Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

A Case of Acute Pancreatitis

Urgent message: Although pancreatitis is a common cause of abdominal pain, many of its signs and symptoms are shared by other intraabdominal conditions. Most patients can be handled on an outpatient basis if diagnosis is accurate, as this case illustrates. MICHAEL TALKAR, MD Abdominal pain is a common and varied presentation in urgent care. A history and physical exam can be used to triage the majority of emergent cases. Strong communication is vital to ensuring …

Pneumomediastinum with No Pneumothorax

Mr. J.V. is a 28-year-old white male who presented to urgent are with a six-hour history of chest pain described as pressure in the sternal area radiating to the left shoulder; back pain was a 5/10 at time of visit, and constant with no accompanying nausea, dizziness, vomiting, or diaphoresis. The patient described an inability to breathe deeply and a sensation of water stuck in the mid esophagus when drinking. Of note, he had similar …