Nearly 10% of the population develops a hernia during their lifetime. Hernias are classified by anatomic location, hernia contents, and the status of those contents (eg, reducible, incarcerated, or strangulated)….

Cardiogenic shock is the most common cause of in-hospital mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Approximately 6% to 8% of patients with AMI will develop cardiogenic shock. Cardiogenic shock usually…

The most common risk factor for spontaneous pneumothorax is smoking, although chronic lung disease and infections are predisposing factors. History of prior pneumothorax is common since 20% to 30% of…

Hemoptysis is defined somewhat arbitrarily as mild (less than 20 mL of blood loss in 24 hours), moderate, or massive (greater than 600 mL of blood loss in 24 hours)….

Anemia is due to loss of red blood cells (RBCs) by hemorrhage, increased destruction of RBCs, or impaired production of RBCs. Bleeding disorders from congenital or acquired abnormalities in the…

The disease prevalence is 4.3% in Americans under age 40 years; prevalence climbs to 15.5% in those >70 years of age. High-risk individuals include those over 70 years of age,…

Shock is circulatory insufficiency that creates an imbalance between tissue oxygen supply and demand. Tissue hypoperfusion is associated with decreased venous O2 content and metabolic acidosis. Shock is classified into…

Traumatic wounds are common reasons for visits to emergency departments. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY The mechanism of injury will help identify risk of foreign body, contamination, and wound complication. A foreign body sensation…

Chronic pain is a painful condition that lasts >3 months, pain that persists beyond the reasonable time for an injury to heal, or pain that persists 1 month beyond the…

Chest pain (CP) is a common ED complaint. The management of these patients can be challenging, is of critical importance, and the clinician should systematically determine if CP is cardiac…