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Updated: May 7, 2026

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Screening for Proximal Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis
Published on: February 10, 2023
Lower leg weakness as the presentation of infective endocarditis with septic emboli
Jui-Yuan Chung1, Jiann-Hwa Chen2, Henry Chih-Hung Tai2
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Abstract:
Lower leg weakness is a common and nonspecific complaint that encompasses a broad differential diagnosis at emergency department, which includes neurologic aspect and a wide range of nonneurologic conditions. Infective endocarditis usually presented with variable symptoms emphasizing constitutional complaints, or complaints that focus on primary cardiac effects or secondary embolic phenomena. Underdiagnosis of the disease can lead to clinical catastrophe and even death. By far, it is rarely considered in the differential diagnosis of lower leg weakness. Herein, we present a case of a 56-year-old man who came to our emergency department with a chief concern of lower leg weakness, which was actually the result of L-spine osteomyelitis and spondylodiscitis as complications of infective endocarditis with septic emboli.
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Jugular Venous Pressure (JVP) Measurement
Position the patient at a thirty- to forty-five-degree angle or in a semi-fowler's position. Look for the highest point of pulsation in the internal jugular vein and measure the vertical distance to the angle of Loius or sternal angle. A normal JVP is 3-4 cm above the...