The assessment of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in residency: the benefits of a four-year longitudinally integrated curriculum.

Context: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has diverse applications across various clinical specialties, serving as an adjunct to clinical findings and as a tool for increasing the quality of patient care. Owing to its multifunctionality, a growing number of medical schools are increasingly incorporating POCUS training into their curriculum, some offering hands-on training during the first 2 years of didactics and others utilizing a longitudinal exposure model integrated into all 4 years of medical school education. Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (MWU-AZCOM) adopted a 4-year longitudinal approach to include POCUS education in 2017.

Atraumatic Cervical Disc Herniation With Rapidly Progressive Myelopathy in a 47-Year-Old Male: A Case Report.

Atraumatic acute myelopathy caused by idiopathic disc herniation is rare. This case presents a 47-year-old male with a sudden onset of severe neck pain and weakness upon waking that progressively worsened. His rapidly progressive myelopathy led to an MRI of the cervical spine, revealing severe spinal canal stenosis at the C6-C7 level due to a large disc herniation deforming the spinal cord.

Acute Muscle Weakness in Graves' Disease: A Case Report of Hypokalemic Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis.

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is a rare but significant complication of hyperthyroidism, characterized by episodes of muscle weakness or paralysis and associated hypokalemia. This case report details a 30-year-old Latin American male with a history of Graves' disease, presenting with acute muscle weakness and hypokalemia. The patient reported transient episodes of weakness over recent weeks, culminating in a severe episode prompting emergency evaluation.

Exploring the Palmar Surface: A Critical Case Report for Emergency Physicians.

Introduction: Tendon injuries of the hand present a diverse spectrum of challenges in emergency medicine, ranging from minor strains to catastrophic ruptures. The superficial anatomy of hand tendons predisposes them to various mechanisms of injury, leading to complex medical scenarios. Here, we present a unique case of flexor tendon exposure secondary to abscess formation and spontaneous rupture, emphasizing the importance of prompt recognition and management of such injuries in the emergency department.

Recurrent Aseptic (Mollaret) Meningitis: A Case Report.

Mollaret meningitis is a rare form of recurrent, self-resolving, aseptic meningitis with a high rate of return. Although it has been associated with several conditions, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is most common. Diagnosis requires recurrent (>3) episodes of aseptic meningitis as defined by pleocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with negative bacterial cultures.