Endocrine Flashcards
What are the symptoms of hyperthyroid disease?
What is an example of a hyperthyroid disease?
- Graves disease
- Symptoms:
- anxiety
- fatigue
- muacle weakness
- weight loss
- diarrhea
- heat tolerance
- diaphoresis
- tachydysrhythmias
- exophthalmos
- goiter
What are some drugs used to treat hyperthyroidism?
- beta blockers - treat symptoms
- Antithyroid drugs- decrease thyroid production
- Methimazole
- carbimazole
- propylthiouracil (PTU)
- Iodid containing compounds
- potassium iodide
- Lugol’s solution
- Lithium
- glucocorticoids
What should you look for in pre-op assessment of a hyperthyroid patient?
- Review of systems
- Ideally they will be Euthyroid (check labs)
- Assess affect of disease on CV system
- EKG
- Beta blockers pre-op
- continue all other drugs as well
How do you take care of a pt with hyperthyroidism that needs emergent surgery?
- Can’t cancel the surgery, so treat the symptoms
- Esmolol 100-300 mcg/kg/min
What is thyrotoxicosis?
an excessive amount of circulating thyroid hormone. Normally endogenous cause, but people have been known to take thyroid medications to try to lose weight.
What is thyroid storm?
What is a major symptom?
What might it be confused with?
- Abrupt release of circulating thyroid hormones that cause an acute appearance of the signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism.
- Thyroid hormones become very high
- Major sign: marked elevation of body temperature, as high as 105-106 F
- might be confused with: malignant hyperthermia, pheochromocytoma, neuroleptic malignant syndrom, sepsis
How is thyroid storm treated?
- cooled IV crystalloids
- esmolol drip
- PTU- must go through NG
- Potassium iodide
What should you included in your airway assessment of a patient with hyperthyroidism?
- CT/X-rays
- voice quality
- swallowing
- large goiter may cause tracheomalacia
- Isthmus (the joining part of the thyroid) is located over 2nd and 4th tracheal rings
- Assess for possible difficult airway
What medication that we use relatively frequently should be avoided in pts with hyperthyroidism? Why?
Anticholinergics b/c of tachycardia
What do you want to give your hyperthyroid patient preop?
What do you want to avoid?
- Midazolam 2-5 mg
- these patients tend to always be very anxious
- Avoid hypercarbia because it stimulates sympathetic nervous system
- Avoid hypoxia due to increased metabolic demands
How do you want to induce a hyperthyroid patient?
(when not a difficult airway?
- Smooth- avoid fluctuations in BP and HR
- Choice of induction drugs:
- Thiopental
- Propofol
- etomidate- may see increases in BP, only use if they have developed cardiac issues
- NO ketamine!
- Muscle relaxants:
- Depolarizer for difficult airway
- any non-dep except for Pancuronium d/t SNS response
- want 0/4 twitches
- Lidocaine/LTA
What equipment might you want for intubation of a pt for a thyroid surgery?
- Reinforced tube- for any head or neck surgery
- RAE tube- for nasal intubation, some surgeons will have a preference
- Extensions to tubing to provide surgical access
- head of bed may be on opposite side of OR
- Difficult airway cart handy
- Be prepared to REALLY tape that tube!!
- benzoin, pink tape, opsite
When preparing your patient for the surgery (after induction) make sure you have the _____ and _____ protected.
Eyes and nose
- Use lacrilube, padding, forehead pad
How will your patient be positioned for a thyroidectomy?
What are some considerations for this?
- Supine, arms tucked
- Have an IV in each arm
- b/c of limited access from arms being tucked
- add extra extension tubing and have a port access within reach
What is the goal during maintenance of a pt with hyperthyroid?
How might this pt respond to the medications you administer?
- Goal: Avoid stimulating SNS
- Pt may have accelerated drug metabolism
- not confirmed in studies
- clinically relevant d/t increased CO
- Hyperthermia causes 5% increase in MAC seen with 1 degree increase in body temp >37 degrees
- Local anesthetic with epi should be avoided
What should you monitor during the maintenance phase of anesthesia for a hyperthyroid patient?
- Look for early signs of SNS stimulation
- monitor temp
- may need cooling
- Eye protection- frequent checks and make sure equipment is kept off the face
- IV access- infiltration?
- Muscle relaxants- may have a prolonged response