Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Urgent Message: Spontaneous pneumothorax (PTX) occurs unpredictably. Many patients with spontaneous pneumothorax may initially present to urgent care, so it is important for clinicians to include it in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with acute chest pain and/or dyspnea. Rarely, a spontaneous pneumothorax can progress to a tension pneumothorax if the diagnosis is delayed. Vrunda Patel, BS; Kevin Radecki, MD Citation: Patel V, Radecki, K. Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax. J …

Postpartum Presentations: When Risk Arises After Delivery – Headache

Urgent Message: Both common and serious postpartum conditions may present in urgent care. Headache presentations should prompt consideration for possible postpartum preeclampsia, cerebral venous thrombosis, or post-dural puncture headache. Alexa Bailey, BS; Lauren Kostandaras, BS; Hannah Poorman, BS; Michael Weinstock, MD; Catherine Neal, DO Citation: Bailey A, Kostandaras L, Poorman H, Weinstock M, Neal C. Postpartum Presentations: When Risk Arises after Delivery – Headache. J Urgent Care Med. 2025; 19(6): 23-30 Key Words: headache, postpartum, …

Clinical Review of Current Best Practices for Tuberculosis Screening, Testing, and Treatment in the Urgent Care Setting

Urgent Message: Patients may present with needs surrounding tuberculosis (TB) screening, testing, and treatment to urgent care centers. There is considerable nuance in the approach to these scenarios with consequences for both patient and public health. Urgent care centers should develop clear guidelines for ensuring clinicians select the appropriate TB test for each patient and interpret the results accurately. Erin Loo, PA-C; Lindsey E. Fish, MD Citation: Loo E, Fish LE. Clinical Review of Current …

Urgent Care Assessment of Patients with Possible Diverticulitis

Urgent Message: Diverticulitis is a prevalent condition characterized by localized inflammation most commonly of the sigmoid colon. It is often diagnosed with a computed tomography scan with intravenous contrast. Uncomplicated cases are most common and require only monitoring, however complicated cases can require hospitalization and emergent surgical intervention. Urgent care clinicians should be comfortable assessing patients with possible diverticulitis and recognizing features that suggest the possibility of more complicated disease. Naushair Hussain DO; Shahmeer Hussain …

MIS-C Could Be Caused By Molecular Mistaken Identity

New research in Nature suggests that an autoimmune over-reaction could be what’s driving a pattern of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) after COVID-19 illness. Researchers looked at 199 blood samples from children with MIS-C and 45 control samples from children with COVID-19 but without MIS-C. About one-third of the MIS-C patients had autoantibodies for part of the human protein SNX8, which is found in the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract. …

Dyspnea in the Urgent Care: Differentiating Benign From ‘Can’t Miss’

Urgent Message: Patients commonly present with respiratory symptoms in the urgent care setting and not infrequently complain of some degree of shortness of breath—or dyspnea. It is critical for clinicians to have comfort with the clinical assessment and appropriate use of diagnostic resources for the dyspneic patient. Identifying patients requiring immediate emergency department referral is an important skill. Evan Price, DO; Eric Patten, MD; Shakil Hossain, DO; Michael Weinstock, MD Citation: Price E, Patten E, …

Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Boxer’s Fractures

Urgent Message: Boxer’s fractures are among the most common hand fractures and should be suspected in cases of closed fist injury. Additionally, a laceration that accompanies a boxer’s fracture may represent a fight bite, which should be treated to reduce the risk of infection. Jennifer Hicks, DO; Bradley Strauch, MD Citation: Hicks J, Strauch WB. Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Boxer’s Fractures. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(8):32-36 Editor’s Note: While the images presented …

Charting with Purpose: Precision Strategies for Accurate Coding and Malpractice Defense

Jeff Willis, MD Urgent Message: A well-told story explaining your thought process during a patient encounter will contain all the elements required for accurate coding. Attorneys are less likely to question care when a logical and complete story is clearly documented. Citation: Willis J. Charting with Purpose: Precision Strategies for Accurate Coding and Malpractice Defense. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(4) 13-16. As a medical legal consultant, I have learned medical malpractice claims are an …

Tympanic Membrane Conditions Beyond Otitis Media in Urgent Care Practice

Urgent Message: Better understanding of tympanic membrane/middle ear conditions can inform more accurate diagnoses at the point of care. Citation: LaCour J. Tympanic Membrane Conditions Beyond Otitis Media in Urgent Care Practice. J Urgent Care Med. 2023;18(3):15-19 Author Affiliation: Jeff LaCour, MD, Compassio Medical Education. Video: Watch a video featuring Jeff LaCour, MD, that further explains tympanic membrane conditions with supplemental images. WATCH VIDEO Urgent care providers are often tasked to determine the source of …

Systemic Steroid Stewardship in Urgent Care: Recognizing Indication Creep to Limit Avoidable Harms

Urgent Message: Steroid overprescribing is a universal urgent care issue. While systemic steroids have several indications in which the preponderance of evidence supports their use in the urgent care setting, indication creep has led to their use outside of these scenarios resulting in significant risk for avoidable and unjustifiable adverse reactions. Citation: Hansen P. Systemic Steroid Stewardship in Urgent Care: Recognizing Indication Creep to Limit Avoidable Harms. J Urgent Care Med. 2023;18(3);29-32 Author Affiliation: Paul …

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