Also known as: Head trauma
A 13-year-old male patient falls 10 feet from a skateboard without a helmet, landing on his head. He presents with fixed and dilated pupils and requires emergency neurosurgery. Dr. Cooper correctly identifies an abdominal aortic aneurysm that complicates the case. The mother's decision to remove his helmet for a photo shoot is revealed as the cause of the preventable injury.
Also known as: Ruptured triple-A
Dr. Cooper surprisingly and correctly diagnoses an abdominal aortic aneurysm by auscultation in the skateboard injury patient, which becomes a critical complicating factor in his traumatic brain injury case.
Also known as: Dislocated shoulder
The skateboard trauma patient presents with a dislocated shoulder and elbow fracture in four pieces, requiring ultrasound to check for internal bleeding.
Also known as: Second-degree burns
An elderly female patient named Eileen suffers first-degree burns when her oxygen tank explodes while she is smoking. She presents covered in soot and is treated for minor burns.
Also known as: Heart attack
A male patient experiences chest pains all day before passing out in the hospital. Jackie administers medication and calls for emergency help when he collapses.
Also known as: Cut
Louis, a man caring for his amputee mother, punches a fire alarm in distress and sustains a clipped ulnar artery injury requiring treatment. His injury occurs in the context of his inability to care for his mother after her bilateral leg amputation.
Louis's mother is a morbidly obese, alcoholic, diabetic woman with a heart murmur who has had both legs amputated, likely due to diabetic complications. The case drives the subplot about Louis's inability to provide adequate home care and the burden of healthcare costs.
Also known as: Heroin addiction
Jackie's ongoing addiction to prescription opioids is featured prominently in the opening sequence where she crushes and prepares Percocet for various times throughout her day, demonstrating her dependence and method of abuse.