Pharyngitis: Diagnosis and Treatment in the Urgent Care Setting
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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July/August 2008
Acute Ankle Injuries in the Urgent Care Setting
Urgent message: Working knowledge of anatomy and familiarity with radiograph reading, injury classification, treatment options, and criteria for referral support positive long-term outcomes in patients with acute ankle injuries. Janet D. Little, MD and William E. Saar, DO Acute ankle injury is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in the athlete and sedentary person alike. The yearly incidence of ankle injuries varies between resources, but ranges from 1 million to 5 million per year …
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June 2008
Diabetic Emergencies in the Urgent Care Setting
Urgent message: Patients with glucose levels either too high or too low often require immediate, potentially life-saving interventions in the urgent care setting. These patients are often found to be diabetic. Allan F. Moore, MD, Nicolas Abourizk, MD, Jeffrey Collins, MD, MA Diabetes is a common chronic disease affecting approximately 7% of the United States population. Of these individuals, 17.5 million carry a diagnosis of diabetes and over 6 million are undiagnosed. An estimated 54 …
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May 2008
Prescription Drug Abuse and the Drug-Seeking Patient
Urgent message: The urgent care clinic is a prime target for prescription drug abusers seeking possibly inappropriate prescriptions. Clinicians must be vigilant to screen, intervene, and refer such patients. Marcelina Behnam, MD and Mark Rogers, MD Over the past several years, prescription drug abuse has become a problem of epidemic proportions for urgent care centers and emergency departments around the country. There has been an increase both in visits related to the acquisition of these …
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April 2008
Minor Traumatic Brain Injury: Applying the Evidence to Urgent Care
Urgent message: While few data specific to the urgent care setting exist, applying the medical evidence gleaned from other acute care settings can enable the clinician to effect positive outcomes in patients presenting with symptoms indicative of minor TBI. Joseph Toscano, MD Head trauma is among the most important problems evaluated in acute-care medicine. Estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that each year in the Unites States, approximately 1.4 million individuals …
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