A 44 year old woman presents with right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain radiating through to her back. She has a fever and is tender on abdominal palpation. She has had several episodes of postprandial RUQ discomfort previously. You wonder if she has gallstones.
Shoulder dislocations. Few procedures are more fulfilling in the emergency department. A little intra-articular lidocaine, some ketamine (always the answer), some propofol, and you’ve nearly instantaneously fixed a painful condition. Thankfully we’ve moved on from the barbaric techniques pictured below.…
The Komodo dragon is a creature that inspires fear and mysticism in many. It’s got all the characteristics of a good monster movie: only found on rare tropical islands, large, and possessing magical saliva that can kill. First identified by…
A 69 year old man presents with altered bowel habit and some mild left loin pain. He has been feeling weak and tired recently. He has a microcytic anaemia.
In drowning victims, it’s primarily respiratory in nature, and they absolutely need ventilations. But how many of the ads for CCPR are that nuanced?
An 83 year old diet controlled diabetic if brought in by his family with fevers and confusion. He had complained of some mild abdominal discomfort 48 hours before.
A 22 year old woman presents with very mild pelvic discomfort and vomiting in early pregnancy. She has had a previous ectopic pregnancy and is worried this may be an ectopic pregnancy.
Deciding what to carry in your medical kit on an expedition is hard. You don’t want to leave anything out, but you can’t carry an entire hospital on your back. I mean, the wheels on the slit lamp really suck…
A 55 year old woman with hepatitis C and known cirrhosis presents with right upper quadrant pain. You ultrasound her gallbladder.
Last week's Rorschach test is revealed for what it is, and a new F.UCEM is inducted into the hall of infamy.
Many of us make New Year’s resolutions. And we’ve done it for a long time, with resolutions having been recorded since the time of the Babylonians. And while some of them involve repaying old debts, most are attempts at bettering ourselves (losing…
A 51 year old man with known gallstones presents feeling unwell with some dull epigastric ache, dark urine and pale stool. Could it be choledocholithiaisis?