Part 19 Flashcards
General ED principles (5)
- Identify and stabilize life threatening condition***
- find an explanation for condition if possible as well as recognize coexistent pathology
- Determine why patient presented now rather than earlier/later
- Consider the necessity to determine the diagnosis before the patient leaves the ED***
- Document entire visit
Digital blocks should be done with what anesthetic?
Lidocaine without epi
Hematoma block in the ER
Done into hematoma immediately after a fracture to help limit pain before reduction, does not block entire nerve still resulting in pain during reduction but decreases it significantly
Field block in the ER
Injection under the skin and around at different sites to numb a site
Regional blocks in the ER
Can be done on toes, fingers, ankles, inject around the nerve deep and then superficial but put the entire digit/space to sleep that will last an hour or so but need to do vascular check and motor check beforehand
Nail avulsion in the ER
Need to get nail tucked underneath in the matrix to prevent closure of the matrix to allow the nail to continue to grow
Dental repair box
Located in every ER for handling emergency dental repairs when dentists not open or available
FAST exam definition
Focused assessment with sonography for trauma exam, diagnostic exam for internal bleeding checking the heart (pericardial), liver/kidney (perihepatic), spleen (perisplenic), and bladder (pelvic) regions
Glasgow coma scale
Tool utilized to establish level of consciousness and compare over course of treatment, 3 components including eye opening (spontaneous 4, to speech 3, to pain 2, none 1), verbal response (oreinted 5, confused, 4, inappropriate 3, incomprehensible 2, none 1), and motor response (obeys commands 6, localizes pain 5, withdraws from pain 4, flexion to pain, 3, extension to pain 2, none 1) for a max score of 15, correlates inversely with aspiration risk, GCS equal or less than 8 indicates ET intubation
Empiric management of decreased mental status patient (4 things)
- maintain spO2
- rapid bedside glucose
- naloxone .4mg IV
- thiamine 100mg IV
EM approach to acute MI/ACS (11)
- Goal under 10 min
- 12 lead ekg
- baby aspirin (325mg) chewed
- Sublingual nitro .4mg every 5 min x3 doses
- Establish IV access
- blood work including cardiac biomarkers
- initiate supplemental oxygen therapy
- continuous ECG monitoring
- B blocker
- anticoag therapies
- Call cath lab if acute ST elevation
Benign causes of appearing melena or hematochezia (2)
- pepto bisthmol
- beets
Recall the physical exam for the abdomen order
Inspection, auscultation, perussion, palpation (in all 4 quadrants)
Perforated viscus (peptic ulcer often) common presentation (4)
- sudden onset severe abdominal pain
- worse with movement
- pain with breathing
- abdominal series x ray showing free air below the diaphragm
Acute appendicitis imaging (2)
- Abdominal CT
- u/s second line
-
Ectopic pregnancy definition
Pregnancy implanted out of the uterus, presents with positive hCG with ultrasound showing absence of intrauterine pregnancy, or presence of adnexal mass, surgical emergency for treatment
Choledocholithiasis/ascending cholangitis charcot’s triad
- fever
- right upper quadrant pain
- jaundice
IBD (UC/crohn’s) presentation symptoms (3)
Bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss
IV vancomycin for C diff is useless because…
….it is not absorbed that way into the gut and therefore must be taken orally
Pelvic inflammatory disease diffrentiation from gastroenterological disease (2)
- cervical motion test
- abnormal vaginal discharge
Ovarian torsion definition and how is it ruled out?
