Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Evaluation of Headaches in Urgent Care Part 2: Non-Emergent Headaches

Urgent message: Headaches are challenging chief complaints and being able to identify and differentiate among the non-emergent types of headaches will help with medical decision making and patient care. JACQUALINE DANCY, PA-C, MPAS In the conclusion of a two-part series, this article focuses on non-emergent headaches. For the purpose of this article, non-emergent headaches are classified as those that are not life-threatening and pose little to no risk of permanent functional disability. Most non-emergent headaches …

Evaluation of Headaches in Urgent Care Part 1: Emergent Headaches

Urgent message: Identifying potentially life-threatening or emergent causes of headaches can be challenging in urgent care. Emergent headaches are the focus of the first of a two-part series, aimed at aiding practitioners in appropriate evaluation and management. JACQUALINE DANCY, PA-C, MPAS Introduction The presentation of headaches in the urgent care setting often elicits some healthy angst. Differentiating between potentially life-threatening headaches and more benign varieties can be challenging, especially when the signs and symptoms are …

The Case of a 37-Year-Old Female with Flu-like Symptoms

In primary care medicine, patients’ symptoms are approached from the “front door;” what are the most likely causes? Urgent care medicine often starts with a “back door” approach; think “worst first,” then proceed backward through the differential after excluding life threatening causes. Urgent care does not have the luxury of an established patient relationship or defined return visit we often have only one chance to get it right! The differential for an urgent care patient …

October 2008

The Case of a 37-Year-Old Man with Headaches

It is common knowledge that each patient needs to have a symptomspecific evaluation with each visit, but it is easy to be misled by “frequent fliers” who have presented many times with the same complaint. Take this month’s case, for example: a 37-year-old man with a headache who had four emergency department and two primary care visits before finally receiving the correct diagnosis. Accuracy and vigilance must be the goal of each patient encounter, no …