Ddx Flashcards

1
Q

Cardiac causes of breathlessness

A
  1. Acute pulmonary oedema
  2. Cardiac arrhythmia
  3. Cardiac tamponade
  4. Chronic heart failure
  5. Silent MI
  6. SVC syndrome
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2
Q

Pulmonary causes for breathlessness

A
  1. Asthma
  2. Bronchiectasis
  3. COPD
  4. COVID-19
  5. ILD
  6. Lung/ lobar collapse
  7. Pleural effusion
  8. Pneumonia
  9. PTX/ tension PTX
  10. Pulmonary elmbolism
  11. Lung or pleural cancer
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3
Q

Shortness of breath

A
  • Foreign body aspiration
  • Acute epiglottitis (child)
  • Acute asthma exacerbation, COPD
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Pneumothorax
  • Panic attack
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4
Q

Life-threatening vomiting

A

Sudden, severe pain (abdomen, chest)
Blood
* ↑ ICP
* Meningitis
* DKA
* MI
* Bowel obstruction
* Acute abdomen

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5
Q

Causes of airway compromise

A
  • Inhaled foreign body
  • Blood, vomit, secretions in airway
  • Soft tissue swelling (edema)
  • Local mass effect- tumours
  • Lanryngospasm (asthma, GORD, intubation)
  • Depressed level of consciousness
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6
Q

Petechial rash

A
  • Meningococcus
  • Acute leukaemia
  • Vasculitis
  • Thrombocytopaenia
  • Dengue
  • Severe vitamin deficiency- B12, folate
  • Drugs- carbamazepine, valproate
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7
Q

Signs of focal neurological deficits

A
  • Contralateral hemiparesis
  • Sensory loss
  • Cranial nerve palsy
  • Slurred/ disorganised speech
  • Impaired co-ordination
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8
Q

Signs of hypercalcaemia

A

Moans- depression
Groans- abdo pain
Stones- nephrocalcinosis
Bones- fracture

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9
Q

Headache emergencies

A
  • Intracranial hemorrhage (SAH)
  • Meningitis, Encephalitis (abscess)
  • ↑ ICP (SOL- space occupying lesion)
  • Hypertensive crisis
  • Temporal arteritis
  • Acute glaucoma
  • Trauma
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10
Q

Headache Red Flags

A

SNOOP
* Systemic symptoms (fever, weight loss)- infection, malignancy
* Neurological- confusion, altered consciousness, focal neuro signs, neck stiffness (meningitis)
* Onset- sudden, ‘thunderclap’ (SAH!!), new-onset (in preggo- preeclampsia)
* Older- > 50 yo (giant cell arteritis)
* Positional/ papilledema- ICP issues (mass, cerebral spinal fluid leak); laying down worse, early morning nausea

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11
Q

Life-threatening limb pain

A
  • Acute limb ischaemia
  • Compartment syndrome
  • DVT
  • Necrotising fasciitis
  • Septic arthritis, osteomyelitis
  • Rhabdomyolysis
  • MI (arm radiation)
  • Gangrene
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12
Q

Back pain- serious causes

A
  • Cord compression (e.g. metastatic)
  • Cauda equina syndrome
  • Malignant metastasis
  • Myeloma
  • Infection (e.g. discitis)
  • Fracture
  • Aortic aneurysm rupture
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13
Q

Causes of loss of consciousness

A
  • Hypovolaemia
  • Hypoglycaemia
  • Seizures
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • SAH
  • Encephalitis
  • Sepsis
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13
Q

Life-threatening rash

A
  • Meningococcal septicaemia
  • Necrotising fasciitis
  • Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)
  • Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)
  • Urticaria (anaphylaxis)
  • Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome
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14
Q

Life-threatening vaginal bleeding

A
  • Massive bleed
  • Ectopic pregnancy
  • Ovarian cyst rupture
  • Miscarriage
  • Maternal sepsis- endometritis due to POC
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15
Q

Life-threatening hypotension

A
  • Hypovolaemic/ haemorrhagic shock
  • Septic shock
  • Cardiogenic shock
  • Anaphylactic shock
  • Neurogenic shock
  • Trauma
16
Q

