Emma Holliday COPY Flashcards
What are possible causes of an anion gap metabolic acidosis?
MUDPILES
- methanol
- uremia
- DKA
- paraldehyde
- iron, isoniazid
- lactic acidosis
- ethylene glycol
- salicylates
What are possible causes of a non-gap metabolic acidosis?
- diarrhea
- diuretics
- RTAs
How are metabolic alkaloses differentiated?
based on urine chloride
- less than 20: vomiting/NG tube, antacids, diuretics
- more than 20: Conn’s, Bartter’s, Gittleman’s
What are the first two things to check in a patient with hyponatremia?
- check the plasma osmolality
- then check the patient’s volume status
What are potential causes of the following types of hyponatremia:
- hypervolemic
- normovolemic
- hypovolemic
- hypervolemic: CHF, nephrotic syndrome, cirrhosis
- normovolemic: SIADH, Addison’s, hypothyroidism
- hypovolemic: diuretics, vomiting
How is hyponatremia treated?
- normally, fluid restriction plus diuretics
- use normal saline if hypovolemic
- use 3% saline if symptomatic (namely seizures) or have a sodium less than 110
What is an appropriate rate for correcting hyponatremia? What is the risk associated with correcting hyponatremia too quickly?
- 0.5-1.0 mEq per hour
- central pontine myelinolysis
How is hypernatremia treated?
replace lost fluid with D5W or another hypotonic fluid
What is the risk associated with correcting hypernatremia too quickly?
cerebral edema
What are the symptoms of hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia?
- hypocalcemia: numbness, chvostek sign, Troussaeu sign, prolonged QT interval
- hypercalcemia: bones, stones, groans, psych overtones, and shortened QT syndrome
What are the symptoms of hypokalemia and hyperkalemia?
- hypokalemia: paralysis, ileum, ST depression, U waves
- hyperkalemia: peaked T waves, prolonged PR and QRS, sine waves
What are the clinical features of hyperkalemia and how is it treated?
- presents with ECG changes including peaked T waves, prolonged PR and QRS, and sine waves
- treat with calcium gluconate first, then insulin and glucose
- can use kayexalate, albuterol, and sodium bicarb as well
- dialysis is a last resort
What is the preferred maintenance fluid?
D5 in half NS with 20 KCl (if peeing)
What are three risks associated with the use of TPN?
- calculus cholecystitis
- liver dysfunction
- hyperglycemia, zinc deficiency, and other lyte problems
What is the appropriate treatment for a circumferential burn? Why?
an escharotomy because we are worried about compartment syndrome
What is the feared complication of smoke inhalation?
laryngeal edema compromising the airway
Describe the presentation of carbon monoxide poisoning?
- altered mental status
- headache
- cherry read skin
- history of exposure
Describe the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- presents with a history of exposure, altered mental status, headache, and cherry red skin
- diagnose with a carboxyhemoglobin test (remember that pulse ox is worthless)
- 100% oxygen or hyperbaric oxygen if carboxyhemoglobin is severely elevated
Why is SaO2 a poor test of someone suspected of having carbon monoxide poisoning?
because CO actually causes a leftward shift of the oxygen dissociation curve
What would a the most likely cause of a clotting disorder in the following populations:
- the elderly
- those with edema, hypertension, and foamy urine
- a young person with family history
- unresponsive to heparin
- young woman with history of multiple spontaneous abortions
- post operatively with thrombocytopenia
- elderly: think malignancy
- edema, HTN, foamy urine: nephrotic syndrome
- young with FH: factor V leiden mutation
- unresponsive to heparin: antithrombin III deficiency
- young with multiple spontaneous abortions: lupus anticoagulant
- post-op with thrombocytopenia: HIT
What is unique about the presentation and treatment of antithrombin III deficiency?
these patients are unresponsive to heparin
Describe the lab findings suggestive of vWD.
- normal platelet count
- prolonged bleeding time and PTT
What is the rule for fluid resuscitation of burn victims?
- for adults, give kg x %BSA x 3-4 of LR or NS
- for kids give kg x %BSA x 2-4 of LR or NS
- give half over the first eight hours and the rest over the subsequent sixteen hours
What is unique about the antibiotics given to burn victims?
we avoid PO and IV antibiotics because it breeds resistance and instead we use topical antibiotics (silver sulfadiazine, mafenide, silver nitrate)
What are and what is unique about the three major topical antibiotics given to burn victims?
- silver sulfadiazine: doesn’t penetrate eschars well and can cause leukopenia
- mafenide: will penetrate eschars but is severely painful
- silver nitrate: doesn’t penetrate eschars and causes hypokalemia and hyponatremia
If you suffer a chemical burn, what is the best next step?
irrigate for at least thirty minutes
If you suffer an electrical burn, what is the best next step? What about after that?
get an ECG, if abnormal these patients need at least 48 hours of telemetry
If you suffer an electrical burn and have an abnormal ECG, what is the best next step?
48 hours of telemetry
If a patient’s urine dipstick is positive for blood but is negative RBCs, this is indicative of what disease? What are the feared complications of this?
rhabdomyolysis, which is likely to cause ATN and hyperkalemia
What are two important complications of rhabdomyolysis?
- ATN
- hyperkalemia
What are the criteria for compartment syndrome?
