COMMON PROBLEMS SEEN IN THE ER Flashcards

1
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: SYNCOPE/DIZZINESS?

A
•	Vasovagal (emotional stress, prodrome)
•	Orthostatic (after standing)
•	Arrhythmia
•	Cardiac ischemia
•	Cardiovascular Syncope (valve disease, PE, PHT..)
siesure?
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2
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for SYNCOPE/DIZZINESS?

A

• Hx, PE, carotid massage, orthostatic, Guiac, ECG.

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3
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: CHEST PAIN ?

A
  • Cardio: CAD, valve ds, endocarditis, pericarditis, vasospasm
  • Ms/Sk/skin: costochondritis, frx, trauma, arthritis, neoplasm, shingles…
  • GI: GERD, Achalasia, Esophagitis, rupt..
  • Pulm: PE, PHT, CA, Pnmia, sarcoid, COPD, pnmthx, pleuritis
  • Mediastinal: Asc. Aortic dissection., itis
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4
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for CHEST PAIN?

A

• Hx, PE, ECG, Card markers, x-ray, and others as indicated.

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5
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: ABDOMINAL PAIN?

A
  • Upper: biliary ds, pancreatitis, dyspepsia, hiatal hernia, pnmnia, MI, splenic abcess/infarct.
  • Lower: appendicitis, diverticular ds, kid stones, bladder distension, pelvic pain..
  • Diffuse: mesenteric isch/infarct, ruptured aneurysm, peritonitis, bowel obst.
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6
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for ABDOMINAL PAIN?

A

• CBC, Chem 7, GI panel, lipase, UA, HCG, X-ray, CT, US

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7
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: DYSPNEA?

A
  • Cardio: ACS, HF, Tamp.
  • Resp: bronchospasm, PE, pnmtx, inf (bronch/pnmia), upper airway obst.
  • Other: rib frx, acidosis, trauma, neoplasm, obese, prego.
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8
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for DYSPNEA?

A

• Hx, PE, X-ray, PFT, TEE, cariodpulm stress test.

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9
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: HYPOTENSION?

A
  • Autonomic failure: Prknsn, Dim w/ lewy body, Shydrager, DM, B12 def, Sjgrns…
  • Volume depletion: diuretics, vomiting, hemorrhage, hyperglycemia
  • Drugs: vasodil, alpha blckers,BB, ETOH
  • Cardiac: arryth, HF
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10
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for HYPOTENSION?

A

• Hx, PE, Orthostatics (20s/10d),>30bpm stand, HCT, elec, BUN, creat, glucose, ECG.

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11
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: GI BLEEDING?

A

• Upper: gastric/duod ulcer, esoph varices, esphgtis, Mlry weiss snd, neop.
• Lower:
●Anatomic (diverticulosis)
●Vascular (angiodysplasia, ischemic, radiation-induced)
●Inflammatory (inflammatory bowel disease, infectious/ischemic colitis)
●Neoplastic (polyp, carcinoma)

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12
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for GI BLEEDING ?

A

• Hx, PE, Guiac, Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, CBC, CT

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13
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: VOMITING?

A
  • Drugs: chemo, abx, narcs, etc.
  • Infectious gastroenteritis
  • Gut disorder: bwl obst, gastroparesis, IBS, ischmia, organ itis. (gb, panc, lvr,..)
  • CNS: ICP, psych, labyrinth ds.
  • Endo/met: prego, DKA, uremia, thyroid
  • Misc: radiation, post op, MI, CHF
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14
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for VOMITING?

A

• Hx, PE, endoscopy, labs as indicated by Hx and PE.

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15
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: DIARRHEA?

A

• Acute:
->viruses (norovirus, rotavirus, adenoviruses, astrovirus, and others), ->bacteria (salmonella, campylobacter, shigella, enterotoxigenic E. coli, C. difficile, and others),
->protozoa (cryptosporidium, giardia, cyclospora, entamoeba, and others)
• Chronic (>4w): IBS, Crohn’s, Ulc col, func. Diah,

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16
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for DIARRHEA?

A

• Hx, PE Fecal leukocytes, stool culture + O&P, colonospcopy

17
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: ALTERED MS?

