ATLS Flashcards
Effects of electrical burns
local thrombosis
local nerve injury
Severe - contracture of affected extremity
Rhabdomyolysis
Cardiac Arrhythmias
Spinal cord transsection + fractures (Because of muscle tetany)
Sign that deep soft-tissue injury is extensive for electrical burn
clenched hand with small electrical entrance wound
What type of electrical current is more dangerous and why?
AC more dangerous than DC because causes tetany at low voltage – locked in and can’t release
What is the risk with labial/mouth electrical burns?
Delayed arterial bleeding from the facial artery
Labs needed for workup of significant electrical injury
ECG
CBC, renal function
CK, Troponin
Worse prognosis factors in drowning - after injury
Lack of pupillary light reflex
Male
Hyperglycemia
Asystole on arrival to ED
Risk factors for drowning
Infants/toddlers
Impulsive behaviour
Trauma
Alcohol/drug use
Lack of adult supervision
No fence around pools
Don’t know how to swim
When is aspiration during drowning more common?
Drug abuse
head trauma
seizure
cardiac arrhythmia
How many minutes of hypoxia causes irreversible CNS damage?
4-6 mins
How does fresh water aspiration affect the lungs?
disrupts surfactant - higher surface tension and alveolar instability
capillary/alveolar membrane damage - fluid leak into alveoli - pulmonary edema
decrease pulmonary compliance
increase airway resistance
increase pulmonary artery pressure
diminished pulmonary flow
fall in PaO2 - tissue hypoxia - metabolic acidosis
How does salt water aspiration affect the lungs?
creates osmotic gradient for fluid into lungs - dilutes surfactant
decrease pulmonary compliance
increase airway resistance
increase pulmonary artery pressure
diminished pulmonary flow
fall in PaO2 - tissue hypoxia - metabolic acidosis
What are the major determinants of outcome for drowning
duration of submersion
degree of pulmonary damage by aspiration
effectiveness of initial rescusitative measures
degree of hypothermia
Target O2 Sat in drowning?
92% (minimum)
What are the components of the “initial assessment” in a patient coming in for trauma?
Preparation
* Triage
*Primary survey (ABCDEs) with immediate resuscitation of patients with life-threatening injuries
*Adjuncts to the primary survey and resuscitation
* Consideration of the need for patient transfer
* Secondary survey (head-to-toe evaluation and patient history)
* Adjuncts to the secondary survey
* Continued postresuscitation monitoring and reevaluation
* Definitive care
What are the critical components of hospital preparation to receive a trauma?
- have trauma resuscitation area available
- check all airway equipment is working
- have warmed IV crystalloid solutions available
- Have monitoring devices ready
- Have a protocol to summon additional medical assistance and ensure prompt response by lab/radiology
- ensure your centre is able to receive the type of patient
What is the definition of a mass casualty event?
the number of patients and severity of their injuries DOES exceed the capability of the facility and staff
How can unsuccessful intubation be avoided?
identify patients with difficult anatomy
identify the most skilled person on the team
ensure appropriate equipment available to rescue the failed attempt
be prepared to perform a surgical airway
What are the elements of clinical observation that tell you about circulatory status?
- Level of consciousness
- Skin perfusion
- Pulse
What temperature should IV fluids given in trauma be?
37-40 degrees C
What are examples of adjuncts used in the primary survey?
- Pulse oximetry
- cardiac monitor
- EtCO2
- RR
- ABG
- urinary catheter (monitor output)
Give 3 bedside tests that can be done in conjunction with the primary survey to detect intra-abdominal blood, pneumothorax and hemothorax
FAST
eFAST
DPL
What are the components of an “AMPLE” history?
Allergies
Medication
Past illnesses/pregnancy
Last meal
Events/Environment related to the injury
What injuries could be expected in a frontal impact car collision?
- Cervical spine fracture
- Anterior flail chest
- *Myocardial contusion
- Pneumothorax
- Aortic disruption
- Fractured spleen or liver
- *Posterior fracture/dislocation of hip or knee
- Head injury
- Facial fracture
What injuries could be expected in a rear impact car collision?
Cervical spine injury
Head injury
Soft tissue injury to neck
What injuries could be expected in an MVC vs pedestrian?
- Head injury
- Traumatic aortic disruption
- Abdominal visceral injuries
- Fractured lower extremities/pelvis
What injuries could be expected in a fall from height?
- head injury
- *axial spine inury
- abdo visceral injuries
- *fractured pelvis or acetabulum
- bilateral LE fractures (including *calcaneal fractures)
What injuries could be expected in a side impact car collision?
- *contralateral neck sprain
- head injury
- cervical spine fracture
- lateral flail chest
- pneumothorax
- traumatic aortic disruption
- *diaphragmatic rupture
- fractured spleen/liver and/or kidney
- *fractured pelvis or acetabulum
what information do you need to know about an automobile collision?
- seat-belt use
- steering wheel deformation
- presence and activation of air-bag
direction of impact - damage to the car
- patient position in the vehicle
- ejection
What is important to know in penetrating trauma?
- body region that was injured
- organs in the path of the penetrating object
- velocity of the missile
What should eyes be examined for right away on secondary survey?
