Emergency Medicine Flashcards
DDx of life threatening chest injuries:
HOT and FAT CHEST
- Hemothorax
- Open pneumo
- Tension pneumothorax
- Flail chest
- Airway obstruction
- Tamponade
- Contusion: myocardial or pulmonary
- Hernia: traumatic, diaphragmatic
- ESophageal performation
- Tracheobronchial disruption
- Traumatic/Thoracic Aortic Rupture
Management of anaphylaxis/allergic reaction
- ABC’s
- Secure airway and IV access
Give 100% O2
Intubate if obstruction
Raise feet to help restore circulation
3. IM epinephrine Adult: 0.5mL of 1:1000 Child: 0.01mL/kg/dose up to 0.4mL 1:1000. Repeat every 5min if needed
- Chlorphenamine 10mg IV
Hydrocortisone 200mg IV
0.9% saline - If wheeze - treat using asthma protocol
Nebulized salbutamol - If still hypotensive - IV adrenalin in ICU
- Patient should be monitored for atleast
4-6hrs.
FU with GP 24-48hrs later - risk of 2nd
phase response up to 48 hrs later.
Suggest medical alert bracelet
Teach self injection of epipen
Definition of shock
Circulatory failure resulting in inadequate organ perfusion.
List the types of shock
- Cardiogenic shock
- Hypovolemic shock
- Neurogenic shock
- Anaphylactic shock
- Sepsis
- Endocrine causes - Addison’s, hypothyroid
Management of shock
1. If BP is unrecordable - call the cardiac arrest team immediately. 2. ABC 3. Start high flow oxygen 4. Raise the foot of the bed **unless cardiogenic shock** 5. IV access x2 6. Try to identify and treat the underlying cause. 7. Infuse crystalloid fast to raise BP **Unless cardiogenic shock** 8. Get help 9. Investigations - FBC, U&E, glucose, CRP - Group and cross match - Check clotting - Blood cultures, urine cultures, ECG - Chest XRY 10. Consider putting in an arterial line, CVL, urinary catheter. 11. Aim for urine flow > 30cc/h 12. Goals: - Fluid replacement as per BP/vitals - Don't over load - If still hypotensive = ionotropes
SIRS
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome 1. Temp > 38 or < 36 2. Tachy > 90 3. RR > 20 or PaCO2 < 4.3 kPa 4. WBC > 12 or < 4 or > 10% immature bands.
Define sepsis
SIRS in the presence of an infection
Severe sepsis
Sepsis with evidence of organ hypoperfusion
e.g lactic acidosis, oliguria, altered cerebral function.
Septic shock
Severe sepsis with hypotension despite fluid rescusitation.
Cause of upper GI bleed
- Peptic ulcer 40%
- Mallory Weiss tear 15%
- Gastroduodenal ulceration
- Esophagitis
- Varies
- Others: malignancy, vascular
malformations, nose bleed, trauma.
Management of Upper GI Bleed
- Protect airway
- Insert two large IV cannula
- Draw bloods - FBC, U&E, clotting
screen, cross match 6 units of blood. - Give high flow oxygen
- Rapid IV crystalloid infusion up to 1L
- If remain shocked - give blood group
specific or O Rh-ve. - Give slow saline infusion to keep lines
open. - Transfuse according to hemodynamic
- CVP line - aim for > 5cm H20
Swan Ganz catheter - Catheterize - aim for > 30mL/hr
- Urgent endoscopy when stable.
Management of variceal bleeding
- Resuscitate
- Urgent endoscopy for banding or
sclerotherapy. - Give terlipressin 2mg sc
- If massive bleed - Sengstaken-
Blakemore - Omeprazole 40mg PO
Empiric management of meningitis
- Prior to hospital - give 1.2g IM/IV
benzypenicillin. - While in hospital - 2g cefotaxime IV
+ Dexamethasone 4-10mg/6hr IV
Management of status epilepticus
Seizures lasting > 30min or repeated seizures without intervening consciousness
- Open airway, lay person in recovery
position, remove false teeth, insert
oral/nasal airway. - 100% oxygen + suction
- IV access + take bloods
- FBC, LFT, glucose, Ca++
- Toxicology screen
- Anticonvulsant levels
- Thiamine 250mg IV if alcoholic or
malnourished.
Glucose 50mL of 50% unless normal - Hypotensive - give fluids
- Lorazepam 2-4mg
Second dose if no response in 2min - If seizure continues - phenytoin
- 18mg/kg IV = infusion
- 100mg/6-8hr = maintenance
- Check levels
- Alternative: IV diazepam infusion
- Call for anesthesia - if still seizing.
Raised ICP: Management
- ABC
- Correct hypotension and treat seizures
or identifiable cause. - Elevate the head of the bed to 30-40deg
- If intubated hyperventilate the patient.
- Mannitol - 20% sol 1-2g/kg IV
- Dexamethasone 10mg IV
Only useful for cerebral edema due to
tumor - Fluid restrict to < 1.5L/d
- Monitor patient & try to find cause.