General Surgery Cards Flashcards
Cardiology requisites for surgery
EF>35, there can’t be JVD
No MI in the last 6 months
What is more important ventilation or oxygenation? What must be done before surgery?
Ventilation. Smoking cessation 8 weeks before surgery.
Childs Pugh Score components,
Mortality for any 1, mortality for all?
Albumin, PT/PTT, Bilirubin, Ascites, Encephalopathy
40% mortality for 1,
100% mortality for 5
Nutritional requisites for surgery?
Can’t have lost 20% of body weight in last 3 months, albumin must be higher than 3, must pass skin anergy test.
How to diagnose malnutrition?
Look at prealbumin and CRP. If prealbumin is low, then malnutrition. If prealbumin is normal then liver disease.
General categories of things that cause post-operative fever
Wind, water, walking, wound, wonder drugs
Fever during surgery
Malignant hyperthermia, treat with dantrolene O2, and IVF. Elicit family hx before anesthesia
Fever right after surgery
Bacteremia, diagnose with blood cultures, treat with antibiotics
Fever POD1 (dx, ppx)
Atelectasis, diagnose with CXR, no tx, ppx with incentive spirometer and OOB
Fever on POD2 (Dx Tx Ppx)
Pneumonia, dx with CXR, tx with abx (vanc, zosyn), ppx with incentive spirometer and OOB.
Fever on POD3 (dx, tx, ppx)
UTI, dx with Ua and culture, tx with ABX, ppx by removing foley
Fever on POD5 (dx, tx, ppx)
DVT/PE, dx with LE US, tx with hep/coumadin, ppx with heparin
Fever on POD7
Wound infection, ultrasound is negative for abscess, give abx, ppx with sterile field
Fever on POD10
Wound abscess, ultrasound positive for abscess, I and D plus abx, sterile field and clean.
Differential for postoperative AMS?
Electrolyte abnormalities, hypoxia, DT, ARDS
Which electrolyte abnormalities cause altered mental status?
Na or Ca
How does ARDS present?
CXR white out, give PEEP, tumultuous course.
Delerium tremens
Patient 48-72 hours after drink presents with tremulousness and delerium, htn, tachycardia. Treat with benzos
Algorithm for postoperative low urine output?
If less than 0.5ml/kg/hour, ask if patient has urge to void. If yes, then there’s an obstruction. Place an in and out cath. If no urge, then it’s renal failure. Check to see if there’s any output. If none at all, the foley is kinked (flush and unkink). If there’s some output, give the patient a 500cc bolus. If he puts out, it was prerenal. If no change, then intrarenal pathology.
Three things that cause postoperative abdominal distention?
Obstruction, paralytic ileus, ogilvie’s
Presentation of paralytic ileus.
Starts on POD1, patient has no flatus or stool.
How to diagnose ileus?
Diagnose with KUB. Will show small and large bowel distention.
How to treat paralytic ileus?
Get patient moving and eating.
Potassium and paralytic ileus
Ileus is worse with hypokalemia, watch K levels and replete as necessary.
Pathogenesis of postoperative obstruction?
Adhesions or hernias
When to suspect obstruction?
When patient has ileus to POD5.
How to diagnose obstruction?
Get a KUB. Will show proximal distention only. Distal is compressed.
How to treat abdominal obstruction?
Emergency surgery.
Ogilvie’s syndrome
Postoperative ileus in elderly after big surgery, but not abdominal surgery. Causes massively dilated colon.
How to treat ogilvie’s syndrome
Rectal tube and colonoscopy. IV neostigmine once mechanical obstruction is ruled.
Dehiscence
Failure of fascia to close properly and wound splits open.
How to patients with wound dehiscence present?
With hernia and serosanguinous drainage.
How to treat dehiscence?
Bind wound and limit straining. Elective OR repair.
Evisceration
Failure of whole wound to close, loops of bowel protruding.
How to treat evisceration?
Surgical emergency. DO NOT PUSH BACK IN. Warm saline and dressings with bedrest until OR.
Fistula
Epithelialized tract
Things that prevent fistula closure
FETID
Foreign body, epithelialization, tumor, IBD/irradiation/inflammation, distal obstruction.
How to treat fistulas
LIFT procedure. Nutritional support and protection of wound.
What causes unconjugated bilirubinemia
Hemolysis, hematoma
What causes both conjugated and unconjugated bilirubinemia
Genetic syndromes, hepatitis
What causes primarily conjugated bilirubinemia
Obstruction. Patient will have dark urine and clay stools.
How to diagnose gallstones
RUQ US shows pericholecystic fluid.
How to treat gallstones
ERCP with elective cholecystectomy.
Pancreatic cancer symptoms
Migratory thrombophlebitis, painless jaundice.
How to diagnose pancreatic/cholangiocarcinoma?
Esophageal ultrasound with biopsy.