Other IM + Surg Flashcards
Why do OCP’s (birth control) cause HTN?
Due to estrogen effects
(Exact mechanism is unclear, but know that estrogen is a pro-clotting, blood pressure raising hormone. Progesterone is a smooth muscle relaxant (to keep baby in) and therefore relaxes smooth muscle in vessels-> vasodilation-> lowered BP. Although progesterone may be in OCPs, estrogen is the main ingredient-> o’ all high BP.)
What is SIRS criteria? Diagnosis of sepsis vs. severe sepsis vs. septic shock vs. multi-organ dysfunction syndrome?
SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) criteria:
- Temp >38C or <36C
- WBC >12 or <4
- HR >90 (tachycardic)
- RR >20 (tachypenic)
- need 2/4 to be SIRS positive (means infection should be on your ddx)
Sepsis= SIRS positive + there’s a source
Severe sepsis= organ dysfunction (>1 organ), responsive to fluids
Septic shock= organ dysfunction (>1 organ), NOT responsive to fluids (give pressors)
Multi-organ dysfunction syndrome if >2 organs are shot—> death
If a patient has hypocalcemia, what do you first have to do to make sure the patient truly has hypocalcemia?
Correct the calcium with the albumin
Note that 99% of calcium in the body is bound to albumin (only 1% is free calcium)- so albumin influences calcium levels. Albumin plays the biggest role in hypocalcemia, so make sure to MD Calc it and check if corrected calcium level is still in the hypocalcemic range
*for every change of albumin by 1, calcium changes by 0.8
Dialysis indications (AEIOU)?
Acidosis (refractory to bicarb)
Electrolytes (hyperkalemia refractory to insulin/ beta blockers/ lasix- meds that normally drive K+ into cells)
Intoxication (aminoglycosides, polyethylene glycol, other nephrotoxic agents)
Overload
Uremia
*uremia presents as nausea/ vomiting, bleeding (disrupts platelet function, mental status changes, pericarditis)
Some IV meds that cover MRSA?
Vancomycin, Daptomycin, Telavancin
Some oral drugs that cover MRSA?
Doxycycline, Bactrim (TMP-SMX), Ceftaroline (5th gen cephalosporin), Linezolid
What is Light’s criteria?
Criteria for determining if fluid in a pleural effusion is transudative or exudative
- Transudative= protein only (due to high hydrostatic pressure like in HF or low oncotic pressure like in nephrotic syndrome or cirrhosis)
- Exudative= “extra shit in it” (like in pneumonia or malignancy where inflammation causes vasculature to become more leaky-> LDH, WBC’s, etc.)
P:S (protein: serum) ratios:
- LDH >0.6 (and 2/3rds the upper limit of normal)
- Protein >0.5
**Dirty USMLE: “PS (P:S), In sex (0.6) you want the D (LDH), up to 5 (0.5) you hope your P (protein)”
If either criteria are true, you got exudative! (Extra shit in it)
What should you always check before starting a patient on Ondansetron (Zofran)?
Their EKG!
If it’s abnormal, then the side effect of QT prolongation-> Torsades is more likely and that will likely kill your patient!
What number must the hemoglobin be under to warrant a blood transfusion?
Hb < 7
CAD with symptoms is another indication for a blood transfusion
Your patient has A-fib. What 6 things should you order/ find out?
- EKG
- Echo (check for mitral stenosis)
- Troponins
- Drug screen (check for amphetamines)
- Get an alcohol hx
- TSH (hyperthyroid can cause a-fib!)
Your patient has A-fib. What do you need to get their HR under for them to be appropriately rate controlled?
<110 bpm
Rate control usually > rhythm control and you need this rate to be <110 (based on studies)
If you cardiovert a patient (for example, to get them out of new-onset A-fib), how do you do it? (There are 2 answers)
- Shock their heart back into normal rhythm
OR
- Rhythm control with pharm using Amiodarone (type III anti-arrhythmic)
Which carbapenem does NOT cover pseudomonas?
Ertapenem
What is MRCP?
Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
Basically an MRI of the bile ducts and pancreatic ducts (can also show the pancreas, gallbladder, and liver)
Why might a patient in septic shock have an anion gap metabolic acidosis?
From lactate
Systemic inflammation-> widespread vasodilation-> drop in BP-> inadequate perfusion to organs-> since there’s low oxygen to organs, aerobic cellular respiration gets switched to anaerobic respiration and releases lactic acid as a byproduct (we use elevated lactate in the blood as a measure of organ failure)
What is a CTA?
CT angiogram
They time when they inject the contrast and take a picture of the vessels then so you can see the blood flow
What is the CHADS-VASC score? HAS-BLED?
