Also known as: Kidney failure
Dr. Archer is in end-stage renal disease requiring regular dialysis and is being evaluated for the transplant list. His condition drives personal conflict about whether to accept a potential kidney donation from his son.
Also known as: Broken back
Kurt sustained an unstable burst fracture at T-12 after falling down stairs. He requires surgery to prevent actual paralysis, but refuses treatment due to his underlying psychiatric condition (BIID).
Also known as: BIID
Kurt has BIID manifesting as a strong desire to be paralyzed. He pretends to be paralyzed by using a wheelchair and refuses surgery that would prevent actual paralysis, creating ethical dilemmas about decisional capacity and informed refusal.
Also known as: Pregnancy-related heart failure
Sarah is diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare form of heart disease occurring at the end of pregnancy. She initially refuses admission, goes into labor, and dies from cardiac arrest during cesarean delivery despite medical intervention.
Also known as: Schizoaffective disorder
Baylin, a frequent patient with schizophrenia, presents with acute psychosis after stopping his medications. He becomes agitated by the new red warning lights in the ED, believing they are CIA signals, triggering a discussion about the hospital's technology upgrades.
Also known as: PTSD
Baylin has complex PTSD in addition to his schizophrenia, contributing to his paranoid delusions about being followed by the CIA.
Also known as: Migraine headache
Alicia presents with frequent, prolonged headaches. The new AI diagnostic tool suggests rare giant cell arteritis, but Dr. Halstead suspects migraines or cluster headaches. Patient insists on temporal artery biopsy which reveals anaphylaxis to cefazolin during the procedure.
Also known as: Severe allergic reaction
During temporal artery biopsy, Alicia develops anaphylaxis to cefazolin antibiotic, causing throat swelling and respiratory distress requiring emergency epinephrine.