Clinical

What’s causing this patient’s seizures?

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week A 16-year-old male is brought to the emergency department by his father following a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. He has had these seizures regularly since early childhood, though their frequency has increased over the past two months. As an infant, he had regular episodes of apnea, which resolved at the...

A drinking binge leads to a surgical emergency

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week A 58-year-old male presents to the emergency department with dyspnea, and severe chest pain that radiates to his shoulder. He has a history of alcoholism and has just finished a 4-day drinking binge. On examination, crepitus is heard on palpation of the chest wall, and his pain worsens as...

Which additional CSF finding is most likely?

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week An 11-month-old male with a two-day history of irritability and lethargy is brought to the emergency department by his mother. She reports that he has vomited four times today and has had fewer wet diapers than usual. He is up to date with his vaccinations. On examination, he is...

What audible finding is consistent with this presentation?

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week A 40-year-old male presents to the emergency department with sharp chest pain and palpitations. He says the pain is worse when he lies down and is exacerbated by coughing, but improves when he moves to a seated position. He was recently diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) after investigation...