Right Flank Pain: A Case Report of an Interesting Sonographic Finding

Background

Focused bedside ultrasound is a screening tool frequently used by emergency physicians to evaluate hepatobiliary and renal pathology in patients presenting with abdominal complaints in the emergency department (ED).

Objective

This case report describes a sonographic finding that was interpreted as free fluid in the right upper quadrant. Computed tomography (CT) was used to confirm the diagnosis.

Case Report

A 44-year-old man presented to the ED with the sudden onset of right-sided abdominal pain and exhibited right costovertebral angle tenderness on physical examination. Focused bedside ultrasound of the right upper quadrant revealed severe hydronephrosis of the right kidney and free fluid of either subcapsular, perinephric, or peritoneal location represented by an anechoic stripe in Morison’s pouch. On CT evaluation, this patient was found to have perinephric fluid accumulation from a presumed ruptured renal calyx in the setting of chronic ureteropelvic junction obstruction with severe hydronephrosis.

Conclusion

The exact location of anechoic fluid in the abdomen is not always apparent on bedside ultrasound. To minimize misinterpreting focused bedside ultrasound examination findings, we recommend a number of sonographic techniques to identify possible mimics of free fluid. Suspected free fluid findings on bedside ultrasound should always be evaluated within the clinical context of the patient’s presentation.     

Successful Distal Urethral Stone Removal in the Emergency Department

Nephrolithiasis is a common pathology encountered in the primary care and emergency department (ED) setting. In 2009 alone, there were over one million ED visits related to nephrolithiasis Higa et al. (2017) [1]. Emergent treatment options range from non-invasive pain control and patient education to lithotripsy and other invasive urologic procedures depending on stone location and related pathology. Urethral calculi are estimated to represent 0.3% of all urinary stone diseases Verit et al. (2006) [2]. There are very few case reports documenting distal urethral stone removal in the ED. Here we present a case of distal urethral stone impaction and the removal of this stone by ED providers, leading to expedited care and prevention of consultation and possible admission.     

The effects of a morphine shortage on emergency department pain control

ObjectiveIn 2018, due to a national morphine shortage, our two study emergency departments (EDs) were unable to administer intravenous (IV) morphine for over six months. We evaluated the effects of this shortage on analgesia and patient disposition.MethodsThis was a retrospective study in two academic EDs. Our control period (with morphine) was 4/1/17–6/30/17 and our study period (without morphine) was 4/1/18–6/30/18. We included all adult patients with a chief complaint of pain, initial pain score ≥4, and ≥2 recorded pain scores. The primary outcome was delta pain score. Secondary outcomes included final pain score, proportion of ED visits with opioids vs. non-opioids administered, and ED disposition.ResultsWe identified 6296 patients during our control period and 5816 during our study period. There was no significant difference in mean final pain score (study 4.45, control 4.44, p = 0.802), delta pain score (study −3.30, control −3.32, p = 0.556), nor admission rates (study 18.8%, control 17.8%, p = 0.131). We saw a decrease in opioid use (study 47.4%, control 60.0%, p < 0.01) and an increased use of non-opioid analgesics (study 27.3%, control 18.44%, p < 0.01).ConclusionsRemoving IV morphine in the ED, without a compensatory rise in alternative opioids, does not appear to significantly impact analgesia or disposition. These data favor a more limited opioid use strategy in the ED.     

An Evidence-Based Narrative Review of the Emergency Department Management of Acute Hyperkalemia

