Category Archives: Clinical

Work to be completed between January, 2024 and January, 2025.

Peds H+P

Identifying Data:

Patient Initials: JL

Age: 9Y 11M

Date & Time of Encounter: 4/30/24 at 2:14pm

Location of Encounter: Jamaica, Queens

Source of Information: Mother/Self

Reliability: Reliable

Chief Complaint: “Rash on nose” x 2 weeks

History of Present Illness:

9YOM bib mom concerned for rash on Pt’s nose x 1 week. She notes an erythematous, bumpy area on Pt’s external R nostril that began soon after he sustained a small laceration to the area from a branch at the park.  Pt says the area is warm and tender to touch, but denies unprovoked pain or itchiness. Mom reports that the Pt has continued to pick at the newer lesions on his face, and they have become more prominent since onset. They have not spread beyond his nose, they deny known rash or skin lesions elsewhere on the body. Denies fever, congestion, cough, eye pain/swelling/discharge, visual changes. Denies h/o similar symptoms. Denies known sick contacts. Mom says she has tried topical aloe vera to the area without relief or improvement.

Past Medical History:

Present illnesses – Denies

Past medical illnesses – Denies

Immunizations – Per CIR, Pt is UTD on all eligible vaccinations.

Screening tests and results – Last annual physical with CMP and CBC on 6/6/23 without abnormal findings. Vision 20/20 OU uncorrected. Last dental appointment 1/2024.

Past Surgical History:

None

Medications: 

None

Allergies:

NKDA, denies known food or environmental allergies

Family History:

Father: alive 37 yrs, healthy

Mother: alive 31 yrs, healthy

Family medical history unknown.

Pt has no siblings.

Social History:

JL is a 9YOM who lives at home w/ his mother and father. There are no other members of the home.

Habits – N/A

Travel – None

Diet – Mom says PT eats an omnivorous diet rich in most fruits and vegetables.

Exercise – Mom says PT plays sports seasonally, but is otherwise sedentary.

Sleep – 9-10 hours a night uninterrupted 

Safety measures – Pt travels primarily by bus

Review of Systems:

General: Denies fever, chills, fatigue, loss of appetite.

Skin, hair, nails: Reports an area of rough, erythematous skin with multiple raised lesions on external R nostril. Denies pruritus, swelling, erythema, or rash elsewhere on body. 

Head: Denies headache, head trauma, dizziness.

Eyes: Denies swelling, pruritus, warmth, and erythema. 

Ears: Denies pruritus, pain, discharge, or hearing loss.

Nose/Sinuses: Describes rash on R nostril as described above. Denies discharge, congestion, epistaxis, anosmia.

Mouth and throat: Denies sore throat, voice changes, dental pain.

Neck: Denies localized swelling, pain, or decreased range of motion.

Respiratory: Denies cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, wheezing.

Cardiovascular system: Denies chest pain, palpitations.

Gastrointestinal system: Denies loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, dysphagia, abdominal pain, diarrhea.

Genitourinary: Denies urinary frequency, urgency, dysuria.

Musculoskeletal System: Denies deformity, swelling, pain.

Peripheral Vascular System: Denies peripheral edema, color change. 

Nervous System: Denies sensory disturbances, weakness, 

Psychiatric: Mom reports Pt is generally in good spirits. Denies h/o psychiatric care.

Physical

General:  9YOM who appears his stated age, appears well-groomed and dressed appropriately for the weather. Pt maintains eye contact and answers questions appropriately without signs of acute distress.

Vital Signs:

Temperature: 97.9F

O2 Sat: 100% RA

Height: 51”

Weight: 76 lbs.

BMI: 20.54

Respiratory Rate: 18

Heart Rate: 84bpm

Hair, Head, and Face:

Head is normocephalic, atraumatic. Facial features are symmetrical with no signs of drooping or swelling.

Skin, and Nails: 

The skin is warm and moist. Non-icteric with no swelling or signs of ecchymosis. No rash or lesions on torso, back, or extremities.

Eyes:

Symmetrical OU. PERRLA,  EOMs intact with no nystagmus or lid lag. Visual fields full OU. 

