Make the Diagnosis: When Cleaning the Basement Gets Toxic

Presentation

A 42-year-old woman presented to the ED noting that she felt a stinging sensation on her arm while she was cleaning and organizing her basement, the previous day. She thought it might be a spider bite but was unable to see any insects or spiders. She had subsequent marked pain at the site and, over the past few hours, had developed nausea and muscle aches. On physical examination, the patient had a temperature of 101.3°F (38.5°C). There were reddish-brown reticulate patches with intervening pallor and a rim of erythema on the posterior arm. Can you diagnose this patient?


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Learnings

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