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A transit passenger with unilateral leg pain

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: A 57‐year‐old male transit passenger from an 8‐hour flight presented to the emergency department with severe left posterior thigh pain. He had experienced a traumatic event a few weeks prior, resulting in fractures of the left hip and left lower ribs. Upon examination, he exhibited severe tenderness, warmth, and fluctuation in the left posterior thigh with minimal swelling. He had a low‐grade fever (37.8°C), was markedly tachycardic (heart rate: 125 beats/min), and appeared clinically dehydrated. Blood investigations revealed raised inflammatory markers, elevated creatinine, and high lactate levels (Table 1). Given his clinical presentation and recent surgery combined with the long flight, initial differential diagnoses included deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and sepsis. Point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) ruled out DVT but revealed subcutaneous edema with fluid collection in the hamstring muscles. Other Information Published in: JACEP Open License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ See article on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/emp2.13221

Source: Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open

DOI: 10.1002/emp2.13221

Authors: Ghazala Faheem, Muhammad Abd Ur Rehman, Muhammad Junaid Iqbal, Tahir Shahzad

Institution: Hamad Medical Corporation

Language: English

Topic: Streptococcal Infections and Treatments

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,200