Posts about Urgent Care
Opioid overdoses have become an unavoidable part of our daily shifts in the ED. It is a tragic commonality that transcends social and economic lines. It would be a safe bet that if you are reading this, you likely have a friend, family member, or colleague whose life has been disrupted by opioid abuse.
The population is aging fast, and clinicians are feeling the impact. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65, and older adults already represent the highest healthcare utilization of any age group. Yet fewer than 45% of medical schools have a required geriatrics rotation, leaving most of us to piece together our knowledge on the fly.
When I was younger, one of my older relatives gave me some advice: “Check someone’s ears before picking a fight, and if they have cauliflower ear… run away.” I’d learn later that he meant those ears belonged to wrestlers or martial artists—people who’ve taken (and given) a lot of hits. In other words: someone I stood no chance against.
“It all started a few days after I got back from my trip.”
If you’re a seasoned urgent care clinician, chances are you've had a patient ask about sinus rinses. Maybe they heard about neti pots from a friend, or maybe they’re desperate for relief after yet another round of congestion. As common as these devices are, they’re often misused, sometimes in ways that can cause more harm than good.
Read moreHypoglycemia is one of the most frequent—and potentially fatal—complications in people with diabetes. It’s something every urgent care and primary care clinician must be ready to manage quickly and effectively. But in the outpatient world, where IV setups may be sparse and you don’t have an entire emergency department team to rely on, what’s the safest and fastest way to handle a crashing blood sugar?
Orthodontic devices are becoming increasingly common among patients of all ages. As a result, urgent care providers are likely to encounter complications involving these appliances more frequently—anything from poking wires to trauma-related bracket dislodgement. Your role is to stabilize the patient, relieve discomfort, and facilitate appropriate follow-up with their orthodontist.
This guide outlines common orthodontic issues encountered...
Identifying an atraumatic T12 or L1 compression fracture requires a high index of suspicion, as these injuries often present without a clear mechanism of injury. We frequently see postmenopausal women presenting with sudden midline back pain after something as simple as bending over.
The thoracolumbar junction is the most frequent site for these injuries. A T12 compression fracture occurs at the transition point between the more rigid...
Few chief complaints in pediatrics are as common—or deceptively simple—as fever in children. Especially when that fever shows up in toddlers without a clear source.
Imagine this: a 4-week-old infant is brought to your urgent care with persistent vomiting. The parents are anxious, the baby looks a bit dry, and your differential is wide. Does pyloric stenosis come to mind?
Mental health might not be what we trained for, but in primary care and urgent care, it’s become a core part of the job. Managing anxiety, depression, and ADHD can be a daily challenge, especially when psychiatric support is limited.
It’s a busy summer shift, and someone walks in, limping, pointing to a red, angry welt twisting around their leg. “I think I got stung by a jellyfish.” It’s a classic beach-day-gone-wrong. So—how do you treat a jellyfish sting? Here’s your evidence-based step-by-step guide for urgent care.
