Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

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 …

Urgent Care Management of Geriatric Falls

Urgent message: Falls are a common reason for geriatric patients to present for medical care. In this population, even seemingly minor falls can lead to significant injury, and falls may occur in the first place because of serious underlying medical illnesses. It is critical for the urgent care provider to distinguish which of these patients can be treated in the urgent care setting and which require transfer to a higher level of care. REBEKAH BLICKENDORF, …

Toxicological Emergencies for the Urgent Care Physician

Urgent message: Several specific toxicological emergencies are most likely to be encountered in the urgent care setting. Prompt recognition of their clinical presentation, understanding the pathophysiology/natural disease progression, and initiation of treatment are critical factors in decreasing morbidity (and potential mortality) in these cases. Michael L. Epter, DO, FAAEM and Alicia Pilarski, DO Introduction Beginning in 2004, poisonings rank second to motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., with …

The Emergence of Retail Clinics

Urgent message: Retail-based healthcare clinics are a growing phenomenon. A report from the California HealthCare Foundation, excerpted here, says public perception is split, and their economic viability remains to be seen. How do their services stack up against those offered by urgent care? The first in-store clinics appeared in 2000 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN) metropolitan area and were operated by QuickMedx, which later became Minute- Clinic. The company’s founder, Rick Krieger, says the business …