These are MD Calc tools to tell you if you should start your a-fib patient on anticoagulation to prevent stroke
CHADS-VASC—> tells you the patient’s risk for having stroke if you don’t anticoagulate
HAS-BLED—> tells you the patient’s risk for bleeding if you do anticoagulate
*weigh the benefits/ risks and decide what to do from there
Treatment for autoimmune hepatitis?
Corticosteroids (Prednisone + Azithroprine)
**check the TPMT enzyme prior to giving Azithroprine…this is an enzyme that breaks the drug down. If the enzyme is low, the drug will hang out in the blood longer and will increase bone marrow suppression risk.
How can you use T3 and T4 levels to figure out if a hyperthyroid patient is likely to have subactue thyroiditis (viral etiology)?
T3/T4 ratio >20 suggests viral etiology (subacute/ DeQuarvains thyroiditis) vs. Graves
- when you’re sick, your T3 (active) levels are higher
- viral would also have a hx of viral illness and textbook definition is painful. Graves would have a positive TSI antibody
What happens to cardiac output as HR increases by a lot?
It decreases
Increased HR (tachy)-> less time for the heart to fill-> decreased CO
If a-fib is NEW <48 hrs or patient is unstable (vitals are concerning- regardless of how long a-fib has been present) how do you treat?
Cardiovert (shock or give Amiodarone to correct the rhythm and attempt to get the person completely out of a-fib)
*note that the patient may come in and you diagnose a-fib for the first time ever, but if you aren’t certain when their symptoms started (not sure if onset was <48 hrs ago), do not cardiovert! This is dangerous bc if a-fib has been going on quite a while, clots may have formed in the LA appendage due to the arrhythmia and if you mess with the heart’s rhythm, you could cause that clot to be thrown-> stroke.
*so then what do you do?
Anticoagulate them for 3 weeks (make sure there are no clots)-> THEN cardiovert
OR do a TTE (transesophageal echo- invasive but takes a great pic of the LA to ensure no clots)-> THEN you can cardiovert same day
You just diagnosed a patient with a-fib, but they’ve had symptoms >48 hrs. How are you going to treat it?
Anticoagulate them for 3 weeks (make sure there are no clots that can be thrown and cause a stroke when you cardiovert)-> THEN cardiovert (with shock or Amiodarone)
OR
Do a TEE (transesophageal echo- invasive but takes a great pic of the LA to ensure no clots)-> THEN you can cardiovert same day
**Reason why you can’t jump straight to cardioversion if a-fib has been going on a while: dangerous bc clots may have formed in the LA appendage due to the arrhythmia and if you mess with the heart’s rhythm when cardioverting, you could cause that clot to be thrown-> stroke.
Some patients are chronically in a-fib (cardioversion was not indicated or did not work and they keep coming back to a-fib). How do you manage these patients?
Rate-control
-use Diltiazem, Verapamil, or a beta-blocker (Metoprolol) to keep the HR <110
Also, anticoagulate if indicated to prevent stroke! (calculate CHADS-VASC score to know their stroke risk if you don’t anticoagulate and the HAS-BLED score to know their bleeding risk if you do anticoagulate to weigh pros/ cons)
*a-fib patients are at increased risk for stroke bc the heart is beating funny-> allows clot formation, especially in the LA appendage-> these clots can be thrown and lodge into cerebral vasculature causing a stroke
Patient with angina symptoms is having chest pain. What can you give the patient for pain management?
Nitrates
*Remember, angina pain is due to narrowed coronary vessels (stenosis >70%). The heart is being starved of blood (low supply to match high demand). Nitrates cause venodilation-> dec preload (less ‘milking’ of blood to heart)-> less blood that the heart has to pump (lowers demand to meet lowered supply).
TTE vs TEE?
TTE= TransTracheal Echocardiogram (the ‘normal echo’ just like an ultrasound of the heart) TEE= TransEsophageal Echocardiogram (invasive- they go down the esophagus to get a really clear picture of the LA)
If procalcitonin is low (<0.25) in your pneumonia patient, what does that suggest?
It is more likely to be VIRAL as opposed to bacteria (consider discontinuing antibiotics if clinical judgment supports this also)
How good is the influenza swab test?
Not so good—can often be a false negative (test says no flu, but patient really has the flu)
What is the one and only fluoroquinolone that covers anaerobes?
Moxifloxacin
A patient had stroke symptoms but now they are resolved. CT of the head is negative. What additional test do you need to do and why?
MRI
If MRI is also negative-> it was a TIA (stenosis through cerebral vessels affected an area of the brain temporarily, but no areas were permanently damaged)
If MRI is positive-> it was a stroke (doesn’t matter that the symptoms left)!
