Emergency Medicine (A-E) Flashcards
what is the presentation of acute severe asthma?
acute breathlessness and wheeze
what investigation would you do if suspect of acute severe asthma
Peak expiratory flow rate
ABG
CXR
FBC
U&E
the different of severe and life-threatening acute asthma attack
severe attack:
- can’t complete sentences in 1 breath
- RR >_25/min
- PR >_110bpm
- PEF 33-50%
Life threatening attack
- Silent chest, cyanosis feeble respiratory effort
- arrhythmia / hypotension
- exhaustion, confusion /coma
- PEF <33%
Immediate treatment and management for acute asthma
Give O2 -> maintain 94-98%
salbutamol 5mg nebulized with O2
severe/ life-threatening -> ipratropium 0.5mg /6hrs to nebulizer
Hydrocortisone 100mg IV / prednisone 40-50mg PO
Which department to refer if the acute asthma doesn’t improve?
ICU
what is in the presentation of acute exacerbations of COPD?
- Increase cough
- breathlessness
- wheeze
- decreased exercise capacity
what investigation would you do on acute exacerbations of COPD?
ABG
CXR - exclude pneumothorax and infection
FBC
U&E
CRP
ECG
sputum culture
blood cultures if pyrexia
management of acute COPD
- Nebulized bronchodilators - salbutamol 5mg/4hrs and ipratropium 500mcg/6hrs
____________________________ - controlled oxygen therapy if SaO2 <88% or PaO2<7kPa
starts at 24-28% aim sats 88-92% - steroids
IV hydrocortisone 200mg and oral prednisolone, 30mg OD (continue for 7-14days) - antibiotics (if there’s infection)
amoxicillin 500mg/8hrs PO
alternatively clarithromycin / doxycycline
**if no response to nebulizers and steroids –> IV aminophylline
Clinical features on pneumothorax?
-sudden onset of dyspnoea
-pleuritic chest pain
-sudden deterioration
-mechanically ventilated patient - suddenly develop hypoxia / increase in ventilation pressures
-reduced expansion
-hyper-resonance to percussion
-diminished breath sounds on the affected side
Clinical features on tension pneumothorax?
SOB
tachycardia
hypotension
distended neck veins
trachea deviated away from the side of pneumothorax
hyperresonance
reduced air sound on the affected side
how you would investigate pneumothorax?
CXR *(don’t use when suspicion of tension pneumothorax)
ABG
Bloods and U&E
Differences of primary and secondary pneumothorax
primary pneumothorax develops in the absence of an underlying disease process.
secondary pneumothorax develops as a result of underlying lung disease such as asthma or COPD.
management of pneumothorax
needle decompression
What’s the signs and symptoms of pneumonia
fever
rigors
malaise
anorexia
dyspnoea
cough
purulent sputum
haemoptysis
pleuritic chest pain
cyanosis
confusion
tachypnoea
tachycardia
hypotension
diminished expansion, dull percussion, tactile vocal fremitus, vocal resonance
investigation on pneumonia
CURB-65
CXR
ABG
FBC, U&E, LFT, CRP
BLOOD CULTURES
SPUTUM CULTURES
urine pneumococcal antigen
viral throat