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) assay is associated with improved detection of myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: We performed a descriptive retrospective analysis of resource utilization at Rush University Medical Center over the transition period (July 1, 2021) from a cTn to a hs-cTn assay. Inclusion criteria included emergency department (ED) encounters between January 1 to December 31, 2021, with chief complaints of "chest pain" or "dyspnea" with associated troponin orders...

BACKGROUND: The primary objective of this study was to assess the adequacy of analgesic care in radiotherapy (RT) patients, with a secondary objective to identify predictive variables associated with pain management adequacy using a modern statistical approach, integrating the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) algorithm and the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis. METHODS: This observational, multicenter cohort study involved 1387 patients reporting pain or taking analgesic drugs from 13 RT departments in Italy...

Background: Painful vaso-occlusive episodes (VOEs) are the hallmark of sickle cell disease (SCD) and account for frequent visits to the emergency department (ED) or urgent care (UC). Currently, the early administration of analgesics is recommended as initial management; however, there is a need for further understanding of the effect of prompt analgesics and hydration during VOEs. The objective of this study is to analyze the factors associated with the rate of hospital admission in the setting of time to intravenous (IV) analgesics and hydration...

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a well-established treatment for patients with chronic pain. With increasing healthcare costs, it is important to determine the benefits of SCS in healthcare utilization (HCU). This retrospective, single-center observational study involved 160 subjects who underwent implantation of a high-frequency (10 kHz) SCS device. We focused on assessing trends in HCU by measuring opioid consumption in morphine milligram equivalents (MME), as well as monitoring emergency department (ED) and office visits for interventional pain procedures during the 12-month period preceding and following the SCS implant...

Background : Vibrio vulnificus infections develop rapidly and have high mortality and disability rates. Vibrio vulnificus can cause local wound infection, gastroenteritis, or septicemia. Case Presentation: In this case, an 86-year-old male was accidentally stabbed in the middle of his right thumb while cleaning whitewater fish and came to the emergency department with high fever and painful swelling of the right hand. Physical examination revealed hemorrhagic bullae in the right hand. Emergency surgery and bacterial culture were performed...

This is a case of a 32-year-old woman, Gravida 3 para 2, previous two cesarean sections, who presented to our emergency department at 24+3 weeks of gestation complaining of severe epigastric pain radiating to the back. She was diagnosed with severe hypertriglyceridemia complicated with acute pancreatitis and was managed by a multi-disciplinary team, which included obstetrics, gastroenterology, endocrinology, hematology, nutrition, and ICU team. Initially, conservative treatment was employed for her management...

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is a rare condition characterized by gas-filled cysts that develop in the mucosal and submucosal layers of the digestive tract. PCI is typically a benign disease but complications can occur that require surgical intervention. This patient presented to the emergency department with a two-day history of abdominal and back pain. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis led to suspicion of free intraperitoneal air potentially due to bowel perforation, and exploratory laparotomy was indicated...

Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a rare medical condition characterized by a complete mirror-image reversal of the normal positioning of the internal organs. Aristotle initially described situs inversus in animals, while Fabricius first characterized it in humans. Although the specific cause is uncertain, there is evidence of autosomal recessive and X-linked inheritance. Before seeking treatment for an unrelated ailment, many people with SIT are unaware of their distinct anatomy, as in our case. The presented case is a 30-year-old female patient from Central Ethiopia, presented to Hakim Gizaw Teaching Hospital outpatient department of medicine with the complaint of right-sided anterior chest pain for five days...

Spontaneous/atraumatic splenic rupture is rare, and often associated with underlying infectious disease, or haematological malignancy. Plasma cell leukaemia (PCL) is a rare and aggressive subtype of multiple myeloma, with a higher prevalence of hepatosplenomegaly with a bleeding diathesis from secondary to thrombocytopaenia. We report the case of an 82-year-old male presenting to the emergency department with altered mentation and complaints of left abdominal pain. He presented with haemorrhagic shock. Imaging revealed a spontaneous splenic rupture...

INTRODUCTION: This article discusses a case study involving a unique occurrence of a hepatic abscess caused by the presence of an ingested foreign body. Hepatic abscesses, characterized by pus accumulation within liver tissue, often result from various infections, with some cases having unidentified origins. CASE PRESENTATION: This study focuses on a 75-year-old man who presented at an emergency department with persistent pain in the right upper abdomen and fever for ten days...

Sports-related knee injuries are a common presentation in general practice in Australia among patients of the adolescent age group. A complete understanding of the anatomy, mechanism of injury, history, focused clinical examination of the knee joint, and proper investigations can help make a proper diagnosis. Injuries can be prejudicial to ligaments, tendons, muscles, and bones. Here, we present a case of rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) following a fall while playing football. The patient visited the emergency department where an initial radiography was performed, which was unremarkable, and was consequently discharged from the emergency department on painkillers...

OBJECTIVE: This case series aimed to describe a hemostatic technique that has been applied in patients admitted to emergency department (ED) of a tertiary hospital due to recurrent episodes of intraoral hemorrhage (IOH) after various dentoalveolar operations. The "tie-over" approach involved the intraoral use of Xeroform® gauze (as compressive bolster dressing) and the oral rinsing with a liquid mixture of hemostatic agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 1, 2014, and July 31, 2017, we retrospectively reviewed the medical data and records of patients in ED who chiefly complained about IOH...

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Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumour with a high local and distant metastasis rate and limited response to chemotherapy. Meckel's diverticulum is the most frequent congenital anomaly, and it is associated with a considerable risk of malignant transformation. In this case report, we describe a 50-year-old female patient with a history of extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma of the lower limb and metastasis to the forearm who went to the emergency department with abdominal pain. The investigations revealed a caecal volvulus...

BACKGROUND: The shift towards outpatient total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) has led to a demand for effective perioperative pain control methods. A surgeon-performed "low"-adductor canal block (ACB) technique, involving an intraoperative adductor canal block, is gaining popularity due to its efficiency and early pain control potential. This study examined the transition from traditional preoperative anesthesiologist-performed ultrasound-guided adductor canal blocks ("high-ACB") to low-ACB, evaluating pain control, morphine consumption, first physical therapy visit gait distance, hospital length-of-stay, and complications...