When is surgery indicated for a patient with a cerebellar hematoma (hemorrhagic stroke)?
If the patient meets one of the following criteria:
- Hemorrhage is >3cm
- Patient is neurologically deteriorating
- Brainstem is compressed
- Hydrocephalus (due to ventricular compression)
- Whenever you have a hemorrhagic stroke patient, consult neurosurgery for evaluation right away!
- *Surgery reduces mortality in patients who meet the criteria, but does not improve functionality.
A end-stage renal disease patient missed dialysis and had a hemorrhagic stroke a couple days later. How might missing dialysis be related?
Missed dialysis-> excess fluid retention-> HTN-> excess pressure in small vessels of brain causes vascular leakage-> hemorrhage in brain
What is ESRD?
End-Stage Renal Disease
What are the “4 H’s” to reduce ICP (intracranial pressure) (such as in a patient who had a hemorrhagic stroke and has elevated ICP)?
What diuretic could be given to reduce ICP?
- Hypertonic saline
- Hyperventilation
- Head/ bed elevation
- HTN treatment
Mannitol (osmotic diuretic) can also be used to reduce ICP
- *MORE DETAILS:
- Hypertonic saline- draws water out of intracerebral space (or use Mannitol to do this)
- Hyperventilation (if patient is intubated)- blow off more CO2-> high CO2-> increases cerebral blood flow and reduces cerebral pressure
- HTN treatment (often with Nitroprusside)- goal is to decrease gradually to <140/80 bc high BP increases ICP and can cause further bleeding. That said, don’t decrease BP too fast/ too much or you can cause hypotension-> inadequate blood flow to brain-> worsened neurological deficits.
What is dysarthria?
Slurred speech
Why might a patient with a history of a PE have an IVC filter?
To prevent future PE’s from occurring—often placed if the patient is not a good candidate for lifelong anticoagulation therapy
Why might you give a patient with hemorrhagic stroke Keppra (Levetriracetam) in the ED?
For seizure prevention
- Hemorrhagic stroke patients have a 15% chance of having a seizure (bleeding irritates the brain), so can do this prophylaxis
- *Note that some docs do this ASAP while others don’t do it at all (may not be enough evidence at this point that this measure has benefits > risks)
1st line treatment in an acute Gout attack? (Be specific)
Indomethacin (NSAID)
- can also give glucocorticoids or colchicine in an acute attack
- *Allopurinol is for chronic management only! (After a patient has had 2 gout attacks and they resolve, give this as prophylaxis)
If a patient has chronic gout and you find by urine testing that they are an under-excreter, what drug can you give for management?
Probenecid
Decreases tubular reabsorption of uric acid-> so you will pee out more uric acid
Is a gout attack in a large joint like the knee more likely to be gout or pseudo-gout?
Psuedo-gout
Gout typically presents in the red toe. It is painful and red (looks similar to cellulitis, but isolated to the big toe). Psuedo-gout is more likely to affect large joints, but that doesn’t mean it’s not gout (could be either).
A patient is on Eliquis (ApiXaBAN) anticoagulant for past PE (last time taken was in the morning). The patient just had an ischemic stroke. Can you give TPA?
No!
TPA is contraindicated if anticoagulants (ex: Eliquis) were given <24 hrs ago…can make them bleed into the brain
**It is ok to give TPA if the patient is on Warfarin therapy and INR <1.7 (lower INR= more clotting, higher INR= less clotting/ more bleeding risk)
It is ok to give TPA if the patient is on Warfarin therapy and INR is at what level?
INR <1.7
(lower INR= more clotting/ less bleeding risk, so TPA is safe at this level)
**remember the goal with Warfarin is to keep INR 2-3 (higher INR= less clotting), so for a patient to be on Warfarin and INR<1.7 they probably didn’t take it recently
What imaging routinely ordered in stroke work-up will tell you whether the stroke occurred from carotid artery occlusion?
CTA head/ neck
CT angiogram of the head and NECK looking at blood flow through the vessels
What EKG change can occur in hypOcalcemia?
QT prolongation (monitor the EKG to prevent progression into Torsades- a fatal arrhythmia!)
*calcium is physically needed to contract the heart. Low calcium= drawn out systole (QT= entire length of systole including depol and depol of the ventricles)
Your patient is hypOcalcemic. What other ion do you need to make sure is not depleted?
Magnesium
In the thick ascending loop of Henle, Mg and Ca2+ are reabsorbed together…so you can’t hold onto calcium if you are Mg depleted! You can give calcium/ calcitriol all day, but you gotta replete Mg too.
If brain MRI of a stroke patient shows no penumbra, should you consider thrombectomy for the patient?
