Emergency medicine: Infection Flashcards
What are the symptoms of cellulitis and how may you differentiate from DVT clinically?
- Acute onset swelling of leg
- Severe pain
- Red, shiny, inflamed
- oedematous - blends with rest of leg, makes border indiscriminate
- U/L (usually)
- Fever, rigors, malaise and nausea* typically present in cellulitis not DVT
What is the classification system for cellulitis? When would you admit a patient
Eron
- grade ≥ 3 = admission
What are the primary antibiotic management of cellulitis?
- phenoxymethylpenicillin + high dose flucloxacillin
2. Clarith/clind/vanc if pen allergic
What is the common causes of tonsillitis?
Viral (common) - EBV, HSV1, adenovirus
Bacterial (rare) - Group A B-haemolytic strep
What is the system used to determine risk of bacterial tonsillitis?
Centor criteria:
- Fever > 38
- White exudate on tonsils or swelling
- Cervical lymphadenopathy
- Cough absent
- Age 3-14 (1), ≥ 45 (-1)
What is the treatment for bacterial tonsillitis?
Benzylpenicillin (1st line)
Clarithromycin (if pen allergic)
What are the symptoms of acute OM?
Presents at 6-12 months usually
- Painful ear
- Red, bright bulging tympanic membrane
- Loss of light reflex
- Pain subsides when TM bursts –> effusion
- Fever and irritable
What are the symptoms of chronic secretory OM?
Presents at 2-7yo
- no pain
- chronic effusion
- appears inattentive
- often does badly in school (mistaken)
- Dull retracted and opaque tympanic membrane
What is the treatment for OM?
- Analgesia and temperature
- Paracetamol - Antibiotics
- Amoxicillin or Co-amoxiclav - Tympanostomy tubes