An 81 year old man was walking in a parking lot when he was struck on his left knee at low speed by a van. He was unable to ambulate.
On examination he had pain and swelling distal to the left patella. He was unable to straight-leg-raise actively.
It’s flu season…how can you tell if your patient presenting with cough and fever has pneumonia? 1. The Clinical Exam: decreased air entry on one side? crackles? dullness to percussion? increased tactile fremitus? whispered pectoriloquy? egophony? (yikes) 2. The CXR: there may be some fluffy white stuff?
Keep calm, there is a tool that can help you sort it out — Ultrasound: “The stethoscope of the 21st century”.(1)
40 year old mechanic was hammering metal when his hammer broke. He immediately felt pain in his wrist. He was concerned part of the hammer was stuck in his wrist. He had an 8 mm laceration to the volar surface of his wrist. He has normal ROM, normal pulses, normal Allen test, and normal sensation. He was sent for an x-ray to look for a metallic foreign body.
However, on palpating near the wound, no FB is felt.