Also known as: Prolonged seizure
Henry experiences a severe grand mal seizure lasting over 20 minutes during a baseball game, progressing to status epilepticus with runs of nonconvulsive seizures. He undergoes aggressive treatment with multiple anti-seizure medications and ultimately receives a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) device implant.
Also known as: Absence seizure
Henry's baseline seizure disorder, previously well-controlled on valproic acid since infancy, but now progressing to status epilepticus requiring escalated intervention.
Also known as: Broken heart syndrome
Wallace develops literal broken heart syndrome after his wife's death, requiring heart transplantation. The donor heart experiences acute hypokinesis requiring emergency coronary artery bypass on the beating heart before transplant.
Also known as: Heart attack
The donor heart develops acute anterior wall hypokinesis with LAD blockage during the transplant procedure, requiring emergency bypass grafting before being transplanted into Wallace.
Also known as: Sleep apnea
Micah develops new-onset sleep apnea with episodes of breathing cessation during sleep, prompting concern for cardiac arrhythmia. Requires beta-blocker adjustment and sleep study.
Also known as: Blocked intestine
75-year-old male presents with two days of abdominal cramping and vomiting, diagnosed with partial small bowel obstruction on CT. Case highlights admission disputes between services.
Also known as: Meth overdose
Patient found on freeway with meth pipe, presents with severe agitation requiring haloperidol and physically attacks medical staff in the ER.
Referenced case of a man whose defective metal-on-metal hip implant leaked poison, causing blindness, near-deafness, and dementia. Used to raise concerns about medical device safety.