No strabismus, exophthalmos or ptosis.  Sclera white, cornea clear, conjunctiva pink. No discharge.

Ear:

Ears are symmetrical and appropriate in size. No lesions, masses, trauma, or FBs on external ears. TMs pearly white with intact light reflex AU. No foreign bodies, discharge, effusions, perforations, or erythema AU. 

Nose and Sinus: 

Singular erythematous 1.5×1.5 cm area containing multiple honey-colored vesicles and pustules on lateral aspect of external R nostril. The nose is otherwise symmetrical without masses, deformities, trauma. Nasal mucosa is pink and moist. 

Mouth and Pharynx: 

The lips are pink with no blisters, fissures, or cyanosis. Tongue and buccal mucosa are pink and moist without swelling. Oropharynx without swelling, erythema, cobblestoning. Tonsils present without swelling, erythema, or exudates. 

Neck, Thyroid, and Lymph Nodes:

The trachea is midline without masses or scars. No anterior cervical lymphadenopathy on palpation.  

Cardiac:

Regular rate and rhythm, S1 and S2 present on auscultation. No murmurs, gallops, rubs, S3, or S4.

Thorax and Lung: 

Lung sounds CTA in all lobes B/L. No adventitious sounds.

Assessment: 

9YOM presents with yellow-crusted erythematous plaques localized to the external right nostril. 

DDx: 

  1. Impetigo
  2. Erysipelas
  3. Molluscum
  4. Tinea
  5. Verrucae Vulgaris

Plan:

  1. Skin Pustules of R nare
    1. Mupirocin Ointment to R nostril 2x a day for 5 days
    2. Wash hands before and after application and otherwise avoid contact with the affected area

R2 Reflection

My long term care rotation at Gouverneur exceeded my expectations. Before the rotation, I didn’t have a great understanding of the daily operations of the clinical team in the long term setting. I was surprised to find the case variety that I saw and the clinical correlations that I made to be very educational and rewarding. As a result of this rotation, I feel much more comfortable detecting abnormal findings on physical exam and developing plans for large and complex problem lists. My preceptor allowed me a lot of independence to evaluate patients and develop plans on my own. She would then double check my findings and offer validation and/or constructive criticism of my plan. I initially found this to be challenging, but looking back now, I realize how important it was to my growth and confidence as a future PA.

R2 Site Visit Summary

My two site visits helped me to practice my ability to concisely present patients to clinicians who are otherwise unfamiliar with my patients’ cases, a skill that I know I will continue to develop and execute throughout the course of my career as a PA student and PA. I enjoyed getting to hear my classmates do the same, as listening to patient presentations and extracting the pertinent information is another skill that is of utmost importance. I appreciated how collaborative the dynamic of these site visits were, I engaged in many insightful and constructive conversations about assessments, differential diagnoses, and plans, which are areas where I specifically am looking to strengthen because sometimes I struggle to articulate my thought processes. I learn best when I am able to work with my peers instead of as an individual, so overall, I really enjoyed how my site evaluator facilitated our visits as they were particularly valuable learning experiences to me.

Journal Article

Oral Simnotrelvir for Adult Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Covid-19

Cao B, Wang Y, Lu H, et al. Oral Simnotrelvir for Adult Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(3):230-241. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2301425

Summary:

Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, also known as Paxlovid, shows efficacy in reducing hospitalization and death from COVID-19 and is approved for such use in the United States. However, its numerous drug interactions pose challenges in certain patients, such as my geriatric patient recently diagnosed with COVID-19. This very recent double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial sought to investigate the efficacy of Simnotrelvir-ritonavir, a protease inhibitor combination similar to Paxlovid with fewer drug interactions.

This study assigned patients who had mild-to-moderate COVID-19 with onset of symptoms within the past 3 days to receive 750 mg of simnotrelvir plus 100 mg of ritonavir or placebo twice daily for 5 days. The results indicate that a 5-day course of simnotrelvir-ritonavir led to a 1.5-day reduction in the time to symptom resolution, and none of the participants progressed to severe disease or died by day 29. This drug has received emergency approval in China and it will be interesting to see if it is approved in the U.S. given its apparent efficacy and preferred drug interaction profile.