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Case Based Learning for June 2025

A 53-year-old female with past medical history of type 1 diabetes, asthma, anxiety, and depression, was brought in by EMS with CPR in progress. She called EMS with complaint of difficulty breathing. When EMS arrived, patient was talking and using a nebulizer treatment. Shortly after their arrival, she became unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless. CPR was initiated. An iGel was placed and Lucas chest compression device was placed. On rhythm check, no shock was advised. On arrival to the hospital, SpO2 was 55%, despite bilateral breath sounds and 100% oxygen and adequate bagging. An IV was placed and patient was given Narcan 2 mg, SoluMedrol 125 mg, and magnesium sulfate 2 g IV. She also received epinephrine 0.3 mg IM and a DuoNeb inline.  On rhythm check, sinus tachycardia with a pulse was noted and compressions discontinued. Patient continued to have only agonal respirations. The iGel was removed and she was intubated using etomidate and rocuronium. Her heart rate and blood pressure were increasing and a second dose of etomidate was given while a ketamine infusion was being initiated. EKG showed sinus tachycardia with rate 121 and RBBB. There was also ST depression in the inferior leads and inverted T waves in the lateral leads.  CXR showed ETT in good position 3 cm above the carina and no infiltrates or effusions. Labs: WBC 15.6, H/H 14.2/45.0, plt 322.  INR 1.0, PTT 33.0, dimer 812 (normal 100-599). VBG pH 6.786, pCO2 104, pO2 47, HCO3 15.8, O2 sat 41%. K 5.6, anion gap 23.6. Glucose 399. Trop-I (high sensitivity) 153. After receiving the VBG results, the patient was given bicarb 1 amp. Increased ventilatory rate was used to decrease ETCO2 down to the 40s. Accepting intensivist requested CT head and CTA chest/abd/pel and recommended 2 more amps of bicarb and ceftriaxone be…

Case Based Learning for May 2025

Following is the presentation a patient I recently had in the ED, where I felt I could have done better, especially with documentation. I think it brings up a number of good issues for possible learning/discussion, several of which I’ll mention below. I welcome any thoughts people have. – Gordan Luther, M.D.  HPI: 70 y.o. male, presented for evaluation of a possible stroke. He stated that the prior evening at about 8:00, almost 17 hours prior to his presentation, he had sudden onset of weakness of his left arm and leg. The weakness was severe enough that he had a hard time walking and he feels he had a couple light falls that did not result in injury. He denies any speech or visual change. The same areas have decreased sensation. He had no other complaints. He denied any palpitations, chest pain or SOB. He stated he did not have a history of diabetes despite the blood sugar in the 400s we found on arrival. There was almost no history in the EMR, and he stated he hadn’t seen a doctor for many years. PMH: None other than minor orthopedic injuries No allergies or meds. Lives alone. A friend talked him into coming in for evaluation. VS: BP 202/116 Pulse 102 Temp 36.7 °C Resp 20 SpO2 96% Physical Examination. General: No distress. Cooperative. Appears pale, although nontoxic. Head: Normocephalic. Atraumatic. Eyes: EOMI. PERRL. ENT: No nasal congestion. No pharyngeal erythema or exudate. Mucous membrane moist. Neck: Nontender. Supple. Lungs: Clear bilaterally. No rales, rhonchi, or wheezing. Heart: Regular rate and rhythm. Abdomen: Bowel sounds normal. Soft. Nontender. No rebound or guarding. No palpable masses. Neuro: Alert. Oriented x3. Speech fluent. Cranial nerves 2-12 intact. He has 4 out of 5 muscle strength on the left compared with 5 out…

