A 30-year-old man presents to his primary care physician for pain in his left ankle. The patient states that he was at karate practice when he suddenly felt severe pain in his ankle forcing him to stop. The patient has a past medical history notable for type I diabetes and is currently being treated for an episode of acute bacterial sinusitis with moxifloxacin. The patient recently had to have his insulin dose increased secondary to poorly controlled blood glucose levels. Otherwise, the patient takes ibuprofen for headaches and loratadine for seasonal allergies. Physical exam reveals a young healthy man in no acute distress. Pain is elicited over the Achilles tendon with dorsiflexion of the left foot. Pain is also elicited with plantar flexion of the left foot against resistance. Which of the following is the best next step in management?
ARefrain from athletic activities for 1 to 2 weeks
BRehabilitation exercises and activity as tolerated
CIbuprofen and rest
DChange antibiotics and refrain from athletic activities
A 64-year-old male retired farmer presents to the orthopaedic surgery clinic with chronic left knee pain. Radiographic imaging demonstrates severe tricompartmental osteoarthritis. The patient has a history of diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and congestive heart failure. He undergoes a left knee replacement without complications. A Foley catheter was placed in the operating room and removed in the post-anesthesia care unit. He receives subcutaneous heparin and has sequential compression devices in place to prevent deep venous thromboses. On post-operative day 1, he develops suprapubic pain and dysuria and is subsequently found to have a urinary tract infection. He is discharged on post-operative day 2 with an appropriate antibiotic regimen. However, he presents to the emergency room on post-operative day 6 with severe left leg pain. Venous dopplers demonstrate an occlusive thrombus in the popliteal vein. He is readmitted for anticoagulation and monitoring. A quality improvement team in the hospital estimates that the probability of getting both a urinary tract infection and a deep venous thrombosis is 0.00008 in patients undergoing routine total knee replacement. Furthermore, they estimate that the probability of getting a urinary tract infection in a similar patient population is 0.04. Assuming that the development of urinary tract infections and deep venous thromboses are independent, what is the risk of developing a deep venous thrombosis following total knee replacement?
A0.02
BCannot be determined
C0.002
D0.00002
E0.0002
A 25-year-old man comes to the physician for severe back pain. He describes the pain as shooting and stabbing. On a 10-point scale, he rates the pain as a 9 to 10. The pain started after he lifted a heavy box at work; he works at a supermarket and recently switched from being a cashier to a storekeeper. The patient appears to be in severe distress. Vital signs are within normal limits. On physical examination, the spine is nontender without paravertebral muscle spasms. Range of motion is normal. A straight-leg raise test is negative. After the physical examination has been completed, the patient asks for a letter to his employer attesting to his inability to work as a storekeeper. Which of the following is the most appropriate response?
A“Yes. Since work may worsen your condition, I would prefer that you stay home a few days. I will write a letter to your employer to explain the situation.”
BYou say you are in severe pain. However, the physical examination findings do not suggest a physical problem that can be addressed with medications or surgery. I'd like to meet on a regular basis to see how you're doing.
CI understand that you are uncomfortable, but the findings do not match the severity of your symptoms. Let's talk about the recent changes at your job.
DThe physical exam findings do not match your symptoms, which suggests a psychological problem. I would be happy to refer you to a mental health professional.
EThe physical exam findings suggest a psychological rather than a physical problem. But there is a good chance that we can address it with cognitive-behavioral therapy.
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