PreTest Family Medicine: "Acute Complaints" Flashcards
True or false: constipation can cause fever in the elderly.
False
What symptoms warrant an EGD in a patient with GERD?
- Weight loss
- Dysphagia (could be from a mass!)
- Vomiting
- Bleeding
What is the most common cause of acute pancreatitis?
Gallstones
Alcohol is the leading cause of chronic pancreatitis and the second leading cause of acute pancreatitis.
__________ is a set of criteria that assesses the severity of pancreatitis.
The Ranson criteria
- Age greater than 55
- WBC greater than 16
- Glucose greater than 200
- LDH greater than 350
- AST greater than 250
Describe the diagnostic schema for IBS.
•At least 12 weeks of symptoms in the past 12 months (not necessarily consecutive)
• Abdominal pain that meets two of the following criteria:
- Relieved by defecation
- Onset associated with a change in stool frequency
- Onset associated with a change in stool consistency
Describe the syndrome of dyspepsia.
Dyspepsia is a constellation of chronic bloating, epigastric pain, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and belching. While chronic dyspepsia can be a sign of ulcers or cancer, most cases are idiopathic.
ASCUS with negative HPV = _____________.
repeat test in one year
ASCUS with negative HPV = _____________.
colposcopy now
ASCUS with no HPV available = _____________.
repeat in 4-6 months; if ASCUS again, then colposcopy
If a colposcopy is negative after an ASCUS, then ______________.
repeat Pap in one year
If a postmenopausal woman has ASCUS, what can you do?
You can either (1) repeat Pap in 4-6 months, (2) perform colposcopy now, or (3) do a trial of topical estrogen –usually 4 weeks –and then repeat Pap.
You should do a colposcopy if the Pap smear shows ASCUS-________________.
favor LSIL
“Atypical glandular cells” warrant ______________.
colposcopy
So long as they are not thought to be of endometrial origin. If they are reported to be endometrial, then do an endometrial biopsy.
True or false: only encephalopathic Lyme disease should be treated with cephalosporins.
False
Any multisystem Lyme disease (e.g., arthritis plus pericarditis) should be treated with cephalosporins.
Go through the three treatment tiers of lice.
1) Permethrin 1%
2) Permethrin 5%
3) Lindane 1%
What body parts are usually bitten by fleas and bedbugs?
- Fleas: lower extremities
* Bedbugs: upper extremities, face, neck, and trunk
PreTest says the best treatment for an obviously infected cat bite is _____________.
hospitalization
What is a good way to differentiate between fibroadenomas and fibrocystic change?
- Singular mass: fibroadenoma
* Clusters: fibrocystic change
A 40-year-old woman has a breast mass and a negative mammogram. How should she be worked up?
Ultrasound and biopsy –up to 15% of breast cancers are silent on mammography
What kind of breast discharge is most suspicious for cancer?
Spontaneous, unilateral, bloody or serous fluid
Go through the BI-RADS scale.
- O: incomplete test
- 1-2: benign –resume normal screening
- 3: likely benign, but screen in 6 months
- 4-5: likely cancerous: further workup indicated
Why is pleuritic chest pain an important distinction?
Pleuritic chest pain is most likely not secondary to a cardiac cause.
What two ECG changes are most suggestive of ischemia?
- ST elevation (#1)
* New conduction defects (#2)
T wave inversion occurs in what non-acute cardiac complication in adults?
Left ventricular hypertrophy
T-wave inversion will present in leads V4-V6.
For chronic constipation, the best first-line agents are ______________.
bulking agents like psyllium (Metamucil)
A young woman has uncomplicated acute bronchitis which did not respond to antitussives and bronchodilators. What should you do?
Treat with an oral steroid taper
Uncomplicated acute bronchitis should not be treated with antibiotics. Some people get a post-bronchitic cough thought to be due to airway tightness. In these cases, oral steroids can help relieve tightness and cough.
Why are antibiotics given in pertussis?
- In the first, cold-like phase, they help reduce the length of illness.
- In the second, paroxysmal phase, they help reduce the length of isolation from four weeks to one week.
The best antibiotics for traveler’s diarrhea are _______________.
the fluoroquinolones
For acute viral diarrhea, the best dietary recommendations are ________________.
to eat plain foods (potatoes, rice, bread, crackers, bananas) and to stay hydrated
Dairy and alcohol should be avoided.
Talk about the better ways to describe dizziness.
- Light-headedness: feeling like you’re about to faint
- Dysequilibrium: feeling that you can’t get your balance right
- Vertigo: feeling like the room is spinning
Describe the progression of symptoms seen in acoustic neuroma.
- First: tinnitus and hearing loss
* Second: facial numbness and vertigo
How can the Dix-Hallpike maneuver be used to differentiate peripheral from central causes of stroke?
The Dix-Hallpike maneuver should cause vertigo to lessen in peripheral dizziness. With central dizziness (such as from a stroke), the dizziness will not lessen.
Vestibular dizziness should be treated with what symptoms?
Antihistamines (e.g., meclizine, diphenhydramine)
Describe the sensitivity and specificity of BNP in CHF.
An elevated BNP is extremely sensitive for CHF. If a person has a normal BNP, the odds that they have CHF are near zero.
True or false: a normal D-dimer effectively rules out a PE.
True
If the D-dimer is normal, then there is very little chance that the person has a clot.
For women with recurrent UTIs in whom preventive measures fail, you can prescribe _____________.
a one-day course of antibiotics for post-coital use
Why might you do a cystoscopy in a middle-aged woman with recurrent dysuria and hematuria who had a negative workup for UTI and stones?
Interstitial cystitis!
IC can present with lesions on the bladder.
If they give you a story that is highly suspicious for pyelonephritis (dysuria, pyuria, back pain, fever) but then tell you the man has no history of UTIs and a normal urinary tract, then they’re trying to clue you in to ____________.
acute prostatitis
Describe the diagnosis and management of temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
• Diagnosed by
- Earache that worsens when eating
- Absence of other symptoms (e.g., mastoid erythema, tooth pain)
- Normal ear canal exam
- TMJ crepitus
• Managed by
- NSAIDs
- Warm compress
- Soft diet
- ** If the above don’t alleviate pain in 3-4 weeks, then refer to a dentist for possible MRI, nerve blocks, or physical therapy.
Which of the signs of AOM is least sensitive?
Erythematous tympanic membrane
This can be caused by crying. Bulging, purulence, and immobility to insufflation are all more sensitive.
How long can effusions persist?
Up to 3 months