Monthly Archives: January 2014

The Cunningham Technique

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Young male with history of psychiatric illness and seizures presents with left arm pain after a fall. Patient thinks he slipped on ice, but is unsure. He reports no LOC, no head pain, no neck pain. Does not believe he had a seizure. No urinary incontinence, no tongue biting. Has severe pain in left shoulder. Physical exam shows small forehead abrasion, no c-spine tenderness, and decreased ROM to left shoulder.  He holds his arm internally rotated and adducted. There is an obvious deformity to the left shoulder with a defected palpated anterior.

3 view x rays ordered in triage read as negative for fracture or dislocation, but limited by poor patient positioning.

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I was pretty sure that it was dislocated, so I went ahead and ordered the definitive axillary view.

As I was charting on another patient, the x-ray tech came over, looking slightly embarrassed, and said that she was pretty sure she had just reduced my patient’s shoulder as she was trying to get him in the proper position for the axillary view.  She said, “It was amazing, he couldn’t move it, then pop, and he has full ROM now.”

Nice.

Two minutes later, got a phone call from radiology…Might have missed a posterior dislocation…Looks great in the axillary view now…Would recommend getting repeat normal films to be sure that there was no fracture missed while it was not in proper position.

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Ordered the repeat 3 view x-rays and went to make sure he was still reduced.  Found my patient still internally rotated, in pain, not able to move, and still with the hollow anteriorly.  Gently held his hand and arm and before he realized what I had done, pulled slightly and externally rotated and put it back in place.  As I called for the sling, he went to take his gown off and it slid back out as he extended his arm and moved it anteriorly.  Tried again to gently externally rotate it, but he was now on to me and and was tense and pulling against me.  Asked for suggestions other than sedation and got one from the one and only Dr. Martin Huecker: Try the Cunningham technique.

I went back in his room. He was looking a little wary.  I told him it’s not going to hurt; I was just going to massage his arm a little bit to see if it will go back in.  I held his left forearm in my left hand at the elbow and, using my right hand, massaged first his trapezius, then his deltoid, then his biceps, then his deltoid, then his trapezius, then his deltoid ….annnnnnnnnnnnd….. it slid back in place.  Patient looked as surprised as I did.  Immediately put him in a sling and swathe.  Got repeat x-rays in the sling.

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He was in the department for about 30 minutes after that while awaiting x-ray reads and his arm stayed reduced while in the splint.  No fractures on x-ray.  He was discharged with orthopedic follow up in the sling.

One can find is a formal description of The Cunningham technique from the blog “Life in the Fast Lane.” http://lifeinthefastlane.com/cunninghams-shoulder-relocation/

  • Inform the patient of the procedure and the fact that it will be painless. It is important to relax the patient and confident reassurance is the first step towards this.
  • Sit the patient up with the back vertical. This can be done on a bed, chair or trolley, but preferably seated on a non-wheeled chair without arm rests.
  • Carefully support the arm while it is moved into the correct position, allowing the patient to help with the other arm. The correct position is with the arm adducted (next to the body) and pointing vertically down, the elbow is flexed at 90 degrees so that the forearm points horizontally and anteriorly.
  • The operator then squats/kneels to the side of the patient and facing the opposite direction to the patient. The operator then slips the hand between the patients forearm and body so that the patient’s wrist/hand is resting on the operator’s upper arm. Do not make pulling movements at any time as this will elicit pain and result in spasm.
  • Apply steady, very gentle traction (the weight of the operators forearm is quite enough) directly downwards once the patient is settled and pain free. Keep this gentle weight on the arm throughout, stop if any spasm or pain. Usually resting with the patients arm in this position will start to reduce the pain of spasm.
  • With the other hand, the operator then massages the trapezius, deltoid and biceps muscle sequentially, repeating this process and concentrating on the biceps brachii until the muscles are fully relaxed. A strong kneading of the biceps with the thumb anterior and the four fingers of the operator posterior to the arm is recommended. At this point the humeral head will relocate usually without any clear indication that the shoulder has reduced (no sound or ‘clunk’ feeling). This means that the shoulder must be observed/checked regularly to confirm when relocation has occurred (with shoulder exposed movement can be seen as the ‘step’ disappears.)

