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The Clinical Approach to the Acutely Ill Patient

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Emergencies in Urology

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Abstract

The first step in the management of urologic emergencies is to recognize the clinical significance. One must distinguish among genuinely life-threatening problems such as urosepsis or kidney rupture, urgent problems such as testicular torsion, and merely troublesome conditions such as cystitis in a healthy young woman. This may be more easily said than done. The practitioner is challenged both by the broad spectrum of urologic emergencies and by the even more numerous possible diagnoses mimicking urologic symptoms. For example, a patient with a long history of renal colic may present with acute flank pain, tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypotension. If renal ultrasound is normal (lack of upper tract dilatation) and urinalysis reveals no microhematuria, abdominal ultrasonography and/or computed tomography (CT), as indicated in a diagnostic algorithm, will lead to the correct diagnosis of ruptured abdominal aneurysm.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, University of Heidelberg, Medical School, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    S. Buse MD (Member of the Faculty) & M. Hohenfellner MD (Professor and Chairman)

  2. Department of Urology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4160 John R., Suite 1017, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA

    R. Santucci MD, FACS (Associate Professor)

Authors
  1. S. Buse MD
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  2. R. Santucci MD, FACS
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  3. M. Hohenfellner MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Heidelberg University, Medical School, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Markus Hohenfellner MD (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

  2. Detroit Receiving Hospital, 4160 John R., Suite 1017, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA

    Richard A. Santucci MD (Chief of Urology and Associate Professor) (Chief of Urology and Associate Professor)

  3. Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4160 John R., Suite 1017, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA

    Richard A. Santucci MD (Chief of Urology and Associate Professor) (Chief of Urology and Associate Professor)

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Buse, S., Santucci, R., Hohenfellner, M. (2007). The Clinical Approach to the Acutely Ill Patient. In: Hohenfellner, M., Santucci, R.A. (eds) Emergencies in Urology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-48605-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-48605-3_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-48603-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-48605-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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