ERX Community – Making a Difference in Bolivia

  Dr.Gordan Luther, ERx Site Director, recently spent several weeks in Bolivia where he continued a project with Medical Educators for Latin America (MELA). MELA provides trauma courses to Bolivian family doctors and firefighter paramedics. These professionals often handle trauma situations in the field that would typically be managed by paramedics in other countries, so the training is vital. Mano a Mano Bolivia organizes these courses, which have been incredibly well-received, with 50-60 students attending each year. Luther’s work with MELA began after he and his family spent a year volunteering in Cochabamba, Bolivia in 2009. While there, he connected with an NGO called Mano a Mano Bolivia. This NGO builds and maintains clinics and schools in rural areas of Bolivia. They have established over 170 clinics and 60 schools in the last 25 years, all of which remain operational and fully staffed. Inspired by their work, Luther and his family sought to support them upon returning home from that 2009/2010 volunteering year. Luther started taking groups down to Bolivia in about 2015. MELA is now a group of dedicated individuals, roughly half are medical doctors, and the other half firefighter paramedics. To support MELA efforts, the group holds an annual golf tournament fundraiser, and many members contribute personally. The initial goal was to fund one clinic, and now MELA is on their fifth project.  

Behind the Stethoscope: The Heart of ERx

In 2025, we are highlighting the medical directors of our ERx team. Their commitment to rural health care is the driving force behind our organization Juan Gabriel Velázquez D.O. Medical School Graduation: 2011 Joined ERx: 2024 Current position: ER Director of Bacon County Hospital What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine? “I grew up in a household of doctors: my grandfather, my father, and also my mother’s family. We would go for medical mission trips for vacation. Seeing the impact my parents had on people during those trips, I just fell in love with medicine at a very young age. I even tried to rebel in college, but I always came back to medicine. I have been in love with it ever since Why did you choose to work in a rural ER? My grandfather had a coffee plantation and cattle ranches. I was often at the farm helping out and being in the countryside. In medical school, every aspect of medicine was enjoyable. With every rotation, I had a feeling that it was my favorite.Eventually, it got to a point where I realized that I liked it all. My father being an ophthalmologist, he kind of wanted me to go into ophthalmology. One day, I told him that I wanted to be a real doctor. It broke his heart a little bit and I decided to go into family medicine. At first, I was at the bigger hospitals in Michigan. Then I wanted to move a little bit closer to my family so I moved to Georgia. The further I went, the smaller the hospitals got, the more I enjoyed medicine. I always had a passion for emergency medicine ever since my rotations in medical school. As a physician you see results quicker and with my background…

Case Based Learning for April 2025

Shoulder dislocation HPI: 20 yo otherwise healthy individual presents to you with acute left upper arm pain. The patient reports that they were mountain-bike riding, lost control of their bike and crashed. They are not sure how they landed but report immediate pain and numbness in their left upper extremity post-crash. Patient is concerned since they cannot move their upper arm and report it feels numb over the lateral aspect of their shoulder. They were able to ambulate into your emergency department and deny other injuries. They deny prior UE trauma, chronic joint pains, illnesses, or systemic symptoms.   Question 1: Based on your knowledge of anatomy, describe some potential causes of traumatic upper arm pain. Common causes of acute traumatic upper arm pain include humeral fracture, clavicular fracture, Acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation, glenohumeral dislocation, rotator cuff tear.   Question 2: What is the typical mechanism of injury for each of the above potential items? Think about the anatomy and how it might be disrupted. Proximal Humeral Fracture: Most often are caused by a fall or direct blow to the lateral shoulder. Type of fracture is determined by the body and arm position when the direct force is applied. (i.e., outstretched vs adducted arm) Clavicular Fracture: Often occurs with a fall onto a shoulder or being stuck over the clavicle with a heavy object. AC separation: Typically occurs from direct trauma to the superior or lateral aspect of the shoulder with the arm adducted Glenohumeral dislocation: An anterior shoulder dislocation is usually caused by a blow to the abducted, externally rotated, and extended arm. Examples would be fall on an outstretched arm, blocking a basketball shot, or blow to the posterior humerus. Rotator cuff tear: Most rotator cuff tears are seen in the middle aged or older adults and are…

Behind the Stethoscope: The Heart of ERx

  Julie Hilton, MSN, ACNP/FNP-BC Joined ERx: November, 2023 Joined NCCH staff: 1998 Current Position: Assistant Director NCCH, Willcox, AZ What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine? Initially, my intention was to pursue a career as a veterinarian. Growing up in rural Colorado, my life revolved around horses and livestock, and I aspired to specialize in equine veterinary medicine. However, circumstances led to a move to Arizona, where the absence of a veterinary school disrupted my plans. Consequently, I explored seven different academic majors before settling on nursing. Although my father believed I was capable of becoming a neurosurgeon, I took time to determine my desired path. Initially, my interests leaned towards liberal arts, but a pivotal moment occurred while I was in an emergency room in Flagstaff with my father, who was experiencing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Observing the nurses, I expressed to my mother that I believed I could perform that role and find it fulfilling. This realization marked the definitive decision. My mother questioned my choice due to the extensive mathematics and science involved, subjects in which I had not previously shown great interest. However, this challenge only fueled my competitive nature, solidifying my resolve. Why did you choose to work in a rural ER? I didn’t actually choose to work in the ER. When I first started here (NCCH), all my experience was in the NICU. I had never worked with adults. I only knew about three medications and it was very scary – I ended up being self-taught at first. I remember telling Nick I would never take care of adults, and now here I am in the ER and I love it because there’s so much variety. Then I got a job as a flight nurse and I told them I…

Case Based Learning for March 2025

36-year-old male patient, past medical history of asthma not taking any medications for it, presents to the ER for cc of ”body aches.” Reports myalgias, cough, shortness of breath, intermittent fevers and chills for several days. Taking Motrin and Tylenol for symptoms with temporary relief. Has sick contacts at home. Denies any other complaints at this time. PMH: asthma PSH: Denies HR 134, BP 113/74, RR 22, SpO2 98%, Temp 99°F PE: appears fatigued, tachycardia, appears fatigued, lungs clear, otherwise normal Workup: CXR normal, viral panel negative, WBC 18.9, ANC 16.4, CO2 22 Diagnosis: Cough, back pain, shortness of breath Plan: Discharged on doxycycline, ibuprofen, acetaminophen (ER note reports uncertain cause of infection and empiric coverage with doxycycline) RETURN TO ER 2 days later patient presents via ambulance with cc of non-productive cough and fatigue. Patient worried he has mono as his son recently had it. Paramedics report a “sore” on the buttock. Treated 250mg fluid bolus prior to arrival HR 130, BP 113/69, RR 23, SpO2 97% Temp 99.5°F PE: tachycardia, lungs clear. Then taken into resusc bay for quick exam of buttocks showing 1.5cm x 1cm dark bullae to right inguinal/perineal region, no pain beyond boundaries, no crepitus, no dusky appearance of skin DDx: most likely cellulitis, folliculitis, necrotizing soft tissue infection; less likely PNA, mono, viral Sepsis workup and treatment initiated. Labs and cultures ordered, 30mL/kg fluid bolus, Zosyn and Vancomycin WORKUP: WBC 15.63, H/H 13.4/38.1, CMP Na 139, Cr 1.3, Glu 127, Lactate 1.7, CRP 33.8 mg/dL, blood cultures sent General Surgery contacted within 1 hour. Surgery planning on seeing in the morning as LRINEC score 5, WBC improving, exam only bullae to area. IVIG added to treatment regimen.     Surgery contact and taken emergently to the OR. Total of 3 surgeries during 17 day…

Our ERx Communities – Tonasket, WA

The Okanogan River is a tributary of the Columbia River and runs about 115 miles long starting in southern British Columbia. Along its banks is Tonasket, Washington, which is one of ERx Clinical Partners communities. We work closely with the local hospital to provide emergency and hospitalist medical care. Our partnership with North Valley Hospital is over a decade old. In that time, we have built a partnership that has secured community trust in the Emergency Department and in acute care at NVH. Currently we are looking for an emergency medicine physician and an APP experienced in inpatient care to join our team. If you are considering a move to rural medicine, we would like to invite you to take a look at this beautiful area. The Okanogan River being one of the many reasons to consider this area. It is well-noted as a great place to fish for small-mouth bass and walleye.The river is also a habitat for diverse wildlife. This is all to say that if outdoor spaces are your answer to self-care, ERx has the place for you. Here are more details about the positions: ER physicians; https://zurl.to/Z57D?source=CareerSite APP Hospitalists: https://zurl.to/fqYg?source=CareerSite More about the area Okanogan County offers everything outdoor lovers want — rugged mountain peaks, high adrenaline adventure vacations, rural charm, endless outdoor adventure, wineries, concerts and fine dining! All this with the cost of living running 46% less than Seattle and a third less than Denver. Highlights: Low cost of living Wonderful small town with great farmers market 300 km of groomed Nordic ski trails More than 600 miles of trails suitable for snowmobiling Downhill skiing Mountain biking trails Whitewater Trail rides and rodeos Fishing and boating on the Columbia River, Okanogan River, and Beaner Lake. For more information about the Okanogan County Area of…

