Emergencies & Trauma Flashcards
In what age group is appendicitis the highest?
10-19 yrs
How does the pain of appendicitis progress?
- begins as visceral pain (vague, non-specific aching)
- localizes to McBurney’s point in RLQ, becomes sharp
What labs would you order if you suspect appendicitis?
- CBC
- chem profile
- UA
- pregnancy test
What is the best imaging for an adult if you suspect appendicitis?
-CT abdomen and pelvis w/ IV and oral contrast
96% sensitive
What is the best imagining for a kid if you suspect appendicitis?
- ultrasound of RLQ, but lower sensitivity than CT
- -children’s hospitals do this well
-at a hospital that doesn’t work with peds, you probably need to do a CT if the U/S is negative
What is the best imaging for pregnant patients if you suspect appendicitis?
MRI
What would you order for the initial Tx of appendicitis?
- NPO
- IV fluids
- antiemetic
- analgesia
- preoperative abx (maybe)
True or False: early appendicitis can mimic gastroenteritis or viral illness
True
True or False: a normal CBC rules out appendicitis
False; a patient can have a normal CBC and still have appendicitis
True or False: an abnormal UA rules out appendicitis and points to a different cause of illness
False; a patient can have an abnormal UA and still have appendicitis
True or False: most foreign body ingestions occur in children
True; 80%
True or False: most foreign body ingestions require intervention
–False; 80-90% pass w/o the need for intervention
–Less than 1% require surgical intervention
What age range accounts for the majority of foreign body ingestion?
–6mos to 3yrs
List some common foreign bodies ingestion by children.
- coins
- button batteries
- toys
- magnets
- safety pins
What is the usual cause of esophageal obstruction in adults?
- food bolus (usually meat, occasionally pills)
- more frequent in the elderly
Where in the esophagus does obstruction normally occur?
-at strictures or sites of physiologic/pathologic narrowing
What is the most frequent site of obstruction in the GI tract?
-esophagus
Where are major locations of physiologic narrowing of the esophagus?
- upper esophageal sphincter
- at the level of the aortic arch
- at the diaphragmatic hiatus
List some structural or functional esophageal abnormalities that would increase the risk of foreign body and/or food impaction.
- diverticula
- webs
- rings
- strictures
- achalasia
True or False: it is estimated that approx. half of pt’s w/ esophageal food impactions have underlying eosinophilic esophagitis
True
What is the typical clinical presentation of foreign body ingestion?
- acute onset dysphagia
- choking
- refusal to eat
- hypersalivation
- regurgitation of undigested food
True or False: drooling and inability to swallow liquids is indicative of an esophageal obstruction and requires emergent endoscopic evaluation
True
After a foreign body ingestion, what signs would be concerning that warrant a further work-up?
- fever
- abdominal pain
- repetitive vomiting
What three things should be documented in the Hx of someone who presents w/ a foreign body ingestion?
- type of foreign body
- time of ingestion
- presence and type of ongoing symptoms
Note: only perform imaging on pt’s that don’t have signs or symptoms that suggest an esophageal obstruction
In other words: don’t delay an EGD to get imaging
What view(s) would you order on a plain radiograph for a pt who swallowed a foreign body?
- AP and lateral views of neck, chest, and abdomen
- only works if the object is radiopaque
-order for a pt only if they don’t have an esophageal obstruction associated with the foreign body
When would you order a CT for a pt who swallowed a foreign body?
- suspected perforation
- sharp or pointed foreign body
- in pts suspected of having ingested drugs/narcotics
On what factors does the management of treatment depend?
- presence and severity of symptoms
- type of object (size, shape, content)
- location of the object (past Ligament of Treitz?)
What are the signs of airway compromise, due to a foreign body, that must be addressed immediately?
- choking
- stridor
- wheezing
- difficulty breathing
What is the timeframe for an emergent endoscopy and what are examples of why one would be conducted?
- within 6hrs
- complete esophageal obstruction (drooling)
- disk batteries (cause liquid necrosis)
- sharp or pointed objects in the esophagus
What is the timeframe for an urgent endoscopy and what are examples of why one would be conducted?
- all foreign bodies in the esophagus require removal within 24 hours, because the risk of complications dramatically increases with time
- sharp, >5cm long, high power magnets, >2cm diameter
In what timeframe do most ingested foreign bodies pass out of the GI tract?
–4 to 6 days
What is the treatment process for ingestion of foreign bodies, such as small blunt objects, that are managed expectantly?
- -weekly X-ray until object passes
- resume a normal diet
- -monitor stools for evidence of the object
What is “ a protrusion, bulge, or projection of an organ or a part of an organ through the body wall that normally contains it”?
-hernia
What is the most common type (and subtype) of hernia?
- 75% are inguinal hernias
- -2/3rds of inguinal hernias are INdirect
What is the general presentation of a hernia?
-constant or intermittent mass in the groin that is gradually increasing in size