PCP - Semester One Flashcards
What are the Cardinal Features of Pain?
Site, Quality, Severity, Time Course, Context, Aggravating and Relieving factors and associated features.
What are some types of Quality of Pain
Aching, Burning, THrobbing, Sharp, Pulsating, Dull, Tingling
Two types of ways to gauge severity?
The 1 to 10 model or what does it stop you from doing?
What is a symptom and what is a sign?
Symptom = something recognized by the patient Sign = Abnormality associated with a disease that is recognized or discovered by a doctor.
What should you ask a patient about the site of the pain?
Get them to point to where it is the worst and if it travels/radiates anywhere else? eg: radiation to the arm or jaw in chest pain = indicates MI
Quality of: Weight Loss? Cough? Temperature? Fatigue?
Weight Loss: do clothes still fit? how fast, intentional? Cough: Dry or productive Temperature: Shivering or sweating? Fatigue: last whole day without sleep? Fall asleep while doing a task?
Types of Time Course of Pain?
Sudden and short Increasing crescendo pain Slow onset Dull aches Constant Progressive Pain Regular Frequency & regular episodes Regular Freq becoming more severe Episodic on a background of increasing intensity
Ensure to ask about Time Course?
How it was at the start What happened over time (how often, for how long) Getting worse or more frequent? How did it end?/how is it now? Previous similar episode? - was it the same?
What to ask about Context?
What was the patient doing when the symptom started? What medications were they taking? Had they eaten that day, drank enough water or had enough sleep?
Questions about Relieving Factors?
Does anything make it better? Ask about specific interventions and if they helped?
Questions about aggravating factors?
Have you noticed that anything seems to make it worse? Or a particular time or day?
Asking about Associated Features?
Have you noticed anything else with the symptom? Direct specfic questions based on symptoms eg pain (swelling, redness, giving away, itch, rash, shortness of breath, nausea.
Define Palpitation
An abnormal awareness of the heart beat. - skipping beat, irregular rhythm, faster or slower or stronger then usual
What should you find out about Palpitations regarding: Site Quality Severity Time Course
Site: not that useful may feel in neck instead Quality: regular or irregular (ask patient to tap out) and feels forceful (slower) or like flutter (faster) Severity: difficult to establish Time Course: IMPORTANT! when do they start —-how long to they last —> how do they end. start and end suddenly more likely to be serious. Are they the same length all the time.
What should you find out about Palpitations regarding: Context Relieving Factors Aggravating Factors Associated Features
Context: may be anxious, smoker how much caffeine? Relieving Factors: stops them? Aggravating Factors: coffee, exercise or stress Associated Features: SOB, Chest pain (ask more ?’s), fatigue, dizziness and blackouts (bad enough not to provide cerebral flow.
What should you ask about Past medical history?
serious illness operations hospital admissions/have they ever been Medications allergies past complications with procedures
What are the steps in taking a BP?
- Tell/ask the patient about what you are going to do 2. Hand hygiene 3. Good Sized Cuff (bladder = 80 circumference of arm) 4. Apply cuff to left arm - arrow pointing to brachial artery - lower border 2-3 cm above brachial artery pulsation 5. Palpate the radial pulse while inflating the cuff until the pulse disappears - estimate systolic blood pressure 6. Inflate cuff with steth over brachial pulse to 30mmHg over Palpated reading - cuff should be at heart level 7. Deflate cuff at 2-3 mmHg per beat. 8. Listen for start of Phase 1 sound as pressure drops below systolic. 9. Just before diastolic pressure is reached sounds become muffled Phase IV. then below sounds disappear Phase V. Report to nearest 5 mmHg.
Normal Blood Pressure Ranges?
Systolic: 140 -100 = Ejection Diastolic: 90 - 60 = Filling
Define Syncope?
Sudden loss of consciousness and postural tone due to insufficient blood supply to the brain.
Two types of Syncope?
Cardiac and Vasovagal
What Assoc Features should you ask about to rule out Seizures in a LOC?
Convulsing frothing at the mouth muscle aches confusion as to where they were and what happened Longer then 30 seconds
Compare the: Prodrome Quality Time Course Context Precipitating factors Relieving factors Period after event In Cardiac and Vasovagal Syncope
Prodrome: Usually not present in Cardiac but in VV can get light-headed, wobbly legs, vision going dim, noises sounding distant, may remember start of collapse Quality: Both have loss of postural tone and may have only a few jerks —> more then seizure more likely Time Course: both usually less then 30s before, during, after Context: VV - usually don’t occur when sitting or lying. Cardiac can occur when sitting or lying down Precipitating factors: VV - often have specific pf eg fasting, pain, emotional events or prolonged standing. Cardiac = don’t usually have. Relieving factors: Cardiac = self limiting, VV= lying flat assists recovery. Period after event: both have rapid recovery and rearely confused after. Injury may occur in cardiac, not as common in vv as protective reflexes preserved.
Associated Features and Past history for Cardiac and Vasovagal Syncope?
