William Yaakob, MD

December 31, 2006

A 64-year-old woman presentsto the emergency department withworsening crampy abdominal painthat began the night before. Afterthe pain started, she had a bowelmovement containing a significantamount of blood; since then she hashad episodes of diarrhea. She hadbeen previously healthy, denies traumaand fever, and knows no one withsimilar symptoms. She reports norecent enema, endoscopy, or otherabdominal procedure.

December 31, 2006

A 25-year-old man complainsof right hip pain that began earlierin the day when he fell and landedon his hip while playing basketball.He has no other symptoms, and hishistory is noncontributory.

December 31, 2006

A 56-year-old woman complainsof right hip pain that has been presentfor several weeks but has recentlyworsened. She denies recent trauma,fever, and increased physicalactivity. She has no history of arthritis,but she does have systemiclupus erythematosus, which a dailyregimen of prednisone, 20 mg PO,has kept in remission. Her medicalhistory is otherwise unremarkable.

December 31, 2006

A 13-year-old boy complains ofpain in his right hip. The pain began3 days earlier after he was tackledseveral times while playing footballwith his friends. He was able to walkhome. The pain has increased sincethat time. Although the patient is stillable to walk, he now has a limp andfavors his left leg. The patient isotherwise healthy and has no significantmedical history.

December 31, 2006

A 67-year-old woman who is being treated as an inpatient for head traumacomplains of vague tenderness during an abdominal examination. Othercomplaints are difficult to assess. She had been placed on an oxygen ventilator;however, her cognitive function and pulmonary function are improving, andher cerebral edema is diminished.

June 01, 2006

A 43-year-old woman presents to the emergency departmentwith fatigue, dyspnea, and intermittent chest painof 3 days’ duration. Her symptoms have worsened sinceshe arose, and 2 hours ago palpitations developed. She describesthe chest pain as a heavy pressure under her sternumthat does not radiate; she denies fever, nausea, vomiting,and diaphoresis.

May 02, 2006

A 52-year-old man complains of right knee pain that hasbeen increasing steadily for several weeks. Two years earlierhe underwent a total arthroplasty of the same knee to treatsevere osteoarthritis secondary to a meniscal injury. He hasno history of recent trauma or increased activity.

May 01, 2006

A 48-year old man presents to the emergency departmentwith constant, dull epigastric pain and right upperquadrant pain. The pain has been present for 2 to 3months; does not radiate; has not changed its pattern; andis not associated with fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, orchanges in urine or stool color. There are no alleviating orprecipitating factors.

May 01, 2006

A 57-year-old woman presents with severe chest pain, and a frontal upright radiograph of the chest is obtained. What does this image reveal, and how will you arrive at a diagnosis?

April 15, 2006

An 80-year-old woman complains of left hip painthat started after she fell while feeding her cat. The painis moderately severe and is localized to the left hip; itdoes not radiate. The patient is unable to bear any weighton the injured hip but denies numbness in her left leg.There are no other injuries.