BackgroundThe normal range for potassium is within narrow limits. Hyperkalemia is an electrolyte disorder that frequently affects patients in the emergency department (ED), and can result in significant morbidity and mortality if not identified and treated rapidly.ObjectiveThis article provides an evidence-based narrative review of the management of hyperkalemia, with focused updates for the emergency clinician.MethodsWe searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases for articles in English published in peer-reviewed journals and indexed up until May 2020. We used multiple search terms, including hyperkalemia, potassium, acute hyperkalemia, emergency department, dyskalemia, potassium disorders, kidney disease, epidemiology, electrolyte disturbance, severe hyperkalemia, and emergency management.DiscussionIn the ED, interventions aimed to protect patients from the immediate dangers of elevated serum potassium are divided into the following: stabilizing cardiac membrane potentials, reducing serum potassium levels through shift from the extracellular fluid to intracellular fluid, and elimination of potassium through excretion via urinary or fecal excretion. Calcium is widely recommended to stabilize the myocardial cell membrane, but additional research is necessary to establish criteria for use, dosages, and preferred solutions. Redistribution of potassium ions from the bloodstream into the cells is based on intravenous insulin or nebulized β2-agonists.ConclusionsHyperkalemia is a frequent electrolyte disorder in the ED. Because of the risk of fatal dysrhythmia due to cardiac membrane instability, hyperkalemia is a medical emergency. There is a lack of scientific evidence on the optimal management of hyperkalemia and more research is needed to establish optimal strategies to manage acute hyperkalemia in the emergency department.     

Does pain severity predict stone characteristics or outcomes in emergency department patients with acute renal colic?

ObjectivesAfter initial emergency department (ED) management of acute renal colic, recurrent or ongoing severe pain is the usual pathway to ED revisits, hospitalizations and rescue interventions. If index visit pain severity is associated with stone size or with subsequent failure of conservative management, then it might be useful in identifying patients who would benefit from early definitive imaging or intervention. Our objectives were to determine whether pain severity correlates with stone size, and to evaluate its utility in predicting important outcomes.MethodsWe used administrative data and structured chart review to study all ED patients with CT proven renal colic at six hospitals in two cities over one-year. Triage nurses recorded arrival numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores. We excluded patients with missing pain assessments and stratified eligible patients into severe (NRS 8–10) and less-severe pain groups. Stone parameters were abstracted from imaging reports, while hospitalizations and interventions were identified in hospital databases. We determined the classification accuracy of pain severity for stones >5mm and used multivariable regression to determine the association of pain severity with 60-day treatment failure, defined by hospitalization or rescue intervention.ResultsWe studied 2206 patients, 68% male, with a mean age of 49 years. Severe pain was 52.0% sensitive and 45.3% specific for larger stones >5mm. After multivariable adjustment, we found a weak negative association (adjusted OR =0.96) between pain severity and stone width. For each unit of increasing pain, the odds of a larger stone fell by 4%. Index visit pain severity was not associated with the need for hospitalization or rescue intervention within 60-days.ConclusionsPain severity is not helpful in predicting stone size or renal colic outcomes. More severe pain does not indicate a larger stone or a worse prognosis.     

Out-of-hospital characteristics and care of patients with severe sepsis: A cohort study

PurposeEarly recognition and treatment in severe sepsis improve outcomes. However, out-of-hospital patient characteristics and emergency medical services (EMS) care in severe sepsis is understudied. Our goals were to describe out-of-hospital characteristics and EMS care in patients with severe sepsis and to evaluate associations between out-of-hospital characteristics and severity of organ dysfunction in the emergency department (ED).Materials and MethodsWe performed a secondary data analysis of existing data from patients with severe sepsis transported by EMS to an academic medical center. We constructed multivariable linear regression models to determine if out-of-hospital factors are associated with serum lactate and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) in the ED.ResultsTwo hundred sixteen patients with severe sepsis arrived by EMS. Median serum lactate in the ED was 3.0 mmol/L (interquartile range, 2.0-5.0) and median SOFA score was 4 (interquartile range, 2-6). Sixty-three percent (135) of patients were transported by advanced life support providers and 30% (62) received intravenous fluid. Lower out-of-hospital Glasgow Coma Scale score was independently associated with elevated serum lactate (P < .01). Out-of-hospital hypotension, greater respiratory rate, and lower Glasgow Coma Scale score were associated with greater SOFA (P < .01).ConclusionsOut-of-hospital fluid resuscitation occurred in less than one third of patients with severe sepsis, and routinely measured out-of-hospital variables were associated with greater serum lactate and SOFA in the ED.     

