Emergency Flashcards
Dosing for single most important action in anaphylaxis?
(Adult)
Administer intramuscular injection of adrenaline 0.5mg (500micrograms) in an autoinjector to the outer mid thigh immediately
What is this?
(name the acute condition)
Patient has COPD
Right sided secondary spontaneous pneumothorax.
(secondary because the patient has an underlying lung condition)
Define Hypertensive Urgency vs Emergency?
- Urgency: BP >180/100mgHG
AND significant symptoms such as headache, dizziness or mild-moderate end organ damage.
- Emergency BP > 220/140 AND associated end organ damage
For hypertensive URGENCY what medications can you use to bring down the blood pressure?
Nifedipine IR 10mg, orally, stat
Catopril 12.5mg, orally, stat
Clonidine 100 Microg, orally, stat
Prazosin 2mg Orally, stat
What is the triad of serotonin syndrome?
Neuromuscular excitation (e.g. hyperreflexia, hypertonia)
Autonomic effects (e.g. hyperthermia, tachycardia, sweating, flushing)
Central nervous system effects (e.g. agitation, confusion)
What can you use to help treat a mild serotonergic toxidrome?
To help with agitation but if they are co-operative then..
diazepam 5 to 20 mg (child: 0.2 mg/kg up to 10 mg) orally; repeat after 30 minutes if required. Usually no more than 120 mg is required in 24 hours
What medication might cause the following signs and symptoms, and what needs to be done?
Progressive hyperthermia
muscle rigidity
Sustained clonus
Seizures
SSRI, Certain TCAs, combination with MOAs or opioids, lithium
Medical emergency, send to ED to prevent life threatening multi-organ failure
Start rapid cooling techniques
with rehydration –> Cold IV fluid therapy
For seizures–> midazolam/diazepam IV
For rigidity or clonus–> may need sedation
For a person with an eating disorder, what features on examination or investigations findings that would prompt an emergency admission?
- Heart rate <50 bpm
- systolic BP <80 mmHg or diastolic BP <40 mmHg
- Postural BP drop >10 mmHg
- ECG demonstrates any abnormalities, particularly prolonged QTc interval
- Temperature <35.5°C
- Weight <75% predicted ideal body weight (BMI <15)
- Electrolyte disturbance (eg. hypokalaemia)
What is your immediate management of this in the GP setting?
(7)
- Arrange urgent transfer to hospital in ambulance for management of STEMI
- Insert 2 x large bore cannula into ACF
- Give high flowOxygen in a non-breather mask if sats <94%
- Give chewable aspirin 300mg, orally stat
- GTN spray 400-800micrograms, every 5 minutes if needed
6.Administer Fentanyl 25mcg - 50mcg intravenously for pain relief
- Place in a monitored area of the clinic/monitor vital signs for signs of deterioration
What is the management for status epilepticus?
(6)
- Apply oxygen through a hudson mask to ensure sats ? 94%
- Obtain a fingerprick BGL
- Arrange transfer to nearest ED department for management of status epilepticus
- Continuing monitoring vital signs for signs of deterioration
- Insert 2 x large bore cannular into each ACF
- Administer one of
a. Midazolam 10mg IV, stat
b. if no IV access: midazolam 5-10mg buccally (or subcut if absolutely needed), Stat
List up to 9 features of dehydration in a child
Withdrawn or straight comatose
Rapid weak pulse
Sunken fontanelle
Very Sunken eyes
No tears
Dry MM
Decreased Skin Turgor with TENTING
No urine for several hours
Greater than 10% weight loss
What respiratory rates would make you worry in a child?
if between 6-12 months then RR>50
A chid over 12 months then RR> 40
Any age if RR > 60 ,thats a major warning sign.
Steps in anaphylaxis management in clinic on a 3 year old child?
(6)
Include any dosing
- Give 150 micrograms of adrenaline in autoinjector into the lateral thigh (doses for <1 year are not known, >5years or 20kg use 300microgam autoinjector)
- Insert 2 large bore cannula into the ACF
- Start fluid administration intravenously
- Call ambulence for immediate transfer to the emergency department to treat anaphylaxis
- Administer highest dose O2 until sats are between 94-98%
- Keep patient laying flat
What causes an Addisonian crisis ?
Adrenal Crisis (more formal name) is caused when somebody has addison’s disease or primary adrenal insufficiency. Usually precipitated by acute stress or sudden cessation of glucocorticoids.
There is not enough glucocorticoids to go around.
How do you immediately treat Adrenal Crisis?
Give immediate glucocorticoid
Nb: if no previous diagnosis of Addison’s disease, take bloods to measure plasma cortisol, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and renin concentrations but
do not wait for lab results
- hydrocortisone 100 mg intravenously, initially, then 50 mg intravenously, every 6 hours until stable and tolerating oral intake.
if no IV access/hard to obtain then
- prednis(ol)one 40 mg orally.
