Welcome to this month’s What’s Your Diagnosis Challenge!
But before we begin, check to see if you got last month’s case on An Evidence-Based Approach to Emergency Department Patients at Risk for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms correct.
Case Presentation: Diagnosis and Management of Blast Injuries in the Emergency DepartmentÂ
EMS and local police issue a notification that an explosion has occurred at an elementary school. Within an hour, the first patient arrives: a 29-year-old woman with torso and extremity lacerations… Â
- The patient arrives by personal vehicle.Â
- She has no other complaints and no medical history. Her vital signs are: heart rate, 110 beats/min; blood pressure, 110/80 mm Hg; and oxygen saturation, 97% on room air.Â
- You give her medication for pain control and a tetanus booster, and repair her extremity lacerations.Â
- On re-evaluation, she says she feels better, though you wonder whether it is safe to discharge her or if there might be delayed sequelae of the blast that need to be watched for…
Make your best guess, and check back next month to find out the correct answer!
USACS subscribers can log in or renew here.