Acute Aortic Dissection With ST Segment Myocardial Infarction Following Masturbation

BackgroundAcute aortic dissection is the most common life-threatening disorder affecting the aorta, and can mimic other disease processes. We describe an unusual presentation of a critically ill patient with initial hematospermia diagnosed with a type A acute aortic dissection.Case ReportA 68 year old man presented to a community ED after masturbation and report of blood in his ejaculate, followed by rapid development of severe low back, chest and hip pain with shock. ECG showed evidence of ST segment elevation, but suspicion remained high for thoracic or abdominal aortic catastrophe. Bedside ultrasound demonstrated no pericardial effusion, a severely hypokinetic myocardium and a question of fluid in the left perinephric space. Attempts were made to resuscitate the patient, and an ED chest/abdomen/pelvis CT showed a type A acute thoracic aortic dissection. Unfortunately, the patient remained profoundly unstable, with multiple arrests. He was transferred to a tertiary care facility, but expired shortly after arrival.Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?An emergency physician needs to be aware of the myriad of presentations of acute aortic dissection. Although hematospermia was felt ultimately to be an incidental symptom, sexual activity may bring about a significant transient increase in blood pressure, which could contribute to sheer force causing aortic injury. Awareness of this trigger and a careful sensitive history may aid the clinician in early diagnosis.     

The Oncological Emergency of Intestinal Obstruction: ED Recognition and Treatment Outcomes

ObjectivesGastrointestinal complications, like blockage, are among the most common oncological emergencies. We investigated whether individuals with cancer presenting at the emergency department (ED) with intestinal obstruction were triaged accurately, and we further evaluated the triage decisions’ effect on their ED treatment outcomes.Data SourcesA retrospective review was completed on all available records of adult cancer patients who were admitted with intestinal obstruction to a tertiary referral hospital. Over 3 years, 46 cancer patients were admitted from the ED with a provisional diagnosis of intestinal obstruction, confirmed by radiological examination. More than half the patients were undertriaged, which often resulted in these patients experiencing a series of risky time delays in the ED. Patients were significantly delayed in reaching five treatment outcomes: first assessment with a physician, initiation of treatment, decision to admit, length of ED stay, and length of hospital stay.ConclusionThe application of triage in practice was inconsistent, inaccurate, and had a significant negative impact on patient treatment outcomes.Implications for Nursing PracticeThe study results indicated the need to critically analyze current triage training and policies to increase their effectiveness. Improvement strategies are identified in the literature, and several are discussed. Involving triage nurses in this work is essential.     

Percutaneous nephrostomy versus retrograde ureteral stent for acute upper urinary tract obstruction with urosepsis

PurposeWe aimed to compare the efficacy of percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) versus retrograde ureteric stent (RUS) for acute upper urinary tract obstruction with urosepsis.Materials and methodsWe performed a random study, comparing PCN to RUS, for the treatment of patients requiring emergency drainage due to acute upper urinary tract obstruction with urosepsis between January 2019 to March 2020. Data collected included patient characteristics, stone material, microbiological characteristics, and laboratory data. Statistical analysis was performed by the student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test or chi-squared test and Fisher exact test.ResultsAt first, a total of 75 patients were eligibly assessed for enrollment. Among them, 3 cases were excluded for declining to participate and 7 cases were failed treated with RUS. At last, 35 PCN (53.85%) and 30 RUS (46.15%) patients were analyzed. There were 24 (36.92%) men and 41 (63.08%) women. The median age was 65 years. Emergency decompression was achieved by PCN in 35 (53.85%) patients and by RUS in 30 (46.15%). Urine culture was positive in 32 (49.23%) patients, of which 17 (53.13%) had E. coli. Postoperative C-reactive protein value and normal temperature recovery time in the PCN group were significantly lower than in the RUS group(P < .05).ConclusionPCN had a better outcome than RUS in emergency drainage with urosepsis, especially for patients with severe inflammation and fever.     

