Clinical Notes Flashcards
Emergency Airway
Cricothyroid ligament pay be pierced by a fine 1mm needle when a patient can’t breath
Eg - during anaphylactic shock
Goitre
An enlarged thyroid gland, often caused by Grave’s disease or iodine deficiency
If seen in a patient also check for Exopthalamos of the eye as this can also occur in Grave’s disease
Congestive Heart Failure
In this, EJV becomes distended and a bruit may be heard
Lymph Node Enlargement
When a lymph node is enlarged it indicates some form of pathology
If the lymph node is enlarged or tender, it implies infection, otherwise it may indicate a tumour
Temporal Arteritis
Also known as Horton’s disease, can affect any artery, however the Superficial Temporal is the most commonly affected
This is the inflammation of the artery which can lead to decreased Oxygen supply causing blindness and stroke
Scalp Blood Supply
The scalp has a very rich blood supply so if it is lacerated, there is likely to be a large amount of bleeding
It will however, heal very quickly
Paget’s Disease
A disease of the bone which causes thickening and disorganisation
It may affect different bones and the development of disease is slow
If the skull is affected, this can cause blindness or deafness, depending on how developed the disease is
Osteoma
A localised mass of bone which is a benign tumour
May be found on the skull, but it is slow growing with no symptoms
If necessary, it can be excised
Multiple Myeloma
A tumour of the bone marrow cells and may also affect the skull
Extradural Haemorrhage
The pterion is the weakest part of the skull and just behind the middle meningeal artery runs. If there is a fracture at the pterion, the middle meningeal is likely to rupture and cause extradural haemorrhage. The patients condition will deteriorate rapidly as blood gathers between the dura mater and the skull
Subdural haemorrhage
Will usually occur in elderly or alcoholics. The cerebral veins, which over years will deteriorate, may rupture after a minimal trauma. This causes blood build up between the dura mater and arachnoid mater. The patients condition will deteriorate over days or weeks and they will start to become confused and incontinent
Subarachnoid Haemorrhage
The is usually caused by a defect in an artery on the underside of the brain. The patient needs to get to hospital as soon as possible. Most common cause of middle aged death.
Berry Aneurysm
An outpouching of a cerebral artery which may rupture with a very high mortality rate
Broca’s Area (Motor Speech Cortex) and Wernicke’s Area (Language Cortex)
Both supplied by the middle cerebral artery and if there is a stroke occluding this vessel, it can lead to both no longer functioning
Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis
Bacteria from a third molar abscess may pass through the pterygoid venous plexus throughsphenoidal emissary veins to the cavernous sinus. The bacteria may then multiply due to the slow flow causing bacteraemia or thrombosis. Symptoms include high temperature and swollen eye as blood cannot drain from the eye through ophthalmic veins
Facial Nerve Palsy Causes
Ear infection in Mastoid Air Cells
Surgery to the parotid gland
IAN block
Bell’s Palsy
The unilateral paralysis of the Facial Nerve with no known cause
Stroke in the Internal Capsule
The two main CNs that will be affected are VII and XII because these will both only cross over and will not innervate the same side (apart from facial to the forehead) This means if a patient has a stoke in their right internal capsule, their left muscles innervated by CNVII will no longer work below the eye brows and when the patient sticks their tongue out, it will deviate to the left. Also below the head, all muscles will be paralysed on the left due to the Pyramidal Decussation
Osteophytes
Bony projections that grow on joints which may block arteries, veins and nerves causing pain when the head is turned
Horner’s Syndrome
Damage to the cervical sympathetic trunk leading to damage to the sympathetic functions of the face. These include loss of sweating, constricted pupils (miosis) and drooping of the eyelid (ptosis)
Parotid Gland Inflammation
The dense fascia around the gland will cause any form of inflammation in the gland to be painful. This will put pressure on CNIX supplying the gland
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Disease where patient has severe pain in face and no known cause. There will be a compression of the nerve around the foramen ovale through the mouth to cause necrosis or the removal of part of the nerve