Differential Diagnosis Flashcards
SAH
- Intracranial hemorrhage (e.g., subarachnoid or intracerebral hemorrhage)
- Ischemic stroke
- Hypertensive encephalopathy
- Meningitis or encephalitis
- Intracranial mass or tumor
Causes of intestinal obstruction
- Adhesions from previous surgery.
- Hernias (e.g., inguinal, incisional).
- Neoplasms (benign or malignant).
- Crohn’s disease or other inflammatory bowel diseases.
- Volvulus (e.g., sigmoid, cecal).
- Strictures (post-inflammatory or ischemic).
Beta blocker poisoning
- Beta-Blocker Overdose
- Calcium Channel Blocker Overdose
- Digoxin Toxicity
- Tricyclic Antidepressant Overdose: May present with wide QRS, hypotension, and altered mental status.
- Adrenal Insufficiency: Can cause hypoglycemia, hyperkalemia, and hypotension.
Thyroid storm (Confusion, Hypotension, Fever, Palpitations, Diarrhea, and Vomiting)
- Thyroid storm
- Sepsis
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Pheochromocytoma
- Drug overdose or toxicity
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- Meningitis or encephalitis
- Gastroenteritis with dehydration
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS)
Lower GI bleeding
- Mesenteric ischemia
- Diverticulosis
- AV malformation
- Aortoentric fistula
- Malignancy
- Local (hemorrhoids or fissure)
- UGI Bleeding
CNS infection in HIV
- Brain abscess
- Primary CNS lymphoma
- Toxoplasmosis
- Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML)
- Metastatic disease
- Cerebral infarction with hemorrhagic conversion
- Cryptococcoma
- Tuberculoma
Shock after CABG
Hypovolemic Shock:
- Hypovolemia: from ongoing bleeding, inadequate fluid resuscitation.
Cardiogenic Shock:
- Cardiac Tamponade: blood/fluid in pericardial space.
- Acute Myocardial Dysfunction: ischemia, infarction, stunning.
- Arrhythmias: atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, bradycardia.
- Technical Surgical Issues: graft occlusion, valvular dysfunction.
Distributive Shock:
- Vasodilation: medication-induced, systemic inflammatory response.
- Sepsis: early onset from preoperative infection.
Obstructive Shock:
- Pulmonary Embolism: less common immediately post-op.
Neurogenic Shock:
- Neurogenic Causes: spinal cord injury (specific to aortic surgeries).
ICH in Pregnancy causes
- Hypertensive hemorrhage: Common in eclampsia or severe preeclampsia.
- Cerebral venous thrombosis: Pregnancy increases thrombotic risks.
- Coagulopathy: Secondary to pregnancy or postpartum hemorrhage, including disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
- Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) rupture: Pregnancy-related hemodynamic changes can increase bleeding risk.
- Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: Pregnancy can exacerbate the risk of rupture.
- Pre-existing cerebral pathology exacerbated by pregnancy: Such as tumors or pre-existing vascular malformations.
- Pituitary apoplexy: Rare; pregnancy can increase pituitary size, leading to infarction or hemorrhage.
- Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES): Associated with hypertension and eclampsia; typically reversible but can lead to hemorrhage.
- Ischemic stroke with hemorrhagic conversion: Considered in the context of coagulopathies or severe hypertension.
Hypotension in asthma, pregnant
- Vena cava compression: In late pregnancy, the gravid uterus can compress the inferior vena cava, reducing venous return.
- Auto-PEEP (dynamic hyperinflation)
- Tension pneumothorax
- Pulmonary embolism: Pregnant patients have increased risk; consider if there are signs of unilateral leg swelling, chest pain, or sudden onset dyspnea.
- Cardiac issues: Consider peripartum cardiomyopathy, especially with symptoms like fatigue, leg swelling, palpitations.
- Medication effects: Some asthma medications, particularly beta-agonists, can cause hypotension.
Life-threatening chest injuries
ATOM-FC:
- Airway obstruction or disruption
- Tension pneumothorax
- Open pneumothorax
- Massive haemothorax
- Flail chest
- Cardiac tamponade
PE
- Acute pulmonary embolism (PE)
- Acute coronary syndrome (ACS)
- Should think about pulmonary edema, pneumonia and pneumothorax as causes for hypoxia
Elevated serum osmolal gap with anion gap metabolic acidosis
- Ethylene glycol ingestion
- Methanol ingestion
- Propylene glycol infusion
Aortic aneurysm
- ACS
- PE,
- Musculoskeletal Chest Pain,
- Pleuritis,
- Pericarditis
SAH causes
- Intracranial aneurysms (85%)
- Arterio-venous malformations
- Trauma
- Perimesencephalic
- Arterial dissection
- Coagulopathy
- Venous thrombosis
- Pitutary Apoplexy
- Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome
