CAD Abdominal system Flashcards
What are some medical conditions for the abdomen
What are some good common questions
What was your last meal, Did other people eat the food and are they well?
Any change on pregnancy
When was the last time you had any alcohol
Always ask about past medical history, surgery, or trauma
Where is the flank
It is the region from the bottom of the rib to the hip (around the back)
What is cullen’s sign
This is a bruising and is usually associated with ruptured ectopic injuries
What is referred pain
This is pain that can radiate into different areas even though the particular organ is not located in the area that is painful
LOOK AT CHART
When palpating what is the gold standard
1st you should do superficial palpation (one handed looking for any tenderness or guarding)
2nd, you should do deep palpation (two hands and going deeper looking for deep tenderness)
What signs can palpation give us
This can indicate AAA
If the patient has any guarding (voluntary)
Rigidity - this is the constant contraction of abdo muscles (involuntary)
Rebound tenderness - this is the acute exacerbation of pain on release of pressure from palpation
What are the possible complaints for abdo and where are they linked to
Why you we be so concerned of epigastric pain
This is because epigastric pain can be mistaken for cardiac-related pathologies
GORD can present with epigastric pain
But cardiac pathologies can also present with that burning sensation in the epigastric region
What are some signs of a AAA
The common triad is
pulsatile mass, hypotension, severe abdo/back pain
Pain can often be described as a tearing sensation in the stomach or back
These patient are Status 1
What can some causes of pancreatitis be
This can be from gallstones
Heavy alcohol use
Infection
cancer
trauma
Usually presenting with pain in the upper quadrant with pain radiating into the back
What is peritonitis
The peritoneum is a membrane that lines the inner wall of the abdomen and covers most of the organs.
They are generally senstivite to percussion usually presenting with
Loss of appetite, nausea, dull and aching abdomen
Usually presenting with signs of infection such as fever, rigors, tachycardia
Patients can have decreased urine and bowel motions
What symptoms can appendicitis present with
It can begin with pain near the belly button and as it progesses it localizes towards the right lower quadrant and becomes more sharp in nature
Other symptoms may include
Nausea
poor appetite
fever and signs of infection
What is Psoas Sign and what does it detect
This indicates an inflamed appendix. It is checked by extending the thigh therefore activating the hip flexors which creates friction against nearby inflamed tissues
What is cholecystitis
What is Murphy’s sign
This is another sign that can detect Colecystitis
What is a ectopic pregnancy
This is where the embryo attaches somewhere other than the uterus. Mainly in the fallopian tube.
These are usually quite bad and present with
Sharp pain in the abdomen, pelvis, shoulder or neck (pain can radiate up into shoulder from bipolar sides)
Light to heavy vaginal spotting or bleeding
Dizziness or fainting
Signs of shock
Bradycardia
Potentially periumbilical brusing
What are UTI’s
These can be upper UTI’s (pyelonephritis) and Lower UTI’s (cystitis)
What demographic is Urinary retention more common in.
This is more common in elderly men
Prostatic hypertrophy can be a common cause
Other obstructive causes can be kidney stones or cancers
Non obstructive causes can include pelvis injuries, post childbirth, SCI
These can lead to UTI’s and potentially kidney failure
Is acute renal failure reversible
Yes this ccan be reversible and is characterized as a complete loss of kidney function over a period of hours or days.
Re renal causes = hypoperfusion from hemorrhage, STEMI, Heart failure, and Sepsis or anaphylaxis
Intrarenal causes = Direct damage to kidneys (infections, medications, trauma, blood transfusions)
Postrenal = obstruction somewhere distal to the kidney
Patients may present with
Decreased urine output
Oedema
Nausea
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Is chronic renal failure different to acute renal failure
Yes this is a progressive irreversible deterioration of renal function
Common causes include
Poorly controlled diabetes
Chronic hypertension
Chronic recurrent pyelonephritis
Polycystic kidney disease
Infections
Presentation may include
Hypertension due to Na and H2o retention
Heart failure
Nausea and vomiting
Reduced LOC, agitation, confusion and potential seizures
Hyperkalemia
