Also known as: Collapsed lung
10-year-old girl hit by a van sustains blunt chest trauma resulting in tension pneumothorax requiring emergency needle decompression in the field. During transport, Kovac inadvertently nicks an intercostal artery while placing the needle, leading to massive hemorrhage requiring emergency thoracotomy and surgery.
Also known as: Broken thigh bone
The same pediatric trauma patient sustained a fractured femur from being struck by a van, requiring splinting in the field.
Also known as: Ruptured spleen
During surgery for chest injuries, the trauma patient is found to have ongoing abdominal bleeding from a splenic capsule rupture requiring additional surgical intervention.
Also known as: Precancerous cervical cells
Teenage girl presenting for STI screening is found to have cervical dysplasia from HPV infection, likely acquired at sex parties. The diagnosis leads to ethical conflicts about patient confidentiality, parental notification, and public health reporting, ultimately contributing to a suicide attempt.
Also known as: HPV
The underlying sexually transmitted infection causing the cervical dysplasia, contracted through multiple partners at teen sex parties, creating a public health crisis requiring school notification.
Also known as: Synthetic cannabinoid overdose
Following disclosure of her HPV diagnosis and cervical dysplasia to the school, the teenage patient attempts suicide via polydrug overdose including her father's benzodiazepines, requiring emergency treatment with flumazenil.
Also known as: Bleeding pouch in the intestine
Patient presenting with post-hemorrhoid banding bleeding is initially cleared for discharge, but Abby's nursing instinct leads to further testing revealing an occult bleeding diverticulum requiring emergency laparotomy, demonstrating the importance of thorough evaluation despite normal initial labs.
Also known as: Lung cancer
Mark discovers his father has metastatic lung cancer with liver involvement when reviewing a CT scan. His father had been hiding the diagnosis, not wanting to be defined by his illness, creating an emotional climax as he finally reveals his fear to Mark.
Also known as: Heart attack
Mentioned in passing during Carter's case review as a patient with chest pain who ruled in for MI and underwent angioplasty, used to show continuity of Carter's oversight work.