ENT emergenies Flashcards
Primary concern with facial, head or neck trauma?
- maintain airway
- avoid nasal tracheal intubation
- consider: endotracheal intubation, laryngeal mask airway, cricothyroidotomy
- avoid NG tubes (or any tube in the nose) until the extent of the injury is determined (don’t want to lose tubes in the brain!!)
Hemorrhage control?
- shock rarely develops from facial bleeding alone
- apply direct pressure
- may need nasal packing for epistaxis
What PE findings are you looking for with ENT fractures - nose specifically?
- CSF rhinorrhea
- septal hematoma
- nasal fracture
Significance of CSF rhinorrhea?
- how do you distinguish b/t clear nasal d/c and CSF?
- direct communication with CNS exists due to disruption of bony barrier and tear in dura
- significant risk for CNS infection
- distinguish:
clinical hx
filter paper - look for halo sign - test for glucose with glucose oxidase paper
When can a septal hematoma occur in adults, children?
- occur from trauma to anterior nasal septum
- adults: sig trauma and nasal fracture
- children: can occur with simple falls or minor altercations
Tx of septal hematomas?
- drain and pack
- abxs (augmentin) - if abscess suspected IV clindamycin and admission
- cartilage fracture: can result in formation of bilateral hematomas
Complications from not draining a septal hematoma?
- saddle nose deformity
- septal perforation
- septal abscess: may spread to paranasal and intracranial structures resulting in intracranial abscess, orbital cellulitis, cavernous sinous thrombosis
Nasal fracture:
dx, what to look for on PE?
- most commonly fractured bone in the face
- dx usually based on PE
- nose usually edematous and tender
- look for displacement, crepitus, and epistaxis
- inspection with nasal speculum mandatory to rule out septal hematoma
- manage (closed reduction) 2-10 days post injury to allow for reduction of swelling
In an ENT trauma - what should you look for in and around the ears?
- auricular hematoma
- hemotympanum
- battle sign
What is auricular hematoma?
Tx?
- direct trauma to auricle
- caused by separation of cartilage from perichondrium resulting in avascular necrosis
- drain within 7 days, compression dressing, daily follow up for few days, abx to cover staph
Etiologies of cauliflower ear?
- failure to drain hematoma
- stimulation of cartilage growth
- laceration through cartilage
- infection
- high piercings
- prevention with protective head gear for wrestling, boxing, rugby, and martial arts is key
Tx of ear laceration?
- can do single layer closure through skin and perichondrium but not cartilage (risk of hyperstim. cartilage)
- pressure dressing to prevent hematoma
- close f/u
- can use posterior auricular block for anesthesia
Findings of middle ear injury?
- hemotympanum
- amber or clear middle ear effusion
- otorrhea (clear or bloody ear canal drainage)
- hearing deficit by Weber and rinne tuning fork tests
- nystagmus
- ataxia
- retroauricular hematoma (battle sign)
- facial nerve deficit may be sign of basilar skull fracture or assoc with middle ear injury
Basilar skull fracures - what bones are involved?
- can be secondary to fracture in temporal, occipital, sphenoid, or ethmoid bones
- temporal bone: involved in 75% of basilar skull fractures
What is a hemotympanum indicative of?
- basilar skull fracture and middle ear injury
What is Battle sign indicative of?
- basilar skull fracture
- occurs 6-12 hrs after injury
Ottorhea - examination?
- eval for blood or CSF
- may have hemorrhagic ottorhea from TM rupture or other middle ear injury
- leave penetrating fbs there until further eval with imaging
- leave clots in EAC if other signs of middle ear injury (ENT to eval)
- eval for further injury - skull fracture
What would you look for in trauma pt while doing the oral and mandibular exam?
- mandibular deviation, malocclusion of teeth, paresthesia, tongue blade test
Eval of mandibular fracture?
- 2nd most common facial fracture
- eval the bite - tongue blade test
- tooth fractures or avulsions
- look for trauma of tongue and sublingual ecchymosis
Management and workup of mandibular fracture?
- management: airway management, hemostasis, surgical consult
- workup: hx, PE, xray, or CT scan
First thing you need to do with pt that has blunt trauma to the neck?
- pt may deteriorate rapidly: leading to impending airway obstruction
- first thing - determine if airway and pt are stable or unstable!
Most common etiologies of blunt trauma to neck?
- MVA
- sports
- GSW
- assault
- bicycle
mechanism of injury: forward thrust
(in MVA - seat belts and air bags decrease incidence)
Initial eval of pt with blunt trauma to neck
- ATLS principles
- intubation hazardous
- respiratory distress: tracheotomy under local anesthesia
- avoid cricothyroidotomies: worsen injury
- if no acute breathing difficulties: get detailed hx and careful PE
History ?s in dx laryngeal injury?
- change in voice
- pain
- dyspnea
- dysphagia
- odynophagia
- hemoptysis
- inability to tolerate the supine position