Surgery Flashcards
What is the initial step in management in any patient with acute trauma or change in mental status?
assess and establish an airway (if necessary)
What is the best initial way to establish an airway in a trauma/ change in mental status patient?
orotracheal intubation
What is the best initial way to establish an airway in a trauma pt with cervical spine injury?
use of flexible bronchoscope
but can also perform orotracheal intubation with manual cervical immobilization
What is the best initial way to establish an airway in a trauma pt with extensive facial trauma and/ or bleeding into the airway?
cricothyroidotomy
can also perform percutaneous tracheostomy
What is the best initial step in management of a trauma or mental status change pt with an oxygen saturation of less than 90%?
obtain arterial blood gas (ABG)
as well as determined likely cause of hypoxia
A pt presenting after a chest trauma with hypotension, distended neck veins, elevated CVP (central venous pressure), enlarged heart on CXR, electrical alternans on EKG, pulsus paradoxus and normal breath sounds most likely suffers from …
Pericardial Tamponade
What is the best initial treatment for pericardial tamponade?
pericardiocentesis
place needle to remove fluid
What is the next best step in management for a pt with pericardial tamponade if pericardiocentesis is unsuccessful?
pericardial window
A pt presenting after chest trauma with hypotension, distended neck veins, elevated CVP (central venous pressure), difficulty breathing, tracheal deviation, absent breath sounds and hyper-resonance to percussion most likely suffers from …
Tension Pneumothorax
What is the best initial treatment for a pt with tension pneumothorax?
insert large bore needle or IV catheter into pleural space (at second intercostal space) followed by chest tube placement
What is the best way to control the site of the bleeding in an abdominal trauma (or any trauma)?
apply direct pressure to visible sites
avoid blind clamping or tourniquet
What is the best next step in the management of a pt with abdominal trauma and hypovolemic shock who is hemodynamically unstable?
fluid resuscitation (2 large bore IVs in periphery and/or central venous access)
(if pt responds promptly, then unlikely still bleeding)
What are the five things that should be done in preparation for an immediate exploratory laparotomy in a trauma pt?
- setup 2 large bore IV lines
- give floods and blood
- type and screen
- insert foley catheter
- administer IV antibiotics
What is the best way to provide fluid resuscitation in a child (less than 6 years old) who is hemodynamically unstable with poor access?
intraosseous cannulation in proximal tibia (with Ringer’s lactate at 20 ml/kg)
A pt presenting with hypotension, tachycardia, is warm and flushed and has a recent history of medication use (penicillin)/ spinal anesthesia/ exposure to allergen (bee sting) most likely suffers from …
Vasomotor Shock (Distributive Shock)
What is the first step in management of a pt presenting with vasomotor shock (distributive shock)?
vasoconstrictors and fluids
True or False. An object embedded in a pt should be removed in the emergency room or at the scene of the accident.
False
all impaled objects are to be removed in the OR under a controlled setting
What is the next step in management of a pt with an asymptomatic head injury that lead to a closed skull fracture (linear skull fracture) and scalp laceration?
clean laceration
surgery is not needed
What is the next step in management of a pt with an asymptomatic head injury that lead to a comminuted, depressed fracture and scalp laceration?
Surgical repair/ craniotomy (for comminuted/ depressed skull fracture)
What is the best initial step in management of a pt with head trauma and loss of consciousness (or other symptoms) and normal neuro exam?
CT of head and neck without contrast
if normal, can discharge with 24 hour supervision
What medications should be given to all patients with open skull fractures? (2)
- tetanus toxoid
2. prophylactic antibiotics
A pt presenting with ecchymosis around both eyes, ecchymosis behind the ear or clear fluid dripping from the ear or nose after a head trauma most likely suffers from …
Basal Skull Fracture
raccoon eye- ecchymosis around eyes; Battle’s sign- ecchymosis behind ear
What is the best management for a pt presenting with signs/ symptoms of basal skull fracture?
CT scan of head and neck (shows basal skull fracture)
no treatment of CSF leak needed
A pt presents with a head injury to the side of the head (temporal region) resulting in brief loss of consciousness and then return to baseline and CT scan shows a lens shaped hemorrhage in the brain most likely suffers from …
Epidural Hematoma
middle meningeal artery damage
What is the best initial step in management of a pt with CT confirmed epidural hematoma?
Emergency Craniotomy
prevent sudden deterioration
A pt presents with a head injury resulting in fluctuating consciousness (gradual headaches, memory loss, personality changes, dementia, confusion, drowsiness) and CT scan shows semilunar, crescent shaped hematoma most likely suffers from …
Subdural Hematoma
bridging veins
What is the best treatment for a pt with CT confirmed subdural hematoma without midline displacement?
Observation
What is the best treatment for a pt with CT confirmed subdural hematoma with midline displacement?q
Emergency Craniotomy
A pt in a motor vehicle accident in which there was head trauma presenting deeply unconscious most likely suffers from …
Diffuse Axonal Injury
Acceleration-deceleration injury
What is the goal of therapy for a pt suffering from diffuse axonal injury (acceleration-decleration injury)?
prevent further damage from increased intracranial pressure (ICP)
A pt described as having briefly depressed consciousness after head trauma followed by improvement and then progressive drowsiness most likely suffers from …
elevated intracranial pressure
medical emergency
What should always be performed in a trauma/ mental status change patient before performing a lumbar puncture?
head CT to assess for increased intracranial pressure
if perform LP in setting of elevated ICP, pt will herniate and die
What are the first line treatment options for elevated intracranial pressure? (3)
- head elevation
- hyperventilation (vasoconstriction and decreases blood volume in brain)
- avoid fluid overload
What are the second line treatment options for elevated intracranial pressure? (2)
- mannitol (careful of reducing cerebral perfusion)
2. sedation/ hyperthermia (lowers oxygen demand)
What are four indications for abdominal surgery in the setting of an acute abdomen?
- peritonitis (excluding primary peritonitis)
- abdominal pain/ tenderness plus signs of sepsis
- acute intestinal ischemia
- pneumoperitoneum
What is primary peritonitis?
- spontaneous inflammation in kids with neprosis
2. adult with ascites and mild abdominal pain
What are the indications for medically treating a pt with an acute abdomen?
- primary peritonitis
- pancreatitis
- cholangitis
- urinary stones
- mimics of acute abdomen (lower lobe pneumonia, MI, pulmonary ebolism)
- ruptured ovarian cysts
A pt with history of diverticulitis/peptic ulcer/ crohn’s disease develops acute abdominal pain that is sudden, severe, constant and generalized, and the pain is excruciating with any movement most likely suffers from ….
Gastrointestinal Perforation
What is the best diagnostic test for gastrointestinal perforation?
erect CXR (shows free air under diaphragm or falciform ligament)
(can do left lateral decubitis X-ray if too sick to stand)
What is the treatment for gastrointestinal perforation?
NPO, IV fluid hydration, IV antibiotics and emergency surgery
A pt presenting with epigastric pain that wakes pt at night and is referred to the scapula most likely suffers from …
Peptic Ulcer
A pt develops pain in chest/ upper abdomen, dysphagia and/or odynophagia, and subcutaneous emphysema shortly after an endoscopy procedure most likley suffers from …
esophageal perforation
What is the diagnostic test of choice for esophageