Kelly Heidepriem, MD
Am I allowed to say that figuring out atraumatic back pain is a pain in the behind? While the differential diagnosis is wide and we can’t forget all of the life-threatening causes of back pain, atraumatic spinal compression fractures remain among the differential. These fractures can present subtly, without any clear injury, which means urgent care clinicians need a high index of suspicion.
In the fast pace of urgent care, lacerations are our bread and butter. A few sutures, a tetanus shot, and a cheerful “all set!” send many patients back out the door feeling stitched-up and satisfied. But some of those patients come back—with more than meets the eye. One of the biggest (and most litigious) culprits? Missed glass foreign bodies in lacerations.
Artificial intelligence continues to transform healthcare, and AI-powered scribing apps are emerging as the newest tools for helping clinician efficiency. These scribing software solutions promise to streamline note-taking, reduce burnout and improve accuracy in medical records. But, as with any new technology, scribing medical apps introduce potential medical malpractice risks—particularly when it comes to data storage, liability and...
Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is a silent threat – seemingly harmless at first glance but with the potential to cause severe, life-threatening harm. It’s one of those rare exposures that many medical professionals may never encounter, but when it does happen, prompt and precise action is crucial. In this post, we’ll break down the crucial first five minutes after identifying an HF burn and the vital steps that urgent care professionals should...
Gastroenteritis is a common urgent care diagnosis, but clinicians tend to default to it because they lack a better explanation for a patient's GI symptoms. Don’t fall into the same trap as a fellow urgent care provider from New York who missed a case of testicular torsion masquerading as a benign GI complaint.
The holidays may be over, but ‘tis still the season for slip and falls on the ice that result in tailbone and coccyx area injuries. Coccyx injuries are a common chief complaint in urgent care during this wintery, icy time of year. Classic coccydynia (aka coccyx pain) is worse when sitting and can worsen when rising from a seated position. At first glance, this seems like a straightforward chief complaint, but it lends itself to...
As clinicians it’s critical that we understand the drugs our patients are using and can identify their side effects, but it can be tough to keep up.
An emerging threat across the country is the use of xylazine, or “tranq.” Xylazine is an animal sedative, muscle relaxant and analgesic with a potent central nervous system depressant effect in humans. This tranquilizer is frequently added to various drug mixtures sold on the street.Tranq can...