And a link to the blog with the description. It has a nice video.

The Wonder of Ultrasound

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Great case I had in December. Overall good month, but this case was especially interesting, and humbling. It combines the excitement of chest pain, the enigma that is leg weakness, and humbling realization of a life threatening diagnosis.

Working in the ED one day and the psychiatry intern goes to see a patient. Routine patient, who had presented with right leg tingling and weakness that made it all the way to the back of the ED. Bed 15. Basic labs pre-ordered as well as a chest X-ray for a brief episode of chest pain that the patient told triage. Of course, the sixth vital sign, an ekg. Intern is with the patient for about 5 minutes and returns. He tells me that he is concerned that the patient is sick and wants me to see the patient sooner than later. He is concerned for possible stroke due to right leg weakness and pain. I tell him of course and I go see the patient.

HPI: 58 y/o AAM with hx of seizures on Dilantin but no other medications or PMH presents with chief complaint of right lower leg pain and tingling. Patient states that while at work today, he was lifting boxes and felt a sharp chest pain that started in the middle of his chest and radiated to between his shoulder blades. It then shot to his pelvis and went away. He went back to work for about 10 minutes then started to have right leg pain. He tried to drive to the hospital, but had to stop and call an ambulance due to sever RLE pain. All other symptoms had resolved at this point. No n/v, diaphoresis, dizziness, loss of bowel or bladder.

Pertinent Hx: NKDA, 30yr pack hx of smoking, dilantin.

Vitals: BP: 148/62, HR 66, RR 18, O2 100% T 98.5

Significant Physical Exam –

RRR, no m/r/g, CTAB, abd soft, nt, nd, no bruit, no pulsating mass

RLE strength 4/5, LLE 5/5.

No DP, PT, popliteal, or femoral pulse in the right leg.

At this point I was concerned. I excused myself and got the bedside ultrasound. In my head I wondered was this just a arterial occlusion, or was this something greater?

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Well this is when I started to sweat. I tell the patient what I think my diagnosis is, and head back to my desk to get orders going. At this time I review the labs and chest X-ray.

CBC – WNL, CMP – K 3.3, UA WNL, Troponin Neg, Tox Screen Neg, Coags neg.

Chest Xray –

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Any more concern? At this point I ordered a CTA of the Chest/Abdomen/Pelvis as well as called the surgery team. I wanted to get them involved early in the case that the patient deteriorates. I assessed the patients blood pressure at at the time was 130/60 and HR 58. I got the nurse to get the patient to the CT scanner as well as discussed with the trauma team. At this time patient had stable vital signs and pain controlled with morphine. Trauma evaluated and the CT resulted.

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We now have our diagnosis. When patient got back from CT scanner, his blood pressure was increasing and now 150/80 and HR 68 with increasing pain.

Esmolol gtt was started, arterial line place, and the patient was transferred to another local hospital to undergo cardio-thoracic surgery for repair.

Diagnosis – Aortic Dissection from the level of the aortic valve down through the bifurcation of the iliac arteries. From the one slice, you can see he had no flow to the right leg. CTA demonstrated some collateral from the gastrics, but overall no flow.

Patient outcome – survived surgery. Otherwise have not been able to follow-up past that time. I shared this case because I feel it is a good representation of a case where easy bedside diagnostics can give you the diagnosis early and lead to your diagnosis. With the chest X-ray as well as the bedside ultrasound, we knew what the patient had. The CTA was just icing on the cake. Never be afraid to use the ultrasound. If it had been negative, this could have gone a completely different direction. Credit to the psychiatry resident for getting me involved early.

Use the ultrasound. Use it early. Diagnose early.

Aorta ultrasound.x