Sonographic appearance of a bladder calculus secondary to a suture from a bladder neck suspension.

About 2% of all bladder calculi occur in women. Their presence necessitates a careful assessment of the cause. Most bladder calculi secondary to female pelvic surgery result from either obstruction or foreign objects. The presence of nonabsorbable suture material in the bladder is a well-known cause of urinary tract infection and stone formation. We present the sonographic findings in a case of a bladder stone forming around nonabsorbable sutures after a Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz operation for stress urinary incontinence.     

Acute urinary retention in the first and second-trimester of pregnancy: Three case reports

BACKGROUNDAcute urinary retention (AUR) is rare during pregnancy. CASE SUMMARYWe report on three pregnant women with AUR between the 10^th and 18^th wk of gestation. Case 1 was first diagnosed as urinary tract infection and developed a urinary tract infection due to urinary retention caused by urethral obstruction. Case 2 had a history of previous abdominal surgery for pelvic tuberculosis, leading to severe adhesions and a persistent retroverted uterus. In case 3, healthcare providers focused on the patient’s gastrointestinal symptoms and did not investigate her inability to void. Case 1 required manual disimpaction of the uterus and the knee-chest position. The other cases required immediate catheterization. The condition resolved in cases 1 and 2; these patients had normal pregnancies. Case 3 had severe complications at the time of consultation, leading to an abortion. CONCLUSIONRetroverted uterus is the most common cause of AUR. Prompt recognition and diagnosis are required. Clinicians should be aware of the risk factors, etiology, and clinical presentation of AUR in the first and second trimester of pregnancy.     

Emergency Nurses’ Department Design Recommendations for Improved End-of-Life Care

IntroductionAlthough death is common in emergency departments, there is limited research regarding ED design as an obstacle to end-of-life care. This study identifies emergency nurses’ recommendations regarding ways designs have negative or positive impact on care for dying patients and their families.MethodsA 25-item questionnaire was sent to a national random sample of 500 emergency nurses. Inclusion criteria were nurses who could read English, worked in emergency departments, and had cared for at least 1 patient at the end of life (EOL). Responses were individually reviewed and coded.ResultsMajor obstacles included (1) issues related to limited space, (2) poor department layout and design, and (3) lack of privacy. Despite emergency departments being a challenging place to provide EOL care, positive ED design characteristics had impact on EOL care.DiscussionEmergency nurses understand the need for family presence during resuscitation, for secure body stowage areas, and for more resuscitation rooms so that families have time to grieve before being removed because of the immediate needs of a second trauma patient. Nurses can evaluate existing facilities to identify areas in which potential change and remodeling could improve care, increase patient privacy, or further utilize space.Understanding ED design’s impact on EOL care is crucial. Modifications to ED layout and design may be challenging; however, improvements to space, layout, and privacy need to be considered when planning new emergency departments or remodeling existing departments. Further research is required to determine the impact of ED design on EOL care.     

T HE E PIDEMIOLOGY OF P AIN IN THE P REHOSPITAL S ETTING

Objective. To develop national estimates of the epidemiology of pain in the prehospital setting. Methods. Cross-sectional data on a probability sample of 21,103 emergency department (ED) visits from the 1999 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed. For patients arriving by ambulance, the frequencies (95% confidence intervals) of patients presenting with no level of pain reported (data unknown or missing) and those reporting no, mild, and moderate or severe pain were determined. The reasons for visit among those with moderate or severe pain, and the ED narcotic analgesic use among those with pain information reported and not reported, were also determined. >Results. Of the 102.8 million patients visiting the ED in 1999, 14.5 million arrived by ambulance. Fifty-three percent (49-58%) were female. Seven million six hundred thousand [52% (48-56%)] had no information on presenting level of pain reported, 2.0 million [14% (2-25%)] had no pain, 2.0 million [14% (3-25%)] had mild pain, and 2.9 million [20% (12-29%)] had moderate or severe pain. Among those with moderate or severe pain, the most common reasons for visit were injuries 27% (11-43%) and non-injury musculoskeletal symptoms 18% (0-39%). Narcotic analgesics were ordered or continued in 13% (0-29%) of those with no presenting level of pain recorded and 21% (9-34%) of those for whom the presenting level of pain was recorded. >Conclusion. Pain is a common condition among prehospital patients: 20% reported moderate to severe pain. Given the use of narcotic analgesics among those for whom pain information was not reported, this is likely a conservative estimate.     

