Wednesday Image Review

From the Archives: What is the Diagnosis? By Dr. Selman

A 51-year-old male with past medical history of HTN, DM presents with right shoulder pain. He states he tripped off the curb and landed on his right shoulder. On exam, there are no palpable deformities, but patient has limited abduction of shoulder and tenderness on palpation of anterior shoulder. An X-ray is obtained and shown below. What’s the diagnosis?

Answer: Acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation

  • AC joint is composed of the acromion process and clavicle and supported by AC ligament, coracoclavicular ligament
  • Mechanism of injury is fall directly on shoulder or FOOSH
  • AC joint injuries range from sprain of ligaments to complete rupture of all supporting ligaments and complete separation of clavicle and acromion
    • Type I: normal X-ray, due to sprain of ligaments
    • Type II (X-ray above): widened AC joint, clavicle is displaced <50%, due to rupture of AC ligaments
    • Type III: clavicle displaced >50%, due to rupture of AC ligaments and coracoclavicular ligaments
    • Type IV: clavicle is dislocated posteriorly
    • Type V: clavicle displaced >200% superiorly
    • Type VI: clavicle dislocated inferiorly
  • Treatment
    • Sling immobilization and physical therapy for types I – III
    • Surgical repair for types IV – VI

References:

Bjoernsen, Lars Petter, and Alexander Ebinger.. “Shoulder and Humerus Injuries.” Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, 8e Eds. Judith E. Tintinalli, et al. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2016

Monday Back to Basics & Pharmacology · Wednesday Image Review

What is the Diagnosis? By Dr. Cevallos

A 5 week old male with no significant PMH and an uncomplicated gestational/birth history presents to the ED after multiple episodes of projectile non-bilious vomiting. Vital signs include a HR of 165, Temp of 98.5F, RR 35, SpO2 100%. Exam is notable for a dry mucous membranes but otherwise is unremarkable. You perform an abdominal ultrasound and find the image below. What is the diagnosis?

Pyloric Stenosis:
– It is caused by hypertrophy of the pylorus leading to gastric outlet obstruction
– Presents with non-bilious projectile vomiting
– Can lead to hyperchloremic, hypokalemic, metabolic alkalosis
– Most commonly presents between 3-6 weeks of age
– Physical exam may reveal an “olive” sized mass in the epigastric region
– Patients may appear dehydrated with protracted disease but generally patients appear well without any signs of peritonitis or even abdominal tenderness

Diagnosis: Ultrasound is the test of choice (97-100% sensitivity and specificity of 99-100%)
– Think Pi: 3.14!
– In the longitudinal view: Length greater than 14mm and pyloric muscle wall thickness greater than 3mm is abnormal.

This patient underwent a pylorotomy without any complications and was successfully discharged.

Resources:
https://www.acep.org/sonoguide/advanced/pediatric-pyloric-stenosis#:~:text=Hypertrophic%20pyloric%20stenosis%20is%20an,2%2D12%20weeks%20of%20age.&text=Classic%20findings%20include%20projectile%20non,%25%20of%20the%20time%2C%20respectively.

https://www.emrap.org/corependium/chapter/recZCk7ICgxcy7hbM/Infantile-Hypertrophic-Pyloric-Stenosis#h.whcpdchy1ovf

Friday Board Review

Friday Board Review with Dr. Ethan Anderson

A 55-year-old man with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis presents to the emergency department with complaints of shortness of breath, chest pain, and confusion. His vital signs are as follows: BP 170/100 mm Hg, HR 105 bpm, RR 26 breaths/min, SpO2 88% on room air. His physical exam reveals jugular venous distension, diffuse crackles on lung auscultation, and pitting edema in his lower extremities. A chest X-ray shows bilateral pulmonary edema. His most recent dialysis session was 4 days ago.

Which of the following is the most appropriate initial management for this patient?

A) Administer intravenous nitroglycerin
B) Initiate noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV)
C) Administer intravenous furosemide
D) Perform emergent hemodialysis
E) Administer intravenous morphine

Answer: D) Perform emergent hemodialysis

Explanation: This patient is presenting with symptoms of acute volume overload and pulmonary edema, a life-threatening complication in patients with ESRD on dialysis who miss or delay dialysis sessions. His history of missed dialysis, elevated blood pressure, jugular venous distension, pulmonary crackles, and pitting edema all point toward hypervolemia. Additionally, his symptoms of confusion and shortness of breath raise concern for uremic encephalopathy and pulmonary edema.

Emergent hemodialysis is the most definitive treatment in this case, as it addresses both fluid overload and potential uremia by rapidly removing excess fluid and toxins. Other options may provide temporary relief and may be initiated in the ED while awaiting initiation of hemodialysis, but do not address the underlying cause.

  • Option A (IV nitroglycerin) may reduce preload and afterload, providing some symptomatic relief, but it does not directly treat the excess fluid or uremia
  • Option B (NIPPV) can help improve oxygenation in acute pulmonary edema but is an adjunct and not a definitive therapy for fluid overload in ESRD
  • Option C (IV furosemide) is ineffective in patients with ESRD as their kidneys cannot produce urine, making diuresis impossible
  • Option E (IV morphine) may reduce dyspnea but is rarely used due to potential side effects like respiratory depression and worsening hypercapnia

References:

  • Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine Manual, 9th Edition
Wednesday Image Review

Rib Fractures part 2/Serratus Anterior Nerve Block: By Dr. DeMarzo

A 57 yo F with no relative PMH who presented to the ED one day after experiencing a sudden onset, right anterior chest pain after leaning over into her deep freezer. The pain was sudden onset, not relieved with Tylenol, and made it difficult to take a deep breath as well as sleep the night prior. On physical exam, the patient was uncomfortable, with minimal movement She was tachycardic but otherwise vitals wnl. She had tenderness across her right anterior chest at approximately the 6th or 7th rib. A rib series X-ray was suggestive of a minimally displaced acute fracture of the right anterior 7th rib without a pneumothorax. Despite pain medications, the patient remained in debilitating pain and the ultrasound team was called into action!