Causes of DIC

A
  • Septicaemia
  • Disseminated malignancy
  • Incompatible blood transfusion reaction
  • Obstetric emergencies
  • Liver failure
  • Severe trauma/ burns
17
Q

Life-threatening abdominal pain

A
  • Perforation
  • Bowel infarction/ ischaemia
  • Bowel obstruction
  • Acute pancreatitis, cholangitis
  • Appendicitis
  • Leaking AAA
  • Strangulation hernia
  • Testicular or ovarian torsion
  • Ruptured ectopic pregnancy
  • Referred pain (MI, arotic dissection)
  • Toxic megacolon
  • Peritonitis
  • DKA
18
Q

Reduced GCS causes

A
  • Trauma- head injury, spinal cord injury
  • Neurological- stroke, seizures, meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess, brain tumors
  • Increased ICP- hydrocephalus, subdural haematoma
  • Metabolic and endocrine- hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, hypoxia, hypercapnia, hypo and hypernatraemia
  • Hepatic encephalopathy, kidney uraemic encephalopathy, myxedema comma, thyroid storm
  • Toxic- drugs, poison, alcohol
  • Infection and sepsis
  • CV- hypotension, cardiac arrest
  • Respiratory- PE
  • Hypo and hyperthermia
  • Shock
19
Q

Causes of falls

A
  • CVS- MI, dysrrhythmia
  • Infection- sepsis, shock
  • Neuro- CVA, seizure, ataxia
  • Metabolic- hypoglycaemia, hypoxia, excess alcohol
  • MSK- deconditioning, arthritis, inadequate mobility aids
  • Syncope
  • Mechanical fall
  • Postural hypotension
  • Vertigo
  • Polypharmacy
  • Visual impairment
  • Dehydration
20
Q

Causes of delirium

A

Emergencies
* Hypoxia, hypercarbia
* MI
* CVA, intracranial bleed, meningitis, encephalitis
* Anticholinergic medication

Common
* Pain
* Sepsis
* Hypoglycaemia, hyponatraemia
* Drug toxicity (post-GA, NMS, serotonin syndrome, opioids, benzo, lithium)
* HF
* Head injury
* Alcohol withdrawal or intoxication
* Post-ictal
* Urinary retention, constipation

21
Q

Life-threatening chest pain

A
  1. ACS
  2. Thoracic aortic aneurysm (aortic dissection)
  3. Tension PTX (pneumothorax)
  4. Cardiac tamponade
  5. PE (pulmonary embolism)
  6. Esophageal rupture
22
Q

Back pain red flags

A
  • Pain/ paresthesia/ weakness radiating to both legs
  • Saddle anesthesia
  • Bladder or bowel dysfunction
  • Fever
  • HIV/ steroid use/ immunocompromised
  • Direct trauma
  • History of cancer
  • Age > 50 yo
  • Persistent pain at rest and at night
23
Q

Abdominal pain red flags

A
  • Sudden, severe pain
  • Vomiting
  • High fever
  • Bloody stools
  • Unexplained weight loss
24
Q

Chest pain red flags

A
  • Sudden onset
  • Exertional chest pain
  • Substernal, left-sided chest pain
  • Radiation to left arm, jaw, back
  • Quality of pain- crushing, pressure, tearing, ripping
  • Associated symptoms- SOB, diaphoresis, nausea, vomiting
  • Vital signs- hypoxia, hypotension
  • Pulsus paradoxus
  • Difference of > 20mmHg systolic bp between arms
  • New murmur
  • Chest wall crepitus
  • Distant heart sounds
25
Q

Causes of syncope

A

In order of frequency
1. Vasovagal (reflex mediated)
2. Cardiac
3. Orthostatic
4. Medication related
5. Neurological
5. Unknown

26
Q

Limb pain red flag

A
  • Sudden onset
  • Severe pain
  • ↓ Sensation
  • ↓ Power
  • Absent distal pulses
  • Cold to touch
  • Shock
  • Pyrexia
  • Recent surgery/ trauma
27
Q
A