Also known as: Early labor
Pregnant woman at 24 weeks gestation with history of cervical incompetence and previous miscarriages presents in early labor, progressing despite tocolytics. Delivers extremely premature infant weighing 506 grams in a taxi after fleeing the hospital.
Also known as: Premature birth
24-week gestation infant delivered at 506 grams with fused eyelids requiring immediate intubation and NICU care. Central ethical debate of episode involves viability threshold and mother's wishes versus hospital policy to resuscitate.
Also known as: Head trauma
Victim of high-speed car crash (hit by carjacker) sustained severe head injury with blood obscuring airway. Progressed to brain death and became organ donor after wife's consent, providing organs to multiple recipients.
Also known as: Multiple broken ribs on both sides
Carjacker involved in high-speed crash presented with flail segment and closed clavicle fracture requiring chest tube placement and surgical repair.
Also known as: Internal bleeding
Same carjacker patient found to have free fluid in abdomen on ultrasound indicating intra-abdominal injury requiring emergency surgery.
Also known as: Bleeding after delivery
Mother who delivered extremely premature infant developed severe uterine atony with estimated blood loss of 1500cc requiring transfusion and aggressive management with IV fluids and Pitocin.
Also known as: Callous-unemotional traits
Teenage foster care patient who fell while escaping from group home, presented with shoulder injury. Central conflict involves overmedication with multiple psychiatric drugs (Tegretol, lithium, Risperdal, clonidine, Benadryl, Klonopin) which he had been avoiding.
Also known as: DKA
Sam's son Alex became hyperglycemic and ketotic after missing his insulin shot while being unsupervised, consuming junk food with Pratt at convenience store.
Also known as: Kidney stones
43-year-old man with left flank pain radiating to groin with positive urine heme, used as teaching case about efficient workup versus over-testing.
Also known as: Gallstones
Patient with history of gallstones presenting with pain, afebrile with non-tender abdomen, treated conservatively without ultrasound or labs as teaching case about efficient care.
Also known as: UTI
24-year-old female with bladder infection, positive leukocytes, treated with Bactrim and Pyridium as routine case demonstrating efficient triage medicine.
Also known as: Broken wrist
Patient with wrist fracture from utility knife injury, treated with sugar-tong splint without immediate x-ray as example of efficient emergency medicine protocol.