Also known as: Type of leukemia
Linda Harper presents with syncope, bruising, petechiae, and enlarged spleen. She is diagnosed with primary myelofibrosis requiring stem cell transplant, but faces barriers due to immigration status. Her brother Manny is a potential donor but is arrested by ICE before completing the donation process.
Also known as: Broken arm
18-month-old Evan Harper sustains a fractured right arm with gross deformity when his mother faints while holding him. The fracture requires reduction and casting.
Also known as: Heart attack
19-year-old Ricky Glendon is hit by a bus and develops massive ST elevations during trauma surgery. He requires coronary artery bypass grafting using the left internal mammary artery to revascularize due to a tear near the LAD takeoff that cannot be stented.
Also known as: Kidney injury from bus accident
Ricky Glendon sustains blunt trauma from being hit by a bus, with positive FAST scan showing free fluid in the abdomen requiring emergent laparotomy in the hybrid OR.
Also known as: Anti-NMDA encephalitis
Tara presents with prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms initially thought to be viral gastroenteritis, but develops neurologic symptoms including facial droop, ptosis, seizure, and respiratory failure. She is ultimately diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis caused by an ovarian teratoma and requires bilateral oophorectomy.
Also known as: Teratoma with tooth
Tara has an ovarian teratoma containing primitive brain cells that triggers her immune system to attack her actual brain cells, causing encephalitis. The teratoma is discovered on pathology after bilateral oophorectomy.
Also known as: Heroin addiction
Patient presents with chronic back pain seeking opioid prescription, using a false name and evading diagnostic tests. She is ultimately identified as drug-seeking and referred to addiction therapy rather than given narcotic prescriptions.
Patient with history of L4 discectomy two years prior presents with acute-on-chronic back pain. CT shows spinal degeneration and scar tissue at L3-L5, but patient is drug-seeking rather than having a new acute pathology.