Serratus Anterior Block:

Anesthetic can be delivered to either of two locations; either the superficial plane between the latissimus dorsi and the serratus anterior muscles; or the deep plan below the serratus anterior muscle, just above the ribs and intercostal muscles. The deep plane is typically preferred as it can deliver anesthetic directly to the rib near the fracture location, thus increasing anesthetic effects. However, it is also more difficult to reach, especially in patients with large habitus, and has higher risk of secondary injury due to closer proximity to the pleural space. To help reduce this risk, the rib can be used as a “backstop” to help prevent the needle from entering pleura. This can be a very effective way to provide pain relief as Figure 1 below demonstrates the target anatomy.

Figure 1

After identifying the location. A needle specific for ultrasound guided nerve blocks with more echogenicity was utilized in plane with the linear probe in a transverse orientation. The needle was slowly advanced with 1cc of Bupivacaine delivered to the skin surface for initial anesthetic before advancing the needle into deeper layers. Hydro-dissection with saline was done at each plane encountered to verify needle location as well as separate planes for easier viewing and targeting. While the deep plane below the serratus anterior was the original target, the patient’s habitus and needle length was unable to reach the deep plane. Therefore, the superficial plane between the serratus anterior and latissimus dorsi was visualized. Bupivacaine Liposome (Exparel), which can be expected to give 48-72 hrs of relief, was injected into this plane without complication.

Within 5-10 minutes, the patient began to feel immediate relief of her excruciating pain. When the primary team reassessed her shortly thereafter, the patient was almost jumping up and down with relief. She experienced no pain and no dyspnea. On a follow-up phone call 3x days later, the patient continued to endorse being pain-free and was amazed at her remarkable turnaround. This case was a perfect example of the extraordinary benefits that a serratus anterior nerve block can provide.

For a detailed step-by-step video on performing a serratus anterior nerve block please watch the following video:

Resources:

1. Bansidhar BJ, Lagares-Garcia JA, Miller SL. Clinical rib fractures: are follow-up chest X-rays a waste of resources?. Am Surg. 2002;68(5):449-453.
2. Gilbertson J, Pageau P, Ritcey B, et al. Test Characteristics of Chest Ultrasonography for Rib Fractures Following Blunt Chest Trauma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ann Emerg Med. 2022;79(6):529-539. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2022.02.006
3. Serra, S., Santonastaso, D.P., Romano, G. et al. Efficacy and safety of the serratus anterior plane block (SAP block) for pain management in patients with multiple rib fractures in the emergency department: a retrospective study. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg(2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-024-02597-6

Tuesday Advanced Cases & Procedure Pearls

Advanced Cases: Visual Changes

By Dr. Edward Guo

Case: A 70 year old male with a past medical history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and atrial fibrillation on warfarin presents for visual changes. He is accompanied by his daughter who states that about one hour ago, his vision on the right side became blurry. There is associated right facial numbness and headache. His daughter believes that he has become more confused over this time period. Fingerstick glucose is 220. An EKG is obtained which shows atrial fibrillation at a rate of 92.

Exam: VS: BP 151/75, HR 92, T 97.8F, RR 18, SpO2 98%.  Pt is comfortable appearing in no acute distress. GCS E4 V4 M6. No facial droop. Decreased sensation to right side of face. 5/5 strength and sensation in all extremities. No difficulty with rapid alternating movements. Extraocular motion intact. Left gaze preference with right sided homonymous hemianopia. 

Differential diagnosis: acute ischemic stroke, spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage, complex migraine, toxic-metabolic encephalopathy

Case continued: Neurology is emergently consulted and a stroke alert is activated. CT/CTA of the head and neck shows no acute intracranial hemorrhage and no large vessel occlusion. Labs are notable for an INR of 1.6. The decision is made in conjunction with neurology to administer thrombolytics, and the patient is admitted to neurology critical care. Repeat head CT 24 hours later demonstrates a left parieto-occiptal infarct. 

Pearls:

  • This patient’s neurologic deficits including right sided facial numbness, right homonymous hemianopsia, left sided gaze preference, and aphasia localize to a cortical distribution as noted above.
  • Warfarin use alone is not a contraindication to thrombolytics for acute ischemic stroke. The INR must be > 1.7 in addition to be an exclusion criterion.
  • This patient had multiple previous subtherapeutic outpatient INR levels which likely precipitated an embolic stroke.
  • In patients without contraindications, the decision to administer thrombolytics for acute ischemic stroke should be clinical without waiting for results of laboratory testing with the exception of a point of care glucose and patients with suspected coagulopathy. 
  • Other common exclusion criteria to use of thrombolytics in acute ischemic stroke include previous head trauma or stroke within 3 months, any previous intracranial hemorrhage, SBP > 185 or DBP > 110, or known intracranial mass such as neoplasm or aneurysm. 

References:

Go S, Kornegay J. Stroke Syndromes. In: Tintinalli JE, Ma O, Yealy DM, Meckler GD, Stapczynski J, Cline DM, Thomas SH. eds. Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, 9e.

Powers WJ, Rabinstein AA, Ackerson T, et al. 2018 Guidelines for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association [published correction appears in Stroke. 2018 Mar;49(3):e138] [published correction appears in Stroke. 2018 Apr 18;:]. Stroke. 2018;49(3):e46-e110. doi:10.1161/STR.0000000000000158