title: Back pain: a case study.
abstract: Musculoskeletal complaints, especially back pain without trauma, are frequent health problems seen by nurse practitioners in community emergency centers and office settings. Back pain can be a symptom of serious health problems. This article presents the case of a Caucasian male in his early sixties who reported sudden onset of back pain after pushing a heavy object. Careful clinical assessment led the nurse practitioner with the collaborating physician to pursue diagnostic tests, which revealed thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms.
authors.affiliation: St. Mary's Emergency Center, Athens, Georgia, USA. vkemp@mail.mcg.edu
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Kemp
mesh_terms: D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*