Practice Management
Urgent message: Each case—and patient presentation—in urgent care must be evaluated on its own merits. Rare diagnoses are possible and “benign” back pain complaints sometimes are not. HEATHER VARLEY, PA-C, and WILLIAM GLUCKMAN, DO, MBA, FACEP Introduction Each day in the urgent care setting, we are presented with a range of various pain complaints, from headaches, to back pain, to extremity pain. These complaints may be the result of injury, overuse, infection, arthropathy, or have …
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Urgent message: Acute rheumatic fever is not common but it does still occur, underscoring the need for head-to-toe examination in patients with vague symptoms that seem unconnected. HEATHER VARLEY, PA-C, and WILLIAM GLUCKMAN, DO, MBA, FACEP Introduction Patients with fever, sore throat, and malaise often present in the urgent care setting and they typically are worked up quickly with a rapid strep test or given a diagnosis of a viral syndrome. The case described here …
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Urgent message: Symptoms from stones in the ureter can mimic other conditions, making for a diagnostic dilemma in urgent care. Imaging is the key to accurate assessment and appropriate treatment. WILLIAM GLUCKMAN, DO, MBA, FACEP and KATE ABERGER, MD Ureterolithiasis, which literally translates to stones in the ureter, is sometimes referred to improperly as “kidney stones,” which are properly known as nephrolithiasis. Although stones do form within the kidney, they do not typically cause acute …
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Urgent message: Prescribing Miralax and an enema would likely have killed this patient. He nearly died in the hospital. Can you figure out why? WILLIAM A. GLUCKMAN, DO, MBA, FACEP, CPE, CPC Constipation, a common urgent care complaint, can be a symptom of many things, not all of them obvious, and some life-threatening. In this tricky case, the underlying problem is one that many urgent care physicians would not consider in a differential diagnosis, yet …
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Urgent message: Sore throat is a complaint commonly encountered in urgent care. Proper evaluation and understanding and use of appropriate antibiotics will foster better patient care and understanding while limiting antibiotic resistance. William Gluckman, DO, MBA, FACEP and Jessica Kay, PharmD Pharyngitis refers to the inflammation or irritation of the pharynx, including the tonsils, and can have many etiologies, including a variety of infections, cancer, allergic reactions, gastroesophageal reflux, or toxic inhalations and ingestions. This …
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Urgent message: Urinary tract infections are a common cause of abdominal pain and a common presenting complaint in urgent care. Proper diagnosis, treatment, and patient education on preventive measures are key to optimal outcomes. William Gluckman, DO, MBA, FACEP, Karen Keaney Gluckman, MSN, APN, C, CWCN, CCCN The global term urinary tract infection (UTI) incorporates cystitis and infection involving the bladder (a lower tract source), as well as pyelonephritis, an infection involving the kidneys (an …
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