Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

How Useful Is Ultrasound in Diagnosing Ovarian Torsion?

Urgent message: Ultrasound can provide essential data in the urgent care evaluation of abdominal pain, aiding in the diagnosis of intestinal abnormalities, urinary tract infection, and obstetrical and gynecological problems such as suspected ovarian torsion. Andrew Alaya, MD, MSc Introduction Abdominal pain is one of the most common complaints among women of childbearing age who visit urgent centers. Urinary tract infection, diarrhea, constipation, acute viral gastroenteritis (AGE), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and dysmenorrhea are the …

An 18-Year-Old with Diffuse Abdominal Pain

An 18-year-old male presents to urgent care with widespread abdominal “gas pain” for several days. He denies changes in diet or changes in bowel habits. However, he recalls having a hard collision with another player during a lacrosse game prior to onset of symptoms. View the image taken and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.

A 49-Year-Old Male with Abdominal Pain

The patient is a 49-year-old male who presents with a primary complaint of what he describes as “gas pain” for the past 3 days. He denies any other symptoms or suspected etiologies. View the images taken and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.

Weight Loss, Abdominal Pain, and Distension in a 74-Year-Old Woman

Urgent message: Not all GI complaints can be attributed to gastrointestinal pathology; symptoms of dyspepsia, vomiting, early satiety, weight loss, and abdominal pain may also be from a pelvic etiology. Fabrizia Faustinella, MD, PhD and L. Alexandre Frigini, MD INTRODUCTION Gastrointestinal complaints are common in ambulatory centers, urgent care, and in emergency departments. The symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting account for 12% to 15% of ED visits.1 Several non-GI intra-abdominal, endocrine, and pelvic …

A 38-Year-Old Female with Abdominal Pain and Chest Tightness

A 38-year-old female with no past medical history presents to an urgent care with right upper quadrant abdominal pain and chest tightness, worsening for 1 week. She reports that her chest tightness is associated with shortness of breath, and is worse when walking and lying on her side. She denies fever, cough, dysuria, headache, or weakness. View the ECG and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. (Case presented by Catherine Reynolds, MD, …

An Uncommon Clinical Presentation of Ovarian Torsion

Urgent message: Abdominal pain is an extremely common complaint in the urgent care setting. The differential diagnosis of abdominal pain is often a challenge, however, because many symptoms and signs are nonspecific. Ovarian torsion usually presents with sudden onset of severe, unilateral lower abdominal pain, associated with nausea and vomiting; however, in a small percentage of cases, the clinical course is prolonged, as the torsion can be intermittent. While failure to consider ovarian torsion in …

Intermittent Abdominal Pain and Vomiting in a Teenager: One More Urgent Cause to Consider

Urgent message: Superior mesenteric artery syndrome should be included in the differential diagnosis in children with abdominal pain and weight loss with rapid increase in linear growth. Ralph Mohty, MS3, and Michael Esmay, MD Introduction Abdominal pain is one of the most common complaints in childhood. A minor self-limited condition such as constipation or viral gastroenteritis is usually the cause, but more serious conditions need further evaluation and management.1 Chronic abdominal pain is a term …

A Rare but Insidious Cause of Abdominal Pain

Urgent message: Recognizing the need for workup and referral in patients, even if their symptoms are relatively common, is crucial for optimal outcomes Introduction Abdominal symptoms can be attributed to a wide array of causes. When etiology is not immediately apparent, searching for signs and symptoms the patient may not have reported—or even be aware of—may be the first steps toward timely diagnosis and treatment. In this case, the abdominal symptoms were ultimately due to …

Clavicular Pain in a 23-Year-Old

Case A 23-year-old man presents to an urgent care with pain at the distal end of his left clavicle that began the previous day after he fell onto his left shoulder while mountain biking. His pain is constant and sharp and worse when moving his left arm and shoulder. He does not have fever, vomiting, chest pain, shortness of breath, or abdominal pain, and he has no head injury, no head or neck pain, and …

Diverticulitis in the Urgent Care Setting

Urgent message: Abdominal pain due to acute diverticulitis is commonlyseen in the urgent care setting. This is a clinical update on the management and treatment of acute diverticulitis. Abdominal pain commonly presents in the ambulatory setting, in anywhere from 1.5% to 8% of patients.1,2 With diverticulitis being a common diagnosis in the presence of abdominal pain, the clinical challenge in a nurgent care setting is determining uncomplicated from complicated diverticulitis. Diverticulosis French pathologist Jean Cruveilhier …

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