Diagnosing and Treating an Acute Anterior Shoulder Dislocation Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound in an Urgent Care...

IntroductionAcute shoulder dislocations are a commonly encountered injury in the acute care setting. Time restrictions and limited availability of diagnostic and therapeutic resources are barriers to attempting reduction in the urgent care setting. Use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can expediate diagnosis, offer a means for safe and effective analgesia, and provide bedside confirmation of reduction. Case presentationA 54-year-old woman stumbled while dismounting from a bicycle, bracing herself with an abducted externally rotated left arm so as not to fall. Following the incident, she had shoulder pain and immobility of her left arm. Handheld POCUS was used to diagnose an anterior shoulder dislocation. Analgesia was achieved with ultrasound-guided intra-articular lidocaine injection. The shoulder was reduced using the Cunningham technique. POCUS was then used to confirm reduction. ConclusionThis case illustrates the efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of POCUS-guided shoulder dislocation diagnosis and treatment in the urgent care setting.