Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Abstracts in Urgent Care – March 2022

When Handlebar Meets Abdomen Corticosteroids and Asthma Antibiotics in Pediatric PAC Surfactant Use in AOM COVID Pneumonia and Disease Progression Neutralizing Antibodies in COVID Pediatric Abdominal Injuries from Handlebars Take-home point: Handlebar impact is a high-risk mechanism for serious intraabdominal injury in children and necessity of operative intervention is common. Citation: Vanderwalle R, Barker S, Raymond J, et. al. Pediatric handlebar injuries: more than meets the abdomen. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2021;37(9):e517-e523. Relevance: It is important …

In Spite of Turbulence, the Forecast Is Sunny for the Urgent Care Market

No one would argue that the past 2 years have been easy for urgent care. First many operations were shut out of the running to receive adequate COVID-19 testing supplies. The same occurred in the early days after vaccine approval. Still, the industry adapted. Once testing supplies were available, operators established new procedures to maximize the number of patients could get tested safely and efficiently, whether that meant setting up in parking lots or selecting …

Evaluating Decreased Libido: The Lowdown on Low T

Urgent message: Hypogonadism not only impedes biological development, but also negatively impacts a patient’s sense of identity and well-being. Prompt diagnosis is achievable through strategic utilization of hormone level testing in conjunction with a patient’s stated symptoms and medical history. Lisa O. Iyeke, BS and Mark J. Richman, MD, MPH Citation: Iyeke LO, Richman MJ. Evaluating decreased libido: the lowdown on low T. J Urgent Care Med. 2021;16(6):33-34. CASE PRESENTATION A 46-year-old male with benign …

Testicular Torsion: The Case of the Dancing Testicle

Urgent message: The differential diagnosis for unilateral testicular pain includes testicular torsion; this is a ”must not miss” diagnosis, as delayed diagnosis can cause significant morbidity both physically and psychologically. Jeannette Vaughn-Dotterer, PA-C CASE PRESENTATION ML is a 47-year-old male who developed left-sided testicular pain after getting out of bed 2 hours prior. He states that his left testicle appears to be “dancing” and seems to be riding higher than his right testicle. ML states …

Can PAs and NPs Unionize in Urgent Care Settings?

Urgent message: Urgent care’s workforce has changed from primarily emergency physicians to physician assistants and nurse practitioners now making up the bulk of providers. Whereas physicians historically have been excluded from joining a union, recent efforts to organize PAs and NPs have garnered media attention. While just over 10% of U.S. employees belonged to a union in 2019, a number of groups in industries that do not traditionally have a union presence have gone on …

Are Food/Drug Retailers Hiding their Retail Clinic “Failures?”

Urgent message: Over the past 15 years, the nation’s largest food, drug, and mass retailers have announced clinic initiatives with great fanfare. However, we’ve heard little as these initiatives have quietly retreated and re-trenched, coincidently during the same period that urgent care has boomed. Alan Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Senior Editor, Practice Management of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine Retail clinics—does anyone care anymore? Given there’s not been an “industry” update tallying the number of …

A 77-Year-Old Man Presents with Dyspnea

KEY QUESTIONS What diagnosis explains the widened QRS? What are the electrocardiographic criteria for making this diagnosis? What rule(s) can help diagnose acute myocardial infarction with an ECG like this?

See You in Court: Practice and Documentation Change from a Mock Trial

Urgent message: “Mock trials” are a valuable tool to help urgent care providers offer better medical care, record more appropriate documentation, and learn about medical proceedings. Michael Weinstock, MD; Kaetha Frost, DO; Heath Jolliff, DO; Amal Mattu, MD; Seth McIntire, DO; Marc Calvert, JD; Mark Kitrick, JD; and Matt Delaney, MD Citation: Weinstock M, Frost K, Jolliff H, Mattu A, McIntire S, Calvert M, Kitrick M, Delaney M. See you in court: practice and documentation …

What’s the Best Policy for Unlocking an Urgent Care’s Doors when a Provider isn’t Present?

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is President of Experity Networks and is Senior Editor, Practice Management of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Urgent message: Whether an urgent care must have a provider on-site during all operating hours comes down to the operator’s risk tolerance. As a matter of patient safety, many urgent care centers have adopted a policy that if no provider is on-site, they must lock the doors and refuse entry of any …

Management of Scaphoid Injuries with Early Specialized Imaging at Urgent Care Clinics

Urgent message: Timely employment—and informed selection—of the most suitable mode of imaging are essential for correct diagnosis and optimal treatment of scaphoid injuries in the urgent care setting, often negating the need for referral to a higher-acuity setting. Muhammad Asim, MBBS, FRNZCUC, FRNZCGP and Rabeeah Asim, MBBS INTRODUCTION The scaphoid is the most commonly injured bone amongst carpal bones at the wrist, accounting for 10% of all hand fractures and 50% to 80% of all …