EM Flashcards
What is the first priority for any unresponsive child brought to the ED?
ABCs- Establish an airway
Have a child who has ingested an unknown substance and is unresponsive…what is the first thing you do?
Establish an airway/Stabilize patient
What is the equation for ET tube size?
Age/4 + 4
What size ET tube for a 4 year old?
5
4/4 + 4
What are 4 things to consider if an intubated patient has sudden deterioration?
DOPE D: Displacement of ETT O: Obstruction of ETT P: Pneumothorax E: Equipment failure
What is the formula used to calculate tidal volume on a vent?
7mL/kg
Name 4 medications which can be given via ETT?
- Lidocaine
- Atropine
- Narcan
- Epinephrine
When is atropine indicated?
Bradycarida (not asystole)
What can happen if a patient with bradycardia is given too low of a dose of atropine?
Bradycardia can worsen
What temperature correlates with invasive bacterial infection?
> 41C (105.8F)
True or False: Consistently using the same method (oral, axillay, tympanic, ect.) to take the temperature is more important than the actual method used
True- Easier to monitor for change
True or False Tactile temperature noted by parents does correlate with actual temperautr
False- This is not considered to be reliable
What is done for fever in infants younger than 1 month?
- Septic workup (CBCdiff, BC, LP, UC, CXR if resp symptoms)
2. Empiric IV antibiotics pending culture results
What should be done for infants between 1-2 months with a fever?
They need a workup, but not necessarily inpatient care/empiric antibiotics if initial studies are reassuring
What should be done for children 3-36 months with a fever?
Clinical judgment
*Watch out for presentation of a kid who wasn’t immunized against pneumococcal disease- may need workup for occult bacteremia.
What is important to note in medical history for kids presenting with fever?
Things like sickle cell or other immunocompromised status
What do you need to consider checking in an infant/toddler girl with a high fever without a source?
UTI
What type of children who are 5 years old are in the most need of antipyretics when they get a fever?
Children with CHF (reduce O2 demand and subsequent CO demand)
*Don’t be fooled by febrile seizures…at 5 they are out of age of risk
Which bite is worse and why…cat or dog?
Cat- They bite deeply and make puncture wounds
What is the most important first step for a dog/cat bite?
Wound cleaning via high pressure irrigation
When are antibiotics indicated for bites?
- Not clean
- Cats/Dogs/Humans
- Crush injuries
- Cartilage involvement
- Cuticles (hands/feet)
- Compromised (immunocompromised)
- Cute faces (on face)
What antibiotic can be given for a bite to someone who is penicillin allergic?
Clinda + Bactrim
What locations of bites are antibiotics especially indicated for?
Hands/Feet/Face
True or False: Bites and other wounds with high infection risk (human/cat bites) shouldn’t be sutured
True
What antibiotic do you give for cat/dog bites and why?
Augmentin- Covers against S. Aureus and P. Multocida
What do human bites look like?
Half-moon shaped
What do dog bites look like?
Tears
What do cat bites look like?
Punctures
What two types of bites have an especially high risk of infection?
Cat/Human
What should you consider for a child with a human bite?
Child abuse/Transmission of infections (HIV/Hep B)
What bacteria do you need to cover for with a human bite?
- Viridans strep
- S. Aureus
- Anaerobes
What is Loxosceles Reclusa?
Brown recluse spider
How does a brown recluse bite present?
Target lesion: Red circle surrounding a white ring (different from target lesion with Lyme)
How quickly does the target lesion from a brown recluse bite present?
Within hours (Lyme is within weeks)
Which spider bite is more likely to become necrotic…brown recluse or black widow?
Brown recluse
True or False: Brown recluse bites can have systemic symptoms
True, but bites are typically a self-limited local painful lesion that requires no additional treatment
What is the Latrodectus Mactans?
Black widow
How does a black widow bite look?
Puncture wound that is barely noticeable
What types of symptoms can be seen with a black widow bite?
Systemic: Muscle aches (abdomen, lower back, chest, extremities), HTN
How long does it take for systemic symptoms to appear after a black widow bite?
Can present within 8 hours
What is treatment for a black widow bite?
Local wound care and pain control
What can be given for severe muscle spams with a black widow bite?
Parenteral benzos
What vaccine may need to be given for a black widow bite?
Tatanus
When is antivenom given for a black widow bite?
Only as a secondary option:
- If supportive measures don’t work
- Small children
- Severe symptoms
True or False: Wound excision, steroids, hyperbaric chambers, or dapsone can be used to help with black widow spider bites
False
What description of snake would make you think it was venomous?
Triagnular head + Fangs
or a rattlesnake
Would a snake with a round head be likely to be venomous?
No
What is one snake with a round head that is venomous?
Red/Yellow… Red on Yellow, Kill a Fellow
If you have a child with a bite and they describe fang marks, what should you assume?
Likely a venomous snake bite
Name some initial signs of a venomous snake bite
- Local erythema/swelling
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Bullae
If you have a wound from a likely non-venomous snake, what do you do?
- Wound cleaning
2. Verify tetanus status
if you have a wound from a venomous snake, what is the first thing you do?
ABCs
After you do ABCs with a venomous snake bite, what should you do?
- Immobilize limb
- Let limb hand at patient’s side
- Make sure to transport to an appropriate facility
True or False: You should not apply a tourniquet, apply ice, or suck venom from a snake bite wound
True
What is an early sign of shock?
Delayed capillary refill
When does decreased BP occur in shock?
Late
When should an IO be placed in the setting of shock?
After 3 attempts at IV access or 90 seconds
True or False: Most resuscitation meds/blood products can be administered through an IO line
True
What sign/symptoms should make you think of closed-head trauma?
- Hemotympanum
- Facial ecchymoses
- Raccoon eyes
- Postauricular bruising
- Clear discharge from nose/ears
True or False: The clinical impact of increased ICP can be gradual
True