In this general condition, what factors would make you seek urgent attention for the patient?
(5)
This is AF on the ECG with a slow ventricular response
This ECG itself (slow V response) is not an indication for Emergency management. But the following are
- Rest angina (obviously)
- AF with rapid ventricular response
- Syncope or presyncope
- Clinical signs of heart failure
- Hypotension (haemodynamically unstable- which could happen with a slow response like this)
What is the NEXUS criteria for neck pain?
(5)
Following trauma, cervical spine injury cannot be excluded if any of these criteria are present:
midline cervical tenderness
altered mental status
focal neurologic deficit
evidence of drug or alcohol intoxication,
presence of other injury considered painful enough to distract from neck pain.
For low risk, alert and stable trauma patients, what would exam finding with necessitate imaging?
As per Canadian C spine rules
not able to ROTATE neck 45 degrees
using a CT for trauma
What are signs and symptoms of a potential PE?
(8)
New onset worsening SOB
RR > 20
Chest pain, can be pleuretic or restrosternal (like angina)
HR > 100
Haemoptysis
Syncope
sBP < 90
Crepitations
What steps do you take if suspecting a PE based on symptoms and risk factors?
two different risk categories?
- Do a wells score for everyone
- A. high risk on wells score proceed directly to CTPA and treatment
B. Interderminant or low risk, do a D Dimer
If D-Dimer is positive then proceed to CTPA, if negative, no further investigation
What medication do you use to treat a PE? and for how long
Apixaban 5mg, orally, 12 hourly
If caused by a provoking factor then 3 months of treatment, if off course the provoking factor is now removed.
If NO provoking factor than longer than 3 months. No exact guidance on when to stop.
What are features of a severe asthma exacerbation?
unable to complete a sentence
Increased WOB (accessory muscles- tracheal tug, intercostal recession, excessive abdominal breathing, chest wall recession in children)
Obvious respiratory distress
Sats <94% RA (if below 90% then it’s life threatening)
Treatment of severe Asthma exacerbation in a GP setting/ED?
Adults vs Children
Anyone over 6 years old
Salbutamol 12 actuations of 100micrograms pMDI via spacer repeated as needed
PLUS
ipratropium 21 micrograms, 8 puffs, repeated as needed
PLUS
within an hour
dexamethasone 0.6mg/kg up to 16mg given orally followed by a single dose the next day
OR prednisolone 1mg/kg- up to 50mg, oral, daily for 5-10 days
Anyone < 6 years old
Salbutamol is 6 puffs every 20 minutes if needed
and Ipratropium is 4 puffs every 20 minutes if needed
Plus prednisolone or dexamethasone
Note if oral medication isn’t tolerated then use hydrocortisone 4 milligrams per kg up to 100 mg intravenous 6 hourly for 24 hours. Then switch to an oral steroid if tolerating it. If not then continue IV therapy but reduced to 12 hourly
What are aspects of a secondary assessment in asthma that will determine severity?
Conscious level. alert, alert, reduced consciousness
Ability to speak: full, incomplete, not
Skin colour/cyanosis
Mobility: walking, tripoding, collapsed
Respiratory distress: non, some, severe
HR: normal, tachy, up to arrhythmia or arrest
Sats >94, 90-94, <90
ABG: not needed, yes needed, definitely needed –> corresponding to sat level above
Which parameters would indicate a patient with CAP needs ICU?
(Respiratory failure 3)
(Organ failure 5)
Signs of respiratory insufficiency:
-RR>30Br/m
-O2 <90% RA, PaO2 <60mmHg
-Multilobar or rapid progression of infiltrate on CXR
Signs of organ failure:
-Hypotension <90mmHg
-Acute onset confusion
-Poor peripheral perfusion
-Acute oliguria, elevated creatinine or uraemia
-Blood lactate 2mmol/L
What are some causes of Acute Pulmonary Oedema?
(8)
Not all causes are due to Chronic Cardiac Failure, though that is one. Non compliance with CCF medications.
Could be
MI/ACS
Arrhythmia
Valve dysfunction
Endocarditis
Drugs: NSAIDS, CCB
AKI or failure
PE
1 Definitive management and 3 other cornerstones of management for APO?
- Frusemide 20-80mg, IV given stat and repeated after 20 minutes if needed
- GTN Spray or Infusion 400micrograms, given SL, every 5 minutes, goal to maintain sBP>100mmHg
(DO NOT USE if a PDE5i has been used in the last 48 hours). - Oxygen in a reservoir mask
10-15L in a hudson mask and reservoir bag.
And if GTN and Frusemide aren’t working then
4. CPAP
In APO, apart from Frusemide, Oxygen, CPAP and GTN sprays, what other management steps might you start?
(4)
*Morphine for anxiety 1-2mg, IV.
(also reduces respiratory work)
Enoxaparin 40 (or 20)mg subcut
Spironolactone 25-50mg, oral, stat, in a volume overloaded patient not responding to frusemide.
*Make sure to sit patient in an upright posture
*=more important
What are the parameters that define severe croup?
Persistent stridor at rest
Increasing fatigue
Markedly increased RR
Markedly decreased AE
Tachycardia
Emergency or community (whilst awaiting T/F) medical management of severe croup ?
(2)
Adrenaline 1:1000 (1mg/1ml) solution 5ml inhalation via nebuliser. Repeated after 30 minutes
PLUS EITHER of
prednisolone 2mg/kg up to (50mg), orally, stat then 1-2mg/kg (max 50mg) 24 hours later
OR
dexamethasone 0.6mg/kg (up to 12mg), orally, stat or IV or IM if child is vomiting. once only.
In a presentation of severe croup, consider discharge once there is no
______ at ______. And plan a follow up in __ ____.
stridor at rest
24 hours
What symptoms differentiate a stroke from a SAH?
Usually the stroke has deficits (neurological) without a headache and the SAH has a sudden onset harsh headache without focal neurological deficits.
Also full loss of consciousness is not likely to be a stroke
What is the ABCD2 score?
It’s the scoring system used to help determine stroke risk in those with a TIA
Age > 60 +1
BP - hypertensive (140/90) +1
Clinical. If unilateral weakness +2, if speech impaired without weakness +1, if other symptoms =0
Duration of symptoms: <10 minutes =0, 10-59 min = +1, >60min = +2
Diabetes +1
Scores
0-3 low risk
4-5 moderate risk
6 and over, high risk
What is the immediate management steps for a stroke?
- Keep monitored
- Urgent Hospital management for
A. CT scan
B. thrombolysis with alteplase (within 3 hours) - Aspirin 300mg to be commenced within 48 hours. Don’t do this prior to the CT.
- Placed on a stroke specific ward
What should be done in a patient who has stroke symptoms for over 24 hours?
Urgent referral to tertiary hospital with specialist stroke services.
If they had a symptoms within 3 hours then urgent referral to centre that offers thrombolysis.
A 10 year old boy was climbing a tree in his backyard during summer and was bitten by a black spider about 2 hours ago. He described it as “really big,” and he’s currently having abdominal pains. What is the management from here?
Treat any big black spider and a funnel web spider (this is the most dangerous type)
- apply a pressure bandage around the bite site
- Apply the pressure bandage along the whole limb
- Immobilise the limb and patient
- Arrange transport to the nearest hospital with anti-venom
(5. antivenom needs to be administered in a critical care or resus area with readily available adrenalin and resuscitation equipment)
What are the directions of applying a pressure bandage to a spider bite?
apply a 15cm pressure bandage around the bite site then wrap distally and proximally around the whole limb.
For the pressure bandage to work the limb and patient need to be completely immobilised.
What are features of DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis)?
Apart from the obvious hyperglycemia
(3)
- polyuria
- polydipsia
- tachypnoea
Others
4. deep sighing respiration
5. breath smelling like acetone
6. Nausea and vomiting
7. abdominal pain
8. Confusion
9. drowsiness
What is the criteria for DKA diagnosis?
There is no specific criteria
typically..
pH is 7.3 or less
serum bicarb <15mmol/L
positive ketones in urine
BGL is usually > 14 (but can be less if on an SGLT2i)
use the clinical presentation + in room findings to decide.
DKA needs to be managed in hospital by an emergency team, what aspects of management should be addressed?
dosing not needed.
(4)
1 Aggressive fluid replacement
- Correction of hyperglycemia and ketone production with insulin
- Correction for potassium disturbance
- Thorough investigation and management of concurrent infection or other precipitating conditions (MI, CVA, VTE)
What is the main difference in treating adult vs. children in DKA?
Do not use the same protocol
Avoid giving excess fluid if intravenous rehydration is started for a child or adolescent with DKA. Excess fluid replacement can cause significant harm.
What is HHS? what is is characterised by?
Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Syndrome?
- severe hyperglycemia
- little or no ketoacidosis
- Dehydration
- Altered Mental state
HHS like DKA requires specialist management in E.D.
One aspect is fluid resuscitation, over what time course should this be done?
How do you correct the hyperglycemia in HSS?
Replace approximately 50% of estimated fluid loss within the first 12 hours and the remainder in the following 12 to 36 hours
Unlike in DKA, insulin is not needed to correct the hyperglycemia, fluid resuscitation and time should be enough.
However still monitor potassium and correct if needed
What are patients with HHS at high risk of developing?
(1-2)
There is high risk of developing arterial and venous thrombosis so use prophylactic anticoagulation