EM Flashcards
in women, pain in one of the lower quadrants
- could be ruptured ectopic
mid-epigastric radiating to back
- pancreatitis
RUQ with radiation to back or right shoulder
- gallbladder disease, PID
RLQ radiating to right shoulder
- ectopic or appendicitis
LLQ radiating to left shoulder
- diverticultitis
pain that gets better when laying flat
- appendicitis
pain with movement
- irritation of parietal peritoneum
writhing on gurney
- kidney stones
aorta over 5-6 cm
- check for aneurysm
bacterial overgrowth with appendicitis
- Bacterioides fragilis and E. coli
black stones
- form primarily in gallbladder
- hemolysis induced
brown stones
- form in gallbladder and intrahepatic and extrahepatic ducts
- formed in bile infected with enteric bacteria
leading cause of large bowel obstruction
- carcinoma
signs of intussusception
- red current jelly stool, stool mixed with blood and mucus
- sausage shaped mass upon palpation of the abdomen
hallmark signs of hemorrhagic pancreatitis
- Cullens sign: umbilical ecchymosis
- Grey Turner’s sign: flank ecchymosis
hallmark sign of acute pancreatitis
- elevated amylase and lipase
mesenteric ischemia
- lactic acid elevated in 91% of patients
- pain is disproportionate to abdominal findings
distention
- large bowel obstruction
- sigmoid or cecal volvulus
high pitched rushes
- small bowel obstructions
pulsatile aorta
- AAA
occult blood
- carcinoma
- GI bleed
unequal femoral pulses
- aortic dissection
diagnostic test for appendicitis
- CT
cholecystitis symptoms
- pain that radiates to the back or below the right scapula
- clay colored stools
- fever
- N/V
- jaundice
tests for cholecystitis
- CT and US
symptoms of bowel obstruction
- severe pain that comes and goes
- distention
- vomiting
- constipation if complete blockage
- diarrhea if partially blocked
Ogilvie syndrome
- colonic pseudo-obstruction
- massive gaseous distention of colon
diagnostic test for diverticulitis
- CT
- avoid BE and colonoscopy as they can perforate the bowel
perforated ulcer
- acute onset of severe epigastric pain
- chemical and bacterial peritonitis
aortic dissection
- chest and upper back pain before migrating into the abdomen as the dissection moves distally
acute intermittent porphyria
- suddenly experience symptom triad: weakness, psychosis, ab pain
- may have seizures
