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Author: Jennifer Reink, MSIV
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Case
A 58-year-old Caucasian male was brought into a community emergency department via ambulance for evaluation of sudden onset left leg pain and right leg numbness. He stated that about five hours earlier, he had begun to experience severe sharp pains shooting down the entire length of his left leg. His right leg had initially felt like pins and needles, but prior to arrival had gone completely numb, to the point that he was unable to lift it. He denied recent trauma, back or abdominal pain, or urinary or stool incontinence. Upon further review, we learned that he had a history of stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm with graft repair, hypertension, and diabetes. He was taking the associated medications for these conditions, which did not include an anticoagulant. He had no prior history of tobacco, alcohol, or drug use.
