Segment 1 setting the stage

There is a syndrome that causes severe abdominal pain and vomiting, and the only relief for the patients is taking hot showers. Surprisingly, this syndrome is linked to cannabis use. In the emergency room, we often see patients with abdominal pain, and we try to diagnose and treat surgical conditions like appendicitis or bowel problems. However, there are also non-surgical emergencies like obstructions or inflammation that can cause similar symptoms. This new syndrome is causing vomiting, pain, and an ill appearance, but it can be prevented by stopping marijuana use. Picture this, a patient rushes in and they are gobbled over in pain and relentlessly vomiting. Their only relief? Hot showers. But here's the twist. This agony is not caused by what you might expect, it is a syndrome linked to a substance often held for its therapeutic benefits, cannabis. In the emergency room, we are set to see people on their worst day. Abdominal pain is one of the most common reasons for visiting an emergency department. Surgical diagnoses like an inflamed appendix, gallbladder, a bowel rupture, or twisting are what we are attempting in the emergency room to discover and treat. Non-surgical emergencies like obstructions, diverticulitis, inflammation of the large bowel, inflamed lymph nodes, or fat are just a few of the reasons we treat and get CT scans for patients in pain. Added to the syndrome is a new diagnosis causing sickle-walled vomiting, ill appearance, and terrible pain. While not exactly self-inflicted, it can be prevented by abstaining from continuing marijuana use.