No
No penumbra= no salvageable brain tissue (the whole region affected by the stroke is dead and cannot recover), so thrombectomy would not help
In a stroke, what is a Penumbra?
The region around the dead tissue from the stroke
-this area has reduced blood flow (local hypoxia) from the stroke, but it is not dead yet. You can save this tissue (by TPA or thrombectomy interventions) before it dies.
Why is TPA contraindicated if glucose <50?
Hypoglycemia can cause focal neurologic deficits and present like an ischemic stroke (even though it’s not)
You don’t want to subject a patient to the risk of intracranial hemorrhage from TPA if all they needed was dextrose (glc)
4 core measures for CAD (coronary artery disease)?
- Beta-blocker
- ACE inhibitor
- Aspirin
- Statin
(All CAD patients get these 4 things)
What 4 outpatient antibiotics cover MRSA?
“B C D L”
- Bactrim
- Clindamycin
- Doxycycline
- Linezolid (expensive)
Most common cause of anal cancer?
HPV
Often seen in gay men who have anal sex
Anal cancer Mets to what lymph nodes? Recal cancer?
Anal cancer—> inguinal LN
Rectal cancer—> internal iliac LN
When do you start screening for colon cancer with colonoscopy?
At age 50
Earlier if family history of colon cancer—start them 10 years before the family member was diagnosed (ex: if dad got colon CA at age 50, start screening the kids at age 40)
Charcot’s triad and Reynold’s pentad for ascending cholangitis?
Charcot’s triad: 1. RUQ pain 2. Jaundice 3. Fever Reynold’s pentad: 4. Hypotension 5. Altered mental status (from becoming septic)
*Watch asc cholangitis patients carefully! They can become septic super fast due to the close proximity to the liver, which has a huge blood supply and can cause an infection to spread all over.
Number one cause of headache in kids?
Eye strain from poor vision (get them checked for glasses)
In blunt abdominal trauma, do you get a CT?
NO, not enough time!
Do a FAST exam with ultrasound to search for fluid—then get to surgery to remove the internal bleeding.
EKG: what 2 leads do you check to see if the rhythm is sinus or not?
Leads II and aVR
EKG: what 2 leads do you check to see if the axis is normal or deviated?
Leads I and aVF
Normal= the P waves of both are going UP
Poor R-wave progression in anterior leads or Q waves in other leads indicates what?
Previous MI
In “holiday heart” (CHF exacerbation after salty meals), the patient is fluid overloaded, despite taking Lasix/ furosemide (loop diuretic). Why?
The excess salt-> fluid overload causes the gut to swell too.
Swollen gut-> can’t absorb Lasix-> Lasix cannot do its job.
*Must give these patients IV Lasix (also replete K+ since loop diuretics can cause hypOkalemia)
What are 2 simple things a patient can do to help their bowels get moving in an SBO to improve their condition?
- Move around (helps the gut wake up and get moving too)
2. Chew gum (activates the GI tract w/o anything actually going down and getting backed up more)
What psych condition does Hydroxyzine work for?
Anxiety
It is an anti-histamine (crosses BBB-> central effects) and can treat anxiety/ calm a patient down
*better alternative to benzos!
What’s a seroma?
A pocket of clear serous fluid that sometimes develops in the body after surgery
Best SSRI for kids?
Fluoxetine
80% of suicidal thoughts in kids these days are due to what?
Being bullied
What drug class do we use to treat Bipolar kids?
Antipsychotics
*Lithium is the go-to for adults, but not in kids. It is harsh on the kidneys.
How can you tell a Lupis (SLE) butterfly rash apart from Rosacea?
SLE—> spares the nasolabial folds
Rosacea—> involves the nasolabial folds
1st line drug for Onchomycosis (fungal infection of the nails)?
Terbinafine
What is plantar fasciitis?
Inflammation of the plantar fascia (ligament/ band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes) from arch overuse
*rolling a tennis ball underneath the foot arch can help loosen up the plantar fascia, making it less likely to be irritated
What is ventricular bigeminy?
Alternating normal sinus rhythm and premature ventricular complexes
*if you count up the normal sinus beats= bradycardia. So the heart’s back-up pacemakers kick in with extra beats right after (premature ventricular complexes) to contract the heart more
What do these terms mean?
- Neoadjuvant
- Adjuvant
- Neoadjuvant—before surgery (or procedure)
2. Adjuvant—after surgery (or procedure)
What is diastasis recti?
A false hernia
Just a separation of the large abdominal (rectus abdominus) muscles
(*can look similar to a hernia when lying down-> sitting up)
What’s an incisional hernia?
You got a surgery—> not you got a hernia where they left you with an incision (bowel is protruding out at the incision site)