EMERGENCY MEDICINE Flashcards
A 27-day-old with fever 103 °F for 1 day, feeding well, no cough, no vomiting, no diarrhea. Physical examination is normal. What is the next best step?
Full sepsis evaluation (blood, urine and CSF testing) and empiric IV antibiotics
An 8-week-old with fever 103 °F for 2 days, feeding well, no cough, no vomiting, no diarrhea. Physical examination is normal. What is the next
best step?
Complete blood count (CBC), urinalysis and urine culture (infants < 90 days of age with a temperature > 38 °C should be promptly evaluated)
A 15-month-old with fever 103 °F for 2 days, feeding well, fussy when fever is high, playful for brief periods after receiving antipyretics, no cough,
no vomiting, no diarrhea. Physical examination is normal. What is the next best step?
Reassurance (most likely viral syndrome, advise close follow-up)
Non-toxic, fully vaccinated toddler with nasal congestion has a barky cough, inspiratory stridor when agitated, but no resting stridor. What is the next best step?
Oral dexamethasone (viral croup)
A well-appearing, 12-month-old with upper respiratory infection (URI) symptoms and fever presents with diffuse wheezing on lung auscultation. What is the next best step?
Clearance of nasal secretions and reassurance (acute viral bronchiolitis)
Child with asthma, presenting with chest pain, chest tightness and diffuse bilateral expiratory wheezing in the setting of URI symptoms. What is the next best step?
Albuterol and ipratropium nebulizer treatments with oral steroids
Distressed, vaccinated toddler, with sudden onset of cough and inspiratory stridor while eating peanuts. What is the next best step?
Attention to ABCs (airway, breathing,
circulation) and emergent subspecialty
evaluation for a suspected foreign body in airway
An unvaccinated child with inspiratory stridor at rest, toxic appearing, leaning forward and drooling. Next best step?
Attention to ABCs (airway, breathing,
circulation) and emergent subspecialty
evaluation for suspected epiglottitis
Child with peanut allergy presents with diffuse hives and flushed skin after ingestion of peanuts, noted to have hypotension on initial vital signs.
What is the definitive treatment for the underlying diagnosis?
IM epinephrine for anaphylaxis
Child presents to the emergency department (ED) with a dog bite. What is the next best step?
Wound cleaning with adequate pressure
irrigation
After cleaning the wound of dog or cat bite, what is the most appropriate prophylactic antibiotic?
Amoxicillin/clavulanate, cover both aerobes and anaerobes, especially Pasteurella
Dog or cat bite and allergy to penicillin
Clindamycin plus
trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole
Teenage patient punches another student in the teeth during an altercation at school and sustains
puncture lacerations to knuckles; what is the most appropriate prophylactic antibiotic?
Amoxicillin/clavulanate, cover both aerobes and anaerobes, especially Eikenella
A fully vaccinated child with a bite from a stray dog that was not captured. The child was admitted on NPO status due to multiple puncture lacerations requiring surgical repair. What is the next best treatment?
Rabies prophylaxis (rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin) and intravenous ampicillin-sulbactam
Adolescent with pain, redness, and tenderness in the foot after stepping on a rusty nail that punctured the foot. There is no fever and the rest of
the exam is normal. Last tetanus vaccine was 7 years ago. What is the best treatment?
Tdap vaccine and oral ciprofloxacin
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection
Child with a sudden stinging sensation in the right foot after playing in the basement, within a few hours develops severe pain and enlarging erythema
in the right foot, which 2 days later becomes a hemorrhagic blister surrounded by an erythematous halo and dark eschar. What is the most likely cause?
Brown recluse spider bite (local pain, necrosis, and less systemic manifestations)
Child presents with sudden pinching sensation in the foot after playing in the basement, within 8 h develops muscle cramping in the right leg, which progresses to the back and abdomen. O/E: elevated blood pressure, tachycardia, tender abdomen, target-like appearance redness in the foot. What is the most likely cause?
Black widow spider bite (initial pinch or
pinprick sensation, or unnoticed bite followed by significant systemic manifestations, muscle cramping, tachycardia, and hypertension)
Child stung on the left arm by a wasp, having pain, itching, erythema, and mild swelling in the left arm without any signs of systemic illness. What is the
best treatment?
Removal of the stinger, application of cool compresses or ice packs, and mild oral analgesics and oral antihistamines to help alleviate pruritus
A 1-year-old falls < 3 ft height, no loss of
consciousness, no headache, no vomiting. Physical examination is normal except mild swelling in the
forehead. What is the next best step?
Reassurance (very low risk of clinically
significant traumatic brain injury [height of fall in < 2 years of age > 3 ft is a high risk])
A 3-year-old falls < 5 ft height, no loss of
consciousness, no headache, no vomiting. Physical examination is normal except mild swelling in the
forehead. What is the next best step?
Reassurance (very low risk of clinically
significant traumatic brain injury [height of fall in > 2 years of age > 5 ft is a high risk])
A 6-year-old boy fell and hit his head while running, loss of consciousness for 30 s, one-time vomiting, headache that has slightly improved in the last 30 min. Physical examination is normal except mild swelling in the forehead. What is the next best step?
Observation period 4–6 h in ED
Child brought to the ED after severe head trauma, continues to have persistent vomiting and altered level of consciousness. What is the next best step?
Attention to ABCs (airway, breathing, and circulation)—the child needs CT head but first requires stabilization
A 6-year-old boy fell and hit his head, loss of consciousness for 2 min, progressive headache, persistent vomiting. Physical examination is
normal except mild swelling in the forehead. What is the next best diagnostic test?
Head CT scan without contrast
A 6-year-old boy fell and hit his head, loss of consciousness, headache, vomiting, improvement for few hours (lucid interval) followed by deterioration of symptoms and loss of consciousness. CT head shows hyperdense enticular-shaped mass situated between the brain and the skull. Most likely diagnosis?
Epidural hematoma—convex toward the brain and restricted by suture lines in CT scan
Head trauma, severe headache, and drowsiness. Head CT scan showed hyperdense (white), crescent-shaped mass between the inner table of the skull and the surface of the cerebral hemisphere. Most likely diagnosis?
Subdural hematoma—concave toward the brain and unlimited by suture lines in CT scan
Head trauma, bleeding from the ear, hearing loss, and facial paralysis. Most likely injury?
Temporal bone fracture