Emergency Medicine Flashcards
What is the treatment for a pt at home who reports recent toxic ingestion but not at the hospital?
Ipecac (induces vomiting; beneficial w/in 1-2 hours of ingestion)
What is the initial treatment for choice for a pt arriving at the hospital after toxic ingestion?
Charcoal (blocks absorption and promotes excretion; can be used at any time)
What is the cocktail of medication given to a pt who presents to the emergency department with altered mental status?
naloxone, dextrose and thiamine
What is the treatment of choice for toxic-related seizures?
benzos
A pt presents with nausea, vomiting, and elevated liver enzymes after ingestion of pills most likely suffers from …
Acetaminophen intoxicity (>7 grams)
What is the treatment for acetominophen toxicity?
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and charcoal
useful for first 48 hours
What are characteristic findings in a pt with methanol intoxication (paint thinner, windshield washer fluid)? (3)
- visual disturbances (snow field blindness, nystagmus)
- metabolic acidosis with anion gap
- elevated osmolar gap (before metabolized)
(due to formic acid metabolite)
What are characteristic findings in a pt with ethylene glycol intoxication (antifreeze)? (5)
- oxalate crystals
- renal failure (elevated BUN and creatinine)
- urine fluorescence under wood’s lamp
- metabolic acidosis with anion gap
- elevated osmolar gap (before metabolized)
(due to oxalic acid metabolite)
A pt presenting with altered mental status, pulmonary symptoms and cardiac symptoms after exposure to smoke inhalation or fire with metabolic acidosis and normal pO2 most likely suffers from …
Carbon monoxide poisoning
family w/ flu symptoms
What is the treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning?
- removal from source
2. 100% oxygen or hyperbaric oxygen
What is the treatment for acid and alkali causatic ingestions?
- wash out mouth with cold water
- irrigate ocular exposure with saline/ water (until normal pH)
(avoid inducing emesis or neutralizing acid or base)
What is the treatment for digoxin toxicity?
- charcoal
- digiband (if arrhthymias, K>5.5, digoxin > 10)
- correct potassium
- treat arrhythmia (lidocaine, phenytoin for V tach; Mg for torsades; atropine, pacer for bradycardia)
What is the treatment for opiate intoxication?
naloxone (shorter half life than opiate so may need repeated doses)
A pt presents with pupillary constriction and respiratory depression along with bradycardia and hypotension most likely suffers from …
opiate toxicity
What toxins can cause miosis (pupillary constriction)?
- clonidine
- barbituates
- opiates
- cholinergics
What toxins can cause mydriasis (pupillary dilation)?
- sympathomimetics (cocain, amphetamine)
2. anticholinergics
What toxins causes dry skin (anhidriosis)?
anticholinergics
A pt presents with altered mental status with pinpoint pupils, respiratory depression, and hypotension with associated hx of cancer or IV drug use most likely suffers from intoxication with …
opiates
A pt presents violent, tachycardiac, hypertensive, dilated pupils, diaphoretic, and acting crazy most likely suffers from intoxication with …
Sympathomimetics
amphetamine, cocaine, PCP
A pt presents with farmer dusting crops or depressed pt who drank insecticide presenting with miosis, salivation, urination, defecation, lacrimation, bradycardia and bronchospasm (wheezing) most likely suffers from intoxication from …
Cholinergics
die from respirtory depression due to muscle fasciculations and weakness
What is the medical treatment for cholinergic intoxication?
- Atropine (inhibitor of ACh receptors)
- pralidoxime (2-PAM restores cholinesterase activity)
(doctor wear protective clothing and remove pt clothes b/c absorbed thru skin)
What are tests that can confirm the diagnosis of cholinergic toxication?
RBC or plasma cholinesterase level
takes two weeks to return
A pt presents with tachycardia, altered mental status (mad as a hatter), anhidriosis (dry skin; dry as bone), fever (hot as hare), mydriasis (blind as a bat), flushed (red as a beet), and constipated with urinary retention (full as a flask) most likely suffers from intoxication from …
Anticholingerics
TCAs
What toxins can causes wet skin (diaphoresis)?
- cholinergics
2. sympathomimetics (amphetamine, cocaine, PCP)
What toxins can cause blisters?
- barbituates
2. carbon monoxide poisoning
What treatment can be used to prevent absorption of ingested pills within 1 hour of ingestion?
Gastric Lavage (must intubate first if altered mental status; can't do after 1 hour)
What are contraindications to gastric lavage?
