Emergency Medicine Flashcards
Rapid primary survey components
Airway (C-spine) Breathing and ventilation Circulation (pulse, hemorrhage) Disability (neurological status) Exposure (complete) and Environment (temperature control)
- continually reassess during secondary survey
- if change in hemodynamic/neurological state, return to primary survey
If cardiac arrest, primary survey changes to
CABs
Airway in rapid primary survey
Immobilize with collar
Assess ability to breathe and speak
Reassess frequently
Assess facial fx/edema/burn
Basic airway management
Protect C-spine
If C-spine injury not suspected, head tilt
If C-spine injury suspected, jaw thrust
Sweep and suction
Temporizing measures
If gag reflex present (conscious): nasopharyngeal airway
If gag absent (unconscious): oropharyngeal airway
Rescue devices: laryngeal mask airway, Combitube
Last resort: transtracheal jet ventilation
Definitive airway Mx
ETT intubation + in-line stabilization of C-spine
- Preferred: orotracheal +/- RSI
- If conscious: nasotracheal better tolerated
- no 100% protection agains aspiration
- nasotracheal relatively contraindicated in basal skull fx
If unable to intubate: surgical airway
*cricothyroidotomy
Contraindications to intubation
Supraglottic/glottic pathology
Medications that can be delivered via ETT
Naloxone Atropine Ventolin (salbutamol) Epinephrine Lidocaine
If trauma requiring intubation but no immediate need what’s the next step?
C-spine x-ray
If positive:
Fiberoptic ETT
Nasal ETT
RSI
If negative: Oral ETT (+/- RSI)
Breathing in rapid primary survey
Look: mental status, color, chest movement
Listen: auscultate (signs of obstruction such as stridor), breath sounds, symmetry of air entry, air escaping
Feel: tracheal shift, chest wall crepitus, flail segment, sucking chest wound, emphysema
Objective measures for assessment of breathing
Rate, oximetry, ABG, A-a gradient
Mx of breathing
In order of increasing FiO2: Nasal prongs Simple face mask Nonrebreather mask CPAP/BiPAP
If inadequate ventilation:
Bag-Valve mask
CPAP
Class I hemorrhagic shock
<750 ml (<15% of blood volume) PR <100 BP: Normal RR: 20 Capillary refill: Normal U/O: 30cc/h Fluid replacement: Crystalloid
Class II hemorrhagic shock
750-1500cc 15-30% PR > 100 RR 30 BP Normal Capillary refill decreased U/O 20cc/h Fluid replacement: crystalloid
Class III
1500-2000 30-40% PR >120 BP decreased RR 35 CR decreased U/O 10 cc/h Fluid: crystalloid+ blood
Class IV
>2000 >40% PR>140 BP decreased RR > 45 CR decreased U/O none Fluid crystalloid + blood
Indications for intubation
Unable to protect airway (GCS <8, airway trauma)
Inadequate oxygenation with spontaneous respiration (O2 sat <90% with 100% O2, rising pCO2)
Impending airway obstruction: trauma, overdose, airway burns, CHF, asthma, COPD, anaphylaxis, angioedema, expanding hematoma
Anticipated transfer of critical patient
Mx of hemorrhagic shock
Clear airway/breathing
Direct pressure on external wounds
Start 2 large bore IVs (14-16)
Run 1-2 L bolus of IV normal saline/ Ringer’s lactate
If no response/ continued bleeding, pRBC (crossmatched or O- for women, O+ for men)
FFP, Plt, Tranexamic in eatly bleeding
Cosider common sites of internal bleeding (surgical intervention)
Disability in primary survey
Assess LOC (GCS) And Eyes: Pupils (size, symmetry, reactivity to light) Extraocular movements/nystagmus Fundoscopy (papilledema, hemorrhage)
Decreased LOC + reactive pupils
Metabolic cause
Or
Structural cause
Decreased LOC + non-reactive pupils
Structural cause
GCS use
For use in trauma pt (less meaningful for metabolic coma)
Indicator of ”severity” of injury and neurosurgical “prognosis”
Needs to be repeated (changes more relevant than absolute number)
GCS in intubated pt:
Reported out of 10 + T
The GCS used for prognosis determination
Best post-resuscitation GCS