Behind the Stethoscope: The Heart of ERx

  In 2025, we are highlighting the medical directors of our ERx team. Their commitment to rural health care is the driving force behind our organization Mark Scott, D.O. Medical School Year: 1991 Joined ERx: July 2018 Current Positions: Director of North Valley Hospital  What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine? I decided that I wanted to be a physician as a young boy, influenced by the patriarch of our extended family, my grandpa. He practiced family medicine in Auburn, IN. Then, it was normal to practice in an office in your home, complete with minor procedures, a small pharmacy, and x-ray development by my mom (a young girl) in the basement. I honored his altruism and professionalism, while noting the respect with which he was held in the community and our family. He graduated medical school in 1932. I graduated from the same medical school in 1991, then completed an IM/EM residency there. Why did you choose to work in rural Emergency Medicine? I came to North Valley Hospital hoping for a lower stress setting to practice emergency medicine. I had spent years in a busy urban ED, feeling the dreadful stress of averaging 34 patients on a day shift while dealing with a dysfunctional staff and an overbearing bureaucratic administration. What are some of the unique challenges and rewards of working in a rural ER setting? At NVH, I found a culture of hard working health professionals who take pride in their work, respect each other, and really work hard as a team to provide great care. I am usually able to spend plenty of time with my patients. During times of volume surges, I have been so impressed with the way hospital staff pulls together so that we can continue to care for patients quickly…

Case Report: Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma in a 43-Year-Old Male

Introduction Acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) is an ocular emergency resulting from a rapid increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) due to obstructed aqueous humor outflow. It is commonly associated with a shallow anterior chamber angle, predisposing individuals to blockage. Without timely intervention, AACG can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness. This report describes the presentation, diagnosis, and management of AACG in a patient presenting to the emergency room (ER). Patient Presentation A 43-year-old male with no significant past medical history presented to the ER on a Sunday afternoon with blurred vision and pain in the right eye that began the day before. He initially hoped the symptoms would resolve on their own but sought medical attention after consulting a healthcare provider. He reported a sharp, constant headache behind the right eye rated 6/10, accompanied by nausea and blurred vision, described as though a film was over the right eye. He also noticed mild redness in the right eye but denied discharge, pain with eye movement, photophobia, fever, chills, respiratory, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary symptoms. Physical Examination Vital Signs: T 98.7°F, P 85 bpm, R 16/min, BP 151/87 mmHg, SpO₂ 97% on room air.Visual Acuity: Right Eye 20/40, Left Eye 20/20. Extraocular Movements (EOM): Full range of motion without pain. External Eye Exam: Eyelids everted—no foreign bodies. Mild conjunctival erythema, no discharge. Corneal Staining: Fluorescein stain showed no corneal uptake. Funduscopic Exam: Right Eye: Cloudy cornea, retina not visualized. Left Eye: Retina visualized, no gross abnormalities. Intraocular Pressure (IOP): Right Eye 76-80 mmHg, Left Eye 14-17 mmHg. Slit Lamp Exam: Not available in the ER. Working Diagnosis Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma (AACG) Treatment Provided in ER Acetazolamide (Diamox): 500 mg PO (IV formulation unavailable) Timolol 0.5%: 2 drops in the right eye Apraclonidine and Prednisolone ophthalmic solutions were not available. Ophthalmology Consultation: Arranged…

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