Medical Emeegencies Part Two

Question 0

What is syncope?

Answer 0

A transient loss of consciousness.
What do you do?
Reassure patient, lay them flat with legs raised, give oxygen, loosed. Any tight clothing, monitor breathing and circulation, recovery should be fairly quick.

Question 1

What are the different types of cardiovascular emergencies?

Answer 1

Syncope, cardiac disease (angina, myocardial infarction etc), anaphylaxis, heart attack may not present with chest pain may just be shortness of breath and other symptoms.

Question 2

What are the symptoms a patient having acute chest pain might have? (Could be Angina or myocardial infarction leading to heart attack)

Answer 2

Central crushing chest pain
Pain may radiate to left arm, neck, through to back
Associated with nausea, sweating, vomiting or difficulty breathing

Question 3

What to do if patient has acute cheat pain and it’s angina?

Answer 3

Reassure patient, give oxygen, give nitrate (either from a GTN spray which they should have with them or through tablets) call an ambulance if episode is prolonged.

Question 4

What to do if patient has acute chest pain and it’s myocardial infarction?

Answer 4

MONASH
Monitor patients 
Oxygen
Nitrate
Aspiring 300mg
Summon Help

Question 5

What’s anaphylaxis?

Answer 5

An acute, life threatening, IgE antibody-antigen mediated hypersensitivity reaction that presents with symptoms ranging from mild (urticaria, pruritis) to severe (hypertension, compromised airway, problems associated with skin and mucosal changes).

Question 6

What are the common precipitating factors in anaphylaxis?

Answer 6

Drugs, foods, latex, radiography contrast media, additives in medicine including topical drugs

Question 7

What happens if someone has an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)

Answer 7

FAST for what happens:
Face (urticaria, erythema, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, facial oedema, flushing or pallor), Airway (tongue swelling, hoarse voice, bronchospasm, upper airway oedema leading to stridor), Stomach (nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea), Total body (rash, hypertension, pallor or cyanosis, feeling of impending doom, loss of consciousness).

Question 8

What to do if patient has anaphylaxis? (Allergic reaction)

Answer 8

ABC
Airway- ensure it’s open, give oxygen
Breathing- assess resp rate, consider salbutamol to relax bronchioles
Circulation- lay patient flat, check pulse and blood pressure.
Give epinephrine or epipen. Repeat dose after 5 mins depending on vital signs. Assess conscious level. Note extent of rash and any other skin changes. Tell patient to go to hospital/ambulance