- the five P’s: pain, pallor, paresthesia, pulselessness, paralysis
- or a compartment pressure greater than 30 mmHg
What level of consciousness warrants intubation in a trauma patient?
if they come in unconscious or have a GCS less than 8
If a patient sustains trauma to the neck and you hear subcutaneous emphysema when palpating the neck, what should be your first step?
intubate using a fiberoptic bronchoscope because you may have a laryngeal injury
What should be the first step if a trauma patient comes in with a GCS of 7 after sustaining a severe facial injury?
perform a cricothyroidotomy in any circumstance where ET tube placement may be difficult
A widened mediastinum in a trauma patient is likely indicative of what?
a great vessel injury
Which patients with a hemothorax warrant thoracotomy?
- greater than 1500cc upon placement of a chest tube
- greater than 200cc/hr over the first 4 hours
What are the criteria that define a flail chest?
two or more fractures on three or more consecutive ribs
How is flail chest treated?
supplemental oxygen and pain control with a nerve block (don’t use opioids which may decrease respiratory drive)
If a trauma patient presents with confusion, petechial rash on chest, and acute SOB, what are we worried about?
fat embolism
What are risk factors for an air embolism?
- removal of a central line
- lung trauma
- vent use
- post-op for heart vessel surgery
What is the best next step for a patient suffering from hypovolemic/hemorrhagic shock?
- place 2 large bore PIV
- run 2L NS or LR over 20 min followed by blood if there isn’t an appropriate response
Electrical alternans is indicative of what disease process?
cardiac tamponade
What is pulsus paradoxus?
a fall in systolic blood pressure greater than 10mmHg with inspiration indicative of pericardial tamponade
What is the confirmatory test for pulsus paradoxes?
FAST scan or needle decompression if suspicion is high
What is the next best step for someone with a tension pneumothorax?
needle decompression followed by chest tube placement (you don’t have time for a CXR)
Describe the swan-ganz catheter findings in each of the following types of shock:
- hypovolemic
- vasogenic
- neurogenic
- cardiogenic
- hypovolemic: low RAP/PCWP, high SVR, low CO
- vasogenic: low RAP/PCWP, low SVR, high CO
- neurogenic: low RAP/PCWP, low SVR, high CO
- cardiogenic: high RAP/PCWP, high SVR, low CO
What is neurogenic shock?
a form of vasogenic shock in which spinal cord injury, spinal anesthesia, or adrenal insufficiency causes an acute loss of sympathetic vascular tone
Describe the treatment for each of the following types of shock:
- hypovolemic
- vasogenic
- neurogenic
- cardiogenic
- hypovolemic: crystalloid resuscitation
- vasogenic: fluid resuscitation and treatment of the offending agent (antibiotics or anti-histamines)
- neurogenic: dexamethasone if due to adrenal insufficiency
- cardiogenic: give diuretics, treat the HR to 60-100, then address the rhythm, and finally give vasopressor support if necessary
How is GCS calculated?
- 4 eyes: spontaneous, to speech, to pain, no response
- 6 motor: obeys, localizes, withdraws from pain, abnormal flexion, abnormal extension, no response
- 5 verbal: oriented, confused, inappropriate words, incomprehensible sounds, no response
What is the best first test in someone who has sustained head trauma?
CT
How can an acute subdural be differentiated from a chronic subdural?
- acute subdural are hyperdense
- chronic subdural are hypodense
What signs and symptoms are indicative of increased intracranial pressure?
- papilledema
- headache
- vomiting
- altered mental status
How is increased intracranial pressure treated?
- elevate the head of the bed
- give mannitol
- hyperventilate to pCO2 of 28-32
Where are the three zones of penetrating trauma to the neck and what is important about each?
- zone 1 is low, below the cricoid; need to do an aortography
- zone 2 is in the middle; need to do a 2D doppler to explore the potency of the vessels and you may want to do an exploratory surgery
- zone 3 is high, above the angle of the mandible; need to perform an aortography and triple endoscopy
If a patient comes in with free air under the diaphragm, what is the best next step?
exploratory laparotomy
What is the best next step for a patient who suffers a GSW to the abdomen?
exploratory laparotomy plus tetanus prophylaxis
What is the best next step in a patient who suffers a stab wound to the abdomen?
- if stable, perform a FAST exam; use diagnostic peritoneal lavage if FAST is equivocal; ex lap if either is positive
- if unstable, perform an ex lap
What is the best next step in a patient who suffers blunt trauma to the abdomen?
- if stable, perform an abdominal CT
- if unstable, perform an ex lap
What should you suspect in a patient who suffers blunt abdominal trauma has the following:
- lower rib fracture plus blood in the abdomen
- lower rib fracture plus hematuria
- kehr sign and viscera in thorax on CXR
- handlebar sign
- spleen or liver laceration
- kidney injury
- diaphragm rupture (kehr sign is referred pain to the shoulder)
- pancreatic rupture (handlebar sign is the circular imprint on the abdomen)
Retroperitoneal fluid found on CT in a trauma patient is likely indicative of what?
duodenal rupture
How should a pelvic fracture be fixed?
internally if the patient is stable and externally if the patient is unstable
If a patient suffers pelvic trauma and is now hypotensive or tachycardia, what is the best next step and why?
concern is that they’re bleeding into their abdomen/pelvis, so do a FAST or diagnostic peritoneal lavage
What are two signs of urethral injury?
- high riding prostate
- blood at the urethral meatus
What is the next best step in a patient with a suspected urethral injury?
- do a retrograde urethrogram
- never place a foley