AF: Sweaty, Pallor, no frothing at mouth, incontinence may occur but not common Past Med history: Cardiac –> may have history Cardiac disease.
Steps in Cardio Exam leading up to taking of BP?
- Prepare Patient: Reason for exam, what will happen, ask them to tell you to stop if there is any discomfort. Bed at 45 deg. 2. Hand hygiene 3. General inspection: supp oxygen? mental state? 4. Hands: Fingers for clubbing or nicotine stains. Palmar creases for evidence of anaemia 5. Measure radial pulse: count 15 seconds x 4 regular or irregular? 6. Measure BP.
Steps in Cardio Exam after you would take BP?
- Head and Neck = conjunctivae, lips and tongue 8. Jugular venous pulse 9. Examine carotid artery pulse on both sides (not at same time) 10. Inspect chest 11. Palpate chest: 5th intercostal space then mid-clavicular line (Apex beat?) 12. Listen with bell to hear heart sounds and then diaphragm at four auscultation points apex, lower left sternal edge, upper left and right sternal edges. 13. Examine Posterior Chest - Listen lung bases for crackles 14. Examination of lower limbs - oedema, dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial pulses.
Associated Features of Chest pain?
Pale, SOB, Nausea/vomit, dizzy, collaspe. LOC, peripheral oedema (aka swelling in legs), radiation of pain (jaw, arms and back).
Three Life Threatening things that can present with Chest Pain?
MI, Aortic Dissection and Pulmonary Embolism
Define Myocardial ischaemia?
Pain caused by insufficient oxygenated blood flowing to the heart muscle because of an imbalance of supply and demand. Most common cause is the narrowing of coronary artery due to atherosclerosis.
What is Angina? stable vs unstable How does it present? When and how does it end? What are the Associated Features?
Def: reversible Myocadial ischaemia Presents: diffuse central chest pain –> radiates to arms, neck, lower jaw and upper abdomen. Heavy or pressure pain When how? Often comes on with physical exertion, relieved by rest or specfic anti-angina drugs
Risk Factors For CV Disease that need to be asked about or considered?
Non Mod: Age, Gender, Family History or Personal Med History Mod: Smoking, Diabetes, Hypertension, Poor diet, Hyperlipidaemia, physical inactivity/obesity, depression/isolation.
Specific things to consider with Calf Pain?
- cramping feeling when patient walks (distance before pain starts = claudication distance) is this distance changing? - stops when patients rests - same risk factors as CAD - smoking, hyperlipidaemia, obesity, diabetes and inactivity.
Good ways to ask about Family History?
Could you tell me something about the health of your immediate family? Can you tell me about the health of your parents and siblings? Do your parents or siblings have any similar problems?
Which valves are the four hear auscultation points “looking” at?
Starting from Right Superior ( All Politicians take money) Atrial, Pulmonary, Tricuspid, Mitral (apex beat).
A person who is tall, thin and well with SOB?
Pneomothorax
Young person, dry lips, SOB and ketones (on breath)
1st presentation of diabetes
Oedema: specific considerations? Site: Time Course: Associated Features
Site: Bilateral legs = Cardiac, Unilateral = DVT, General = increased capillary permeability. Time Course: often worse at end of day - resting with feet up can help Assoc Features: +dyspnoea and orthpnoea = cardiac failure with leg pain = DVT
Two main causes of dyspnoea?
Respiratory or Cardiac causes.
What type of phrases are used to described dyspnoea
out of puff, wheezy breathing, tightness in chest and can’t get enough air? Wheezing is associated with diseases that primarlity affect the lungs- common cause of episodic wheeze is asthma
SOB: specific questions Quality: Severity Time Course Context Aggravatng Factors Relieving Factors Associated Features
Quality: heavy or shallow Severity: relate to exertion or at rest Time Course: sudden or slow onset, worsening with time or episodic? Context: certain environments –> occupational lung disease. Agg: lying down = heart failure (how many pillows to sleep Rel: Esp important in asthma does usual medication help? Assoc: chest pain, cough, wheeze, swelling ankles. sweating, fatigue nausea.
Typical symptoms of asthma and how is it monitored/severity determined?
dyspnoea, cough, wheeze Severity: peak expiratory flow, spirometry and freq of symptoms, need of glucocorticoids and hospital admissions
Common triggers for asthma?
Smoking, pollen, viral illness, dust, cold air, exercise, stress
Important things to ask in asthma about? Time course? Severity? Relieving Factors Associated Symptoms
Time course: onset? How often have attacks (daily, episodic infrequenct) Severity: current level of activity freq sym during day and night. How often? how long? shouldn’t need reliever without trigers Relieving Factors: bronchodilators Assoc Symptoms: other atopic diseases eczema, allergic rhinitis or hives.
Questions around occupational history?
Occupational lung diseases, back pain heavy lifting, hand washing and skin diseases. What type of work are you involved in? Have you had any other types of jobs in the past? Does anyone else at work have similar symptoms?
Asking about Social History?
relationships, hobbies, education and occupation, fiances, ethnicity, pets, travel. Recently been overseas? How lives with you?