You are at handover. The day shift registrar stumbles towards the weary tunnel of egress and casually relates the story of your next patient…
“Finally, there is a 64 year old lady who presented with left sided abdominal pain and haematuria. I have placed an IV line, taken bloods and given some analgesia. Her pain is now under control. Just check the abdominal XR before sending her home…”
Your review of the abdominal XR takes a little longer than you had suspected…can you determine her past medical history and current pathology?
Case submitted by Dr Rahul Goswami, Changi General Hospital
1. CABG sternotomy wires
2. Prosthetic heart valve – old notes say aortic valve replacement. It is seen from its side – therefore it looks like a linear thin rectangle.
3. Right nephrostomy tube (J coil)
4. Stoma bag
5. Left renal calculus
6. IVC filter
7. Surgical thumb tacks in the sacral region during hysterectomy