Procedures & Skills Flashcards
What is most commonly responsible for causing misdiagnosis of pericardial effusion?
Anterior cardiac fat pad
What factors are likely to result in an underestimation of ocular pressure?
- Ocular pressure > 30 mm Hg
- Prior refractive surgery (thin cornea)
- Corneal edema (thick, but soft cornea)
What factors are likely to result in an over estimation of ocular pressure?
- Supine patients
- Breath holding
- Off-center measurement
- Excessively depressing cornea with sensor
Side effect of benzocaine
methemoglobinemia
Equipment needed to perform needle cricothyrotomy
5mL syringe, 3.0 ETT adapter, 16G over-the-needle catheter
Four measures to reduce risk of developing post-LP headache?
- Ensuring needle bevel parallel to dural fibers
- Replacing stylet prior to removing needle
- Small-diameter needles (22 gauge)
- Atraumatic needles (Quincke or Whitacre)
Absolute contraindications to LP
- Plt < 20,000
- Coagulopathies
- INR >/= 1.5
(Can give platelets or clotting factors, reverse anticoagulation) - Lumbar trauma vertebrae
- Infection at puncture site
- Heparin administration in 24 hrs prior
- Spinal or CNS lesion causing increased ICP
Maneuvers for reduction of nursemaid’s elbow (radial head subluxation)
- Supination technique
- Hold elbow at 90 degrees with pressure at radial head
- Firmly supinate child’s wrist and flex elbow directing wrist toward ipsilateral shoulder - Hyperpronation
- Hold elbow at 90 degrees
- Firmly pronate wrist
Best transport solution for avulsed tooth
Hank’s solution - isotonic solutions with glucose and sodium bicarb (Milk is good alternative)
ED care of tooth avulsion
- Temporary replantation
- Tooth should be gently rinsed (not wiped)
- Tooth should be handled by the crown
- Dental socket carefully rinsed and suctioned
- Tooth replanted gently and splinted with periodontal dressing material
- Arrange dental follow-up for following day
Proper procedure for PTA aspiration/I&D
- Premedicate with opioid + intramucosal anesthetic
- Finger sweep to assess for fluctuance
- Needle sheath should be used to control puncture depth
- Aspiration undertaken in the soft palate at the point of maximal abscess fluctuance
- Medial and superior aspiration are safer to avoid carotid artery (2.5 cm posterolateral to tonsil)
Contraindications for PTA needle aspiration
- Severe trismus
- Non-cooperative patient
- Recurrent PTA (indication for tonsillectomy)
- Evidence of deep neck tissue extension
- Airway obstruction
At which location is the pediatric airway the narrowest?
Cricoid
Ways pediatric airway differs from adult airway
- Proportionally smaller larynx that is more anterior and cephalad
- Epiglottis is longer and narrower
- Head, occiput, tongue proportionally larger
- Neck is shorter
- Adenoids larger
- Risk of mainstem higher due to short trachea and bronchus
ETT depth equation
3 x tracheal tube size
OR age/2 + 12
Common adverse effects of massive transfusion
- Thrombocytopenia
- Hypocalcemia
- Hypomagnesemia
- Hypothermia
- Metabolic acidosis
- DIC
What four clinical variables are used to calculate the Assessment of Blood Consumption score to predict the need for massive transfusion?
- Penetrating mechanism of injury
- Positive FAST
- SBP <90
- HR >120
Differentiating between traumatic LP and SAH
Presence of xanthochromia is pathognomonic for SAH
Rate of clearance of RBCs from tube 1 to tube 4 was used, but no longer accurate
Contraindications for Tissue Adhesives
- Wounds under tension
- Complex stellate lesions
- Wounds over joints
- Wounds on mucosal surfaces
- Wounds in hairy areas
- Wounds requiring high level of precision
- Bite wounds
Tissue adhesives are equivalent to what type of sutures?
5-0 Nylon
How long do tissue adhesives typically remain on the wound?
5-10 days