- visual acuity
- pupillary size
- hemorrhage
- penetrating injury
- contact lenses
- dislocation of the lens
- ocular entrapment
Neck injuries resulting from blunt force trauma
-subcutaneous emphysema
- tracheal deviation
- laryngeal fracture
- carotid bruit - dissection or thrombosis
Neck injuries that require urgent surgical exploration
- active arterial bleeding
- expanding hematoma
- arterial bruit
- airway compromise
Physical exam findings of cardiac tamponade
- distant heart sounds
- decreased pulse pressure
- distended neck veins
Physical exam findings of pelvic fracture
- ecchymosis over iliac wings/pubis/labia/scrotum
- pain on palpation of pelvic ring
What types of injuries are at high risk of compartment syndrome?
long-bone fractures
crush injuries
prolonged ischemia
circumferential thermal injuries
What is the triad of clinical signs indicating laryngeal trauma?
Hoarseness
Subcutaneous emphysema
Palpable fracture
What imaging modality diagnoses laryngeal fracture?
CT
At what level of spinal injury is diaphragmatic function impaired?
C3 and above
What is the definition of a “definitive airway”?
Tube placed in the trachea with cuff inflated below the vocal cords, tube connected to oxygen-enriched assisted ventilation and airway secured in place with appropriate stabilizing method
What are the 3 types of definitive airways?
Orotracheal tube
Nasotracheal tube
Surgical airway
What are contraindications to nasotracheal intubation?
Facial, frontal sinus, basilar skull and cribriform plate fractures
How low does HGb have to be for pulse oximetry not to work?
< 5g/dL
How is cardiac output calculated?
Heart rate x stroke volume = cardiac output
How do you calculate blood volume for a child?
70-80mL/kg
What are the classes of hemorrhage and the associated approximate blood loss?
Class 1 - < 15%
Class 2 - 15-30%
Class 3 - 31-40%
Class 4 - > 40%
At what class of hemorrhage do we start seeing tachycardia?
Class 2
At what class of hemorrhage do we start seeing hypotension?
Class 3
At what class of hemorrhage do we start seeing decreased pulse pressure?
Class 2
At what class of hemorrhage do we start seeing decreased urine output?
Class 3
At what class of hemorrhage do we start seeing increased respiratory rate?
class 3
At what class of hemorrhage do we start seeing decreased GCS?
Class 3
What base deficit is associated with each class of hemorrhage?
1 - 0 to -2
2 - -2 to -6
3 - -6 to -10
4 - -10 or less
What are potential consequences of gastric dilation/distension in a trauma patient?
Hypotension
Cardiac dysrhythmia - brady from vagal stim
Aspiration of gastric contents
What is the definition of “massive transfusion”?
> 10 units of pRBCs in first 24hrs of admission or > 4 units in 1 hr
What are the major physiologic consequences of thoracic trauma?
Hypoxia, hypercarbia, acidosis
What is the most common cause of tension pneumothorax in trauma patients?
Mechanical positive-pressure ventilation in patients with visceral pleural injury
What are the signs and symptoms of tension pneumothorax?
- Chest pain
- Air hunger
- Tachypnea
- Respiratory distress
- Tachycardia
- Hypotension
- Tracheal deviation away from the side of the injury
- Unilateral absence of breath sounds
- Elevated hemithorax without respiratory movement
- Neck vein distention
- Cyanosis (late manifestation)
What are possible causes of PEA?
Cardiac tamponade
Tension pneumothorax
Profound hypovolemia
Blunt rupture of atria or ventricles
5 Hs + Ts
What is the classic clinical triad of cardiac tamponade?
Muffled heart sounds
Hypotension
Distended neck veins
What is Kussmaul’s sign?
Rise in venous pressure with inspiration when breathing spontaneously
What are possible causes of traumatic circulatory arrest?
Severe hypoxia
Tension pneumothorax
Profound hypovolemia
Cardiac tamponade
Cardiac herniation
Severe myocardial contusion
What is involved in te secondary survey of patients with thoracic trauma?
Physical Exam
Ongoing ECG + Pulse-ox monitoring
ABG
CXR - lung expansion, fluid, widening of mediastinum, shift of midline, loss of anatomic detail, rib fractures
CT - if suspected aortic or spinal injury
What potentially life-threatening injuries should be looked for on secondary survey of thoracic trauma?
Simple pneumothorax
Hemothorax
Flail chest
Pulmonary contusion
Blunt cardiac injury
Traumatic aortic disruption
Traumatic diaphragmatic injury
Blunt esophageal rupture
What is a flail chest?
Segment of chest wall does not have bony continuity with rest of thoracic cage
2 or more adjacent ribs fractured in 2+ places
What is the initial treatment of flail chest and pulmonary contusion?
Humidified O2
ventilation
Cautious fluid resuscitation - avoid volume overload
What injuries are associated with blunt cardiac injury?
myocardial muscle contusion
cardiac chamber rupture
coronary artery dissection and/or thrombosis
valvular disruption
What are the most common ECG findings of cardiac contusion?
Multiple PVCs, unexplained sinus-tach, afib, RBBB, ST changes
What are the signs of CXR of blunt aortic injury?
- Widened mediastinum
- Obliteration of the aortic knob
- Deviation of the trachea to the right
- Depression of the left mainstem bronchus
- Elevation of the right mainstem bronchus
- Obliteration of the space between the pulmonary artery and the aorta (obscuration of the aortopulmonary window)
- Deviation of the esophagus (nasogastric tube) to the right
- Widened paratracheal stripe
- Widened paraspinal interfaces
- Presence of a pleural or apical cap
- Left hemothorax
- Fractures of the first or second rib or scapula
Possible complications of esophageal trauma
Tear in lower esophagus
Leakage into mediastinum
Mediastinitis - immediate or delayed rupture into pleural space - empyema
What is the typical clinical setting of esophageal injury?
L pneumothorax or hemothorax without rib fracture - pain or shock out of proportion to apparent injury