Twisting of the ovary around its axis along the fallopian tubes with lower abdominal pain being the only presenting symptom, may resolve spontaneously but if not can infarct, can only be ruled out with ultrasound
What is intravenous access used for? (5)
- deliver fluid
- Deliver medication/IV contrast
- Give parental nutrition/electrolytes
- Deliver blood products/draw blood
- hemodialysis
Reasons for an arterial line (3)
- measure constant blood pressure
- drawing ABGs
- measure central venous pressure
Goal catheter size gauge for adequate flow rate upon catheterization
20 gauge, ideally 18 (easier for IV contrast)
Peripheral IV access protocol (2)
- Can be done by many different healthcare providers
- should take 3 attempts, if cannot then second person tries, then if not IV team must be called
Advantages (3) and disadvantages (3) for peripheral IV access
\+ease of insertion \+ low cost \+minimal complications - short duration must be less than 3 days and cannot be used with certain medications -easily occluded -potential tissue injury
If labs are not drawn immediately upon a peripheral IV access being established, then…
….cannot draw blood labs later on as they are no longer accurate (need a different site)
Contraindications for peripheral IV establishment (7)
- If med can be given orally***
- cellulitis
- injury to extremity
- previous IV infiltration (IV not actually in vein)
- surgical procedures
- Burn
- AV fistula presence
Typical placement areas of a peripheral IV (4)
- Dorsal hand
- forearm/wrist (cephalic or basilic vein)
- leg/ankle/dorsum of vein (greater saphenous vein)
- scalp in neonate
Gauge size needed in resuscitation to get large amounts of fluid/medications fast
16 gauge
Infiltration
Leakage of fluid or medications that can be given peripheral IV into surrounding tissue from being slightly pulled out causing swelling, discomfort, and burning
Extravasation
Accidental administration of toxic medications that should not be given IV into tissue around the infusion site that can cause tissue necrosis, disfigurement, or loss of function
Examples of drugs that can cause extravasation if given peripheral IV (6)
- Chemotherapy
- K+
- vancomycin
- cefotaxime
- amiodarone
- calcium chloride
Indications for central venous catheter (6)
- Inadequate peripheral venous access
- administration of toxic medications (vasopressors, chemo, TPN)
- hemodynamic monitoring (measurement of CVP)
- extracorpeal (hemodialysis)
- rapid infusion of fluids/blood
- drawing frequent labs
Contraindications for a central venous catheter (4)
- all relative as these can be life saving
- anatomic distortion or trauma for specific sites
- hemodyalysis or pacemaker presence
- moderate to severe coagulopathy
PICC line
Central venous catheter inserted into cephalic, basilic, brachial vein into distal superior vena cava, less procedural risk than others as uses ultrasound guidance with an IV nurse with confirmation of placement via radiology, can be single or double lumen, used for temporary access infusion 15-30 days for things like IV antibiotics, chemo, or vasopressor medications, inserted in nondominant arm
Advantages (4) and disadvantages (2) of PICC line
\+ease of insertion \+relatively safe and inexpensive \+good for drawing several labs \+easy to remove -potential for occlusion -can take over 1 hour to place, not stat
More lumens on a catheter increase higher rate of…
….venous thrombosis
Central venous catheter advantages (4) and disadvantages (2)
\+long term access \+decreased infection rate in tunneled \+safe with most meds \+emergency access -requires surgical insertion often under sedation -increased cost
Implantable venous access port
Often used for same reasons as a tunneled central line, most often used for patient with chemotherapy, entirely under skin allowing for lowering risk of infection, can remain lifelong, much more cosmetic, medicines injected into skin thru catheter, after being filled reservoir slowly releases medicine into blood stream, except for flushing once a month no special care needed
Intraosseous access
Used in emergency situations, presence of vascular collapse (due to shock as blood shunts to core), in children/infants, or in trauma, bone marrow functions as a noncollapsible venous access allowing meds and fluids to enter central circulation in seconds, should only be done for an avg of 5.2 hours
Most common site of intraosseous access
Proximal tibia
Intraosseous access advantages (3) and disadvantages (2)
\+rapid and easy to insert \+low complication rate \+safe with resuscitation meds -short term only -potential for osteomyelitis or fracture
Intracranial pressure (ICP)
Pressure exerted by fluids such as CSF and blood inside the skull (rigid nonexpandable box) on brain tissue, normal is 7-15 mmHg (average 10mmHg), for supine adult, >20 is abnormal, >40mmHg is severe, sustained increased ICP leads to decreased brain function and poor outcome
Compensated state of ICP
When an individual has a brain bleed (or enlarging mass), CSF and venous volume decrease to maintain normal ICP in a compensatory manner (brain mass and arterial volume unaffected) if overwhelmed see drop in arterial volume leading to ischemia of the brain or herniation of brain tissue
Cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP)
Difference between mean arterial pressure (avg between systolic and diastolic) and intracranial pressure, a net pressure gradient that drives oxygen delivery to brian tissue but not actually a measure of cereral blood flow, normal range 60-70 mmHg (CPP=MAP-ICP), if CPP too low can raise blood pressure or decrease ICP, requires ICP monitor placement first
Do intracranial bleeds cause hypotension?
No because of the rigidity of the cranium - if hypotensive might have some other type of shock going on
Cushings triad
Seen as result of and indicates increased ICP
- hypertension
- bradycardia
- irregular respiration
How to determine who with a mild TBI gets a head CT criteria? (10)
- retrograde amnesia >30min
- suspicion of skull fracture
- suspicion of basilar skull fracture
- 2 or more episodes of vomiting
- use of any anticoagulant
- age >60
- seizure since episode of injury
- neurologic deficits
- high impact mechanism
- intoxication or abnormal behavior
Diffuse axonal injury (DAI)
traumatic shearing of the axons that occur when head is rapidly accelerated/decelerated and by secondary biochemical cascades, occurs in white and grey matter and majority end up in post traumatic coma as result, may have relatively normal head CT but exam with severely diminished GCS, generally confirmed by MRI, death rare as has no effect on brainstem