Also known as: Broken pelvis
Mother involved in high-speed rollover MVA presents with unstable open-book pelvic fracture causing severe anemia and hemorrhagic shock. Her hemoglobin drops to 7.9-8.1, requiring aggressive resuscitation and later discovered to have autoimmune hemolytic anemia complicating her management.
Medical student Neela discovers the patient has autoimmune hemolytic anemia with microspherocytes and elevated reticulocyte count on blood smear, which likely caused her to pass out while driving and complicates her transfusion management during hemorrhagic shock from pelvic fracture.
Also known as: Broken thigh bone
Eight-year-old girl from the MVA presents with bilateral femur fractures from crush injury requiring specialized Hare traction application, complicated by altered mental status from head trauma.
Also known as: Head laceration
Eight-year-old MVA patient with head trauma causing altered mental status and right parietal hematoma. She develops life-threatening ventricular tachycardia from hyperkalemia (potassium 8.3) requiring cardioversion and emergent dialysis.
Also known as: High potassium
Eight-year-old trauma patient develops severe hyperkalemia (8.3) likely from crush injury, causing peaked T waves and ventricular tachycardia requiring emergency cardioversion and dialysis.
Also known as: Multiple broken ribs on both sides
Child from MVA presents with five rib fractures creating a flail segment requiring chest tube placement.
Also known as: Broken wrist
Eight-year-old boy from MVA with closed left wrist fracture and scalp laceration from dome light, also requiring abdominal CT to rule out internal injury from seat belt sign.
Also known as: AIDS
HIV-positive patient unable to afford antiretroviral medications develops candidal esophagitis, an AIDS-defining opportunistic infection. Carter uses this diagnosis to qualify him for Medicaid coverage, highlighting healthcare access barriers.
Also known as: Yeast infection of the esophagus
AIDS patient presents with progression of oral thrush to esophageal candidiasis causing painful swallowing. This opportunistic infection qualifies him for Medicaid but he faces barriers accessing treatment due to insurance approval delays.
Also known as: Infected dialysis access
Elderly dialysis patient with infected AV graft requiring surgical drainage. She dies from hemorrhage when the infected graft ruptures while awaiting surgery, after being left unmonitored due to miscommunication about her location.