Crit Care Flashcards
16-year-old boy with a bout of emesis at a party, presenting with chest pain, dysphagia and dyspnea. His vital signs are HR 120, RR 20, BP 120/65, sats 96% on RA. He had decreased air entry on one side with subcutaneous emphysema. The CXR shows a small pneumothorax and small pneumomediastinum. What is the next step?
Oxygen
Needle decompression
Chest tube
Upper endoscopy
Oxygen
If oxygen wasn’t an answer, would pick consult GI for scope, or if clinically stable may pick oxygen.
Boerhaave Syndrome: life threatening–needs prompt endoscopic or surgical intervention
5-year-old male with cerebral palsy nonverbal and severe motor impairment. Over the last couple of days, he has become more lethargic. Now presenting with lethargy. HR 60, RR 20, BP 130/90, SpO2 92%. One pupil is not reactive to light and dilated. He is somnolent. What is the next step?
CT head
Rapid sequence intubation
5ml/kg 3% saline
NS bolus
RSI
5-year-old child with cerebral palsy. Underwent G-tube placement 2 weeks ago and has been fussy since. Restarted on regular home feed regimen of 1000mL of 2kcal/mL formula with 500 mL of water post-op. Presenting with retching and lethargy. Blood work shows: Na 127, serum Osm 264, urine Na 146, urine Osm 1016, creatinine 55. What is the diagnosis? (no indication of hydration status)
Cerebral salt wasting
Primary polydipsia (other = excessive water intake)
Inadequate salt intake
SIADH
Cerebral salt wasting: usually dry (perhaps why this patient is obtunded, urine Na is very high)
what should you do in your management of low risk BRUE?
shared decision making with parents, resources for CPR, education
things you could consider but need not do in low risk BRUE
viral resp testing, head imaging, urinalysis, glucose, bicarb, lactate, admission to hospital solely for cardioresp monitoring
Which management actions may you consider in low risk BRUE?
EKG, pertussis testing, brief monitoring with continuous pulse ox, serial checks
+/- rapid viral test however can be falsely positive from previous viral infection
In low risk BRUE what should you not do?
labs, LP, EEG, echo, testing for GERD, antacid, AED, home cardioresp monitoring
Low risk BRUE as per Nelson’s where you don’t need to admit for observation (7 features)
1) age >60 days
2) gestational age >=32 weeks and post conceptional age >=45 weeks
3) occurrence of only 1 BRUE (no prior BRUE ever and not occurring in a cluster)
4) duration of event <1 min
5) No CPR by trained medical professional
6) No concerning historical features
7) No concerning physical exam findings
Other features:
no social concerns
family history of sudden cardiac death
8-week-old ex-35-week infant who coughs with a feed and becomes hypotonic for 15 seconds. No cyanosis noted by parents. He had a normal exam and bloodwork. What do you do?
Reassure and send home
Admit and observe for 24-48 hours with cardiorespiratory monitor
Echo as an outpatient
EEG as an outpatient
Admit and observe as CGA is 43 weeks
There is an infant on your ward with a tracheostomy. He is ready to be discharged. You are called for an acute change. The nurse has already tried suctioning him but there is no improvement. He has increased work of breathing with severe intercostal indrawing and cyanosis. What is your management?
CXR
Deep suction with saline
Change tracheostomy
Endotracheal intubation
change trach
There is an 18 month girl who was crying and wanted mom to pick her up. When mom picked up she noticed that she was limp and had turned blue. After a few seconds she started crying again. She had a similar episode last week. What investigation do you do?
EEG
Glucose
ECG
Ferritin
Ferritin
Toddler with episodes where she doesn’t get her way, cries/throws tantrum, then loses consciousness and sometimes turns blue. These episodes are increasing in frequency. What do you recommend?
Ignore the behaviour and put her in timeout after the episode
Refer for behavioural therapy
Put her in time-out before behaviour has a chance to escalate
Give in to what she wants
Time out before behaviour escalates
A child presents in SVT. You give 0.2mg/kg of adenosine. Based on the following ECG, what is the most accurate statement to tell the cardiologist?
(SVT to a flutter)
The adenosine worked and the arrhythmia is ongoing
The adenosine worked and the arrhythmia is terminated
The adenosine did not work and the arrhythmia is ongoing
The adenosine did not work and the arrhythmia is terminated
Adenosine worked and arrhythmia is ongoing
What should you do if swallow a magnet?
If >= 2 magnets, need admission for attempted retrieval by endoscopy or clearance by WBI. Weak refrigerator magnets may not need intervention.
Mom calls to tell you that her child swallowed a CR2032 button battery. What do you advise?
Urgent XR to assess location
Reassure her that children swallow things all the time
Reassess in 2 days if not in the stool
Immediate endoscopy
XR
Once past lower esophageal sphincter can allow it to pass however if lodges in airway or esophagus then it is considered a true emergency and requires immediate referral. Contact for even 2 hrs can cause necrosis.
How do you calculate GCS?
A child comes in after an MVC. He has extensor movements of his arms and legs with pain, no eye opening to pain, and incomprehensible moaning. His pupils are 4 mm and reactive. What is your next step?
Mannitol
Rapid sequence intubation
Urgent CT head
Normal saline bolus 20cc/kg
RSI (GSC 5)
An 11 month infant presents to the ED 1 hour after going for a 45 minute swimming lesson. He has a 2 minute general tonic clonic seizure in the ED. His temperature is 35.6C. No evidence of any head trauma, and no lateralizing neurological findings. He is lethargic and post-ictal. What is the most likely etiology?
Head trauma
Chlorine poisoning
Water intoxication
Hypothermia
Water intoxication
A 12 year old female presents to the ED with dizziness. She is otherwise well and is awake and talking to you. Her ECG shows the following rhythm. What is your next best step?
(Torsades de pointes)
Magnesium sulfate
IV Adenosine
Debrillate 2J/kg
Cardioversion 1J/kg
Mag sulf
If mag self does work, treatment is defibrillation
Difference between croup and acute epiglottitis in terms of voice/symptoms, x-ray findings, and treatment
Croup: hoarse voice, barking cough, steeple sign, steroid, nebulized epi
Acute epiglottitis: muffled voice, drooling, preference of sitting in “sniffing position”, absence of barky cough, dysphagia, thumb print sign on lateral neck X-ray, treatment with IV ceftriaxone/cefotacime +/- Vanco/clinda
how to tell apart bacterial tracheitis from croup?
both have barky cough. Bacterial tracheitis have high fever and appear more toxic. May have poor response to epinephrine.
13 months male. History of URTI symptoms and treated dexamethasone. Fully immunized. Stridor, looked anxious, no drooling. Febrile at 40. Not responsive to epi neb in ER. (No mention of neck tenderness, restricted ROM or palate deviation.)
Bacterial tracheitis
Retropharyngeal abscess
Epiglottis
Croup
Bacterial tracheitis
A child presents in septic shock with hypotension. He weighs 20 kg (44 lbs). What is the best next step?
IV albumin 5% 400mL
IV dopamine 10 mcg/kg/minute
IV 0.9% saline 800mL
IV epinephrine 0.1mcg/kg/minute
Saline bolus
Child was playing at the park. Parents brought to ED with lip hematoma and 0.5cm laceration inside the mouth. How do you manage the laceration?
PO Tylenol
Topical analgesia
Wound irrigation
Suture to avoid poor cosmetic outcome
PO Tylenol