J Emerg Med
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Internal jugular venous thrombosis (IJVT) is an uncommon condition rarely diagnosed in the outpatient setting. IJVT carries significant morbidity and mortality and must be considered in the differential diagnosis for new-onset neck pain and swelling, especially in the emergency setting. Paget-Schroetter syndrome (PSS), or primary thrombosis secondary to effort, is an uncommon, likely under-recognized etiology of thrombosis. We report a case of PSS extending from the right subclavian vein into the right internal jugular vein, suspected based upon patient history and physical examination and confirmed by point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). We then review the presentation, causes, and diagnostic standards for PSS. ⋯ We present a case of a 79-year-old man who presented to the Emergency Department with acute right-sided neck pain 1 day after playing the saxophone for 4 h the prior evening. POCUS confirmed Paget-Schroetter syndrome, or primary effort thrombosis of the internal jugular vein. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of PSS resulting from venous stasis with prolonged Valsalva maneuver and vascular trauma with activity of playing the saxophone. The significance of this case is the unusual etiology of a rare presentation and the ability to diagnose this condition quickly and accurately with POCUS.
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Mercury poisoning is an uncommon diagnosis in the United States, but it is a differential diagnosis that physicians should consider because it can lead to potentially fatal complications if untreated. Due to the nonspecific presentation of mercury poisoning, which includes symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, misdiagnosis may occur unless a proper history is taken. ⋯ In the present case, a white female patient was misdiagnosed repeatedly with a viral illness and sent home from the local hospital. The patient presented with a diffuse full-body rash, fever, myalgias, headache, peripheral neuropathy, oral paresthesias, and tender cervical posterior lymphadenopathy. After obtaining a thorough history, it was discovered that the patient and her family were exposed to mercury through a spill of elemental mercury in their home. Blood mercury levels in the patient were 170 ng/mL. The patient was treated with a course of dimercaprol. Her symptoms improved and she was discharged on hospital day 5. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Ultimately, mercury poisoning is a treatable condition, but if exposure continues and the patient is not treated, it may lead to complications such as severe pneumonitis, renal tubular necrosis, and neurological dysfunction. In some instances, neurological symptoms may persist even if the source of exposure is removed. For these reasons, recognition and prompt treatment after a suspected exposure is important.
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Approximately 25-30% of Americans die within hospitals. An increasingly geriatric and chronically ill population arrive at emergency departments (EDs) for their terminal presentation. Many patients will not choose, nor are EDs obligated to deliver, futile care. Instead, aggressive comfort care may alleviate patient, family, and clinician distress. ⋯ Comfort care deaths are a daily occurrence in the ED. A systematic approach to these transitions ensures optimal care for patients in their final hours and families' experience of these events.
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It is important that policy makers, health administrators, and emergency physicians have up-to-date statistics on the most common diagnoses of patients seen in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ The number of ED visits in the United States continues to increase faster than the rate of population growth. Abdominal problems and mental health issues, including substance abuse, were the most common reasons for an ED visit in 2014.
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Ocular compartment syndrome (OCS) is a serious ophthalmological emergency that should be diagnosed and treated immediately to prevent permanent loss of vision. It is usually caused by a retro-orbital bleed that will subsequently increase intra-orbital pressure and threaten the patient's vision. Lateral canthotomy and cantholysis is a minor bedside procedure using simple equipment that is readily available in emergency departments, and the aim of such a procedure is to free the eye globe from its lateral attachment to the bony orbital wall and allow more eye protrusion and hence reduce intra-orbital pressure and save the patient's sight. The case we present describes a 42-year-old man who presented with facial injuries following an alleged assault and in whom a computed tomography scan of the head showed a retro-orbital hemorrhage. The patient had subtle signs of increased intra-orbital pressure for which lateral canthotomy and cantholysis was indicated. ⋯ The aim of this case presentation is to highlight the importance of diagnosing OCS as an ophthalmological emergency and discuss how to perform the sight-saving procedure.