A
  • Met: Hypoxia, Hypoglycemia, Wernicke’s encephalopathy (thiamine)
  • Drugs/toxins
  • Hypothermia
  • Inf: Sepsis, meningitis, UTI, pneumonia
  • Neuro:ICP, intracranial hem., Alz/dementia delirium.
  • Psych: dep, schiz,bipolar
18
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for ALTERED MS?

A

• Hx, PE, SP02, blood glucose, MMSE, Neuro ex,…depends on cause: CBC, UA, TSH, Toxicology analysis, CT….

19
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: SEIZURES?

A
  • <50% ID cause
  • Genetic: epilepsy (recurrent)
  • Provoked: metabolic (ETOH/drug w/draw, hypoglycemia), head trauma, brain tumor, stroke, intra cran, inf., congenital abn (brain/metab).
20
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for SEIZURES?

A

• CMP, Toxicology analysis, renal function, LFT, LP, ECG, EEG, MRI.

21
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: STROKE?

A
  • Hemorrhagic: intracerebral, subarachnoid

* Ischemic: thrombosis, embolism: a-fib, etc., hypoperfusion (systemic,vessel ds: giant cell art, athero), TIA

22
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for STROKE?

A

• Hx, PE, Non-con CT to see hem (focal dense white lesions), LP if CT neg. If not hemorrhagic, then CTA/MRA may be used to find blocked vessels and guide therapy for those who are candidates for lytic therapy/recanalization, but is not absolutely necessary.

23
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: HEADACHE?

A
  • Sinus HA
  • Migraine, Tension, Cluster, NSAID
  • Meningitis
  • Trauma (concussion)
  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Brain tumor
  • CVA
  • Giant cell arteritis
  • Intracranial aneurysm
  • Low CSF
24
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for HEADACHE?

A

• Hx, PE, Non-con CT (if danger signs: meningeal signs, ICP signs, focal deficits/mass lesion signs), LP (if subacute hemorrhage or infection suspected).

25
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: ACUTE LOW BACK PAIN (<4W)?

A
  • Trauma
  • Compression frx
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • CA
  • Osteoporosis
  • AAA
  • Sciatica/radiculopathy
  • Cauda equine sndrm.
26
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for ACUTE LOW BACK PAIN?

A

• Hx, PE, X-ray/CT (esp. if suspect CA: 50+, weight loss, glucocorticoid use), MRI (if suspect infection: IVDU and F, inf, radiculopathy).

27
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: HEMATURIA?

A
  • UTI, STD
  • Renal: stones, trauma, mass, polycystic KD, Pyelo, Hydroneph, HTN, thromb/embo, IGa glomeluronephritis.
  • Ureter: neop, stone, polyp, stricture
  • Bladder: CA, radiation, cystitis
  • Prostate/urethra: CA, traumatic cath, urethritis
28
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for HEMATURIA?

A

• Hx, PE, UA, C&S, Urine Cytology (CA), If not glomerular/other then CT urography (for lesions), Cystoscopy.

29
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: HEMOPTYSIS?

A
  • Airway: bronchitis, bronchiectasis, CA, Kaposi’s (AIDS), FBO, trauma
  • Pulmonary: Inf (TB, Pnmn, aspergilloma, abscess). Inf/autoimm. (Goodpasture’s, Wegner’s, lupus..)
  • Vasc: PE, coagulopathy, arteriovenous malf., Mitral stenosis.
  • Iatrogenic
30
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for HEMOPTYSIS?

A

• Hx, PE, X-ray, CBC, UA & Renal (GoodPast/Wegner’s), coags (coagulopathy). Bronchoscopy.

31
Q

What is on your differential for patient w/: FEVER?

A
  • Inf: TB, abscess, osteomyel, endocard.
  • Connective tissue ds: i.e.:juvenile onset arthritis, Giant cell arteritis
  • PE
  • CA: lymphoma, leukemia, hepatocellular carc, renal carc.
  • Drugs: neuroleptic malignant syndrome, drug fever (vanc, smtx).
32
Q

What diagnostics are appropriate for FEVER?

A

• Hx, ESR, CRP, LDH, 3xblood cultures, TB, HIV, RH factor, heterophile antibody test, ANA (antinuclear antibodies for lupus, sjogrens, scleroderma, etc.), CT(find neoplasm).