Hematuria as an indicator for the presence or absence of urinary calculi

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the presence of hematuria or its absence can predict the presence or absence of urinary calculi as determined by computed tomography (CT) scan in patients presenting to the ED with acute abdominal colic. We reviewed the urine analysis and CT scans of all patients presenting to the ED over a 12-month period with acute colic and a clinical suspicion of urinary calculi. Urine samples were drawn on arrival in the ED before CT scanning. Two hundred seventy-seven patients were included in the study. The prevalence of urinary stones as detected by CT was 57.4%. The positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for hematuria as a marker for stone disease was 60.9%, 72.4%, and 62.1%, respectively. A total of 3.24% of patients had some degree of obstruction, all of whom had hematuria. The absence of hematuria is not a reliable exclusion criterion for urinary calculi. The detection of urinary stones without hematuria does not imply obstruction.     

Point-of-Care Ultrasound Assists Diagnosis of Spontaneously Passed Common Bile Duct Stone

BackgroundCholedocholithiasis complicates approximately 10% of gallstone disease. Spontaneous stone migration out of the common bile duct (CBD) may occur in as many as 20% of choledocholithiasis cases. A decrease in CBD caliber occurs in the setting of spontaneous stone passage, but to our knowledge, this finding has not been appreciated using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the emergency medicine setting.Case ReportA 49-year-old woman presented to our Emergency Department (ED) with a complaint of epigastric pain radiating to the left shoulder. On examination she was found to have epigastric tenderness to palpation, but no guarding or rebound. POCUS demonstrated a dilated common bile duct, and her liver function tests were abnormally high. She was admitted to Medicine with concern for choledocholithiasis and plan for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), but her pain had resolved shortly after ED arrival. A repeat ultrasound examination demonstrated a normal-caliber common bile duct approximately 3 h after the initial scan.Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?Choledocholithiasis often requires admission and invasive testing. Using POCUS in conjunction with liver function tests and patient assessments may obviate a need for ERCP.     

Transperineal Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Proctitis in the Emergency Department

BackgroundPatients with anorectal complaints commonly present to the emergency department (ED). In patients with prior history of pelvic radiation and those with risk factors for sexually transmitted infections, proctitis is frequently on the differential diagnosis. Computed tomography (CT) scans are frequently done in patients with atypical presentations and those with broader differential diagnoses. Although in cases with suspected uncomplicated proctitis, conducting a point-of-care transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) may provide sufficient data to confirm the diagnosis and ascertain a safe plan for outpatient management, thus limiting the need for CT scan, a frequent flow-limiting step in the ED.Case ReportIn this article, we present a brief case series of patients presenting to the ED with anorectal complaints in whom TPUS revealed circumferential symmetric rectal wall edema and pericolonic stranding suggestive of proctitis. History and subsequent imaging further supported these diagnoses; we also briefly detail the patients’ clinical course and outcomes.Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?We propose the use of TPUS as the screening imaging for anorectal pathologies and those with suspected proctitis to increase its use among emergency physicians. We review the main sonographic features of proctitis alongside reports from clinical cases, as well as the potential advantages of TPUS as a first-line imaging modality as compared with CT or magnetic resonance imaging. Although the complexities of anorectal anatomy can make TPUS a more difficult ultrasound modality to master, integrating TPUS into clinical practice will prove beneficial to both physician and patient.