- acid and alkaline ingestions
- past 1 hour of ingestion
- hydrocarbon ingestion (gasoline)
- altered pt who is not intubated
What drugs are contraindicated in cocaine toxicity?
beta blockers (b/c leads to unopposed alpha stimulation)
When do you use whole bowel irrigation with golytely?
pills located beyond stomach and things not absorbed rapidly (packets of drugs being smuggled, sustained release meds, iron, lithium)
(things that show up on X-ray)
What pills will show up on X-ray?
CHIPES
chloral hydrate, heavy metals, iron, packers, enteric coated meds, sustained release
What 2 drugs that you can aid elimination with forced alkaline diuresis (bicarbonate)?
- aspirin
2. phenobarbital
What substances/ drugs that may require hemodialysis for removal in overdose?
(ISTUMBLE)
- isopropanol
- salicylates
- theophylline
- uremia
- methanol
- barbituates
- lithium
- ethylene glycol
What is the treatment for cocaine intoxication associated agitation?
benzo
What are treatment options for cocaine intoxication associated hypertension?
- labetalol (combined alpha/beta agent)
- phentolamine (alpha blockers)
- nitroprusside
What is a complication of flumazenil use in a benzo intoxication?
seizures (acute withdrawal symptom)
What lab test is used to determine whether a pt with acetominophen intoxication requires liver transplant?
PT (if normal, liver will recover)
What is the treatment for barbituate intoxication (can lead to respiratory/ CNS depression)?
bicarbonate (to increase urinary excretion of phenobarbital)
What is the treatment for methanol or ethylene glycol?
- ethanol
- fomepizole
(block alcohol dehydrogenase to prevent toxic metabolite production)
What vitamin can be used to help with methanol intoxication?
Folate
What are characteristic findings in a pt with isopropyl intoxication? (5)
- nystagamus
- GI bleeding
- renal & liver dysfunction
- anemia
- CNS deficits (coma, hypoventilation)
What vitamin cofactors can be used to help with ethylene glycol intoxication?
- thiamine
- pyridoxine (vitamine B6)
- ketonemia & ketonuria
- elevated osmolar gap
A pt presents with abdominal pain, microcytic anemia, neuro symptoms (headache, memory loss, seizures) most likely suffers from ….. poisoning
Lead
What is the diagnostic tests for lead poisoning?
- blood lead levels (> 10ug/dL)
2. lead lines (density at metaphyseal plate of long bones in kids signifying long-term exposure)
What is treatment for lead poisoning?
- Charcoal (if acute)
2. chelation (EDTA, dimercaprol (BAL), penicillamine, succimer)
What is the treatment for mercury poisoning?
- remove from source
2. chelation w/ succimer or dimercaprol (BAL)
A pt working in an industrial manufacturing plant presents with interstitial penumonitis, GI distress, and erethism (tremors, excitability, memory loss, delirium, insomnia) most likely suffers from …. poisoning
Mercury
What is the next best step in a pregnant women with GI distress and a carbon monoxide level >15%?
treat with oxygen (b/c fetal hemoglobin binds more tightly to CO then maternal hemoglobin)
A pt presents with GI distress, tinnitus, hyperventilation, CNS toxicity, and metabolic acidosis with elevated anion gap most likely suffers from …. intoxication
Salicylates (aspirin)
What is the most accurate test for salicylate intoxication?
aspirin level
What is the treatment for salicylate intoxication?
- gastric lavage (if w/in 1 hour)
- charcoal
- bicarbonate (alkalization of urine)
- aggressive fluid resuscitation (increase urine output)
What salicylate level is an indication for dialysis?
> 100 mg/dl
What diagnostic tool can be used to assess the extent of injury after acid or alkali caustic ingestion?
endoscopy
A pt presents with GI distress, hyperkalemia, blurred vision, color vision abnormality and arrhythmia most likely suffers from …. intoxication
digoxin
A pt presents with dry mouth, tachycardia, dilated pupils, flushed skin, CNS effects and dysrhythmia with QRS widening most likely suffers from …. intoxication
Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCA)
What are common complications from cocaine abuse?
- hemorrhagic stroke
- myocardial infarction
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- arrhythmia
What is the most accurate test for TCA intoxication?
serum drug level
What diagnostic test is important to determine the severity of the TCA intoxication?
EKG (detect dysrhythmia)
A pt presents unconscious with weak pulse, respiratory depression, nonreactive pupils and absent EEG activity most likely suffers from …. intoxication
barbituate
What is the treatment for tricyclic antidepressant intoxication?
- charcoal (acutely b/c slowed gastric empyting due to TCA)
2. Bicarbonate (protect heart if dysrhythmia)
What is the treatment for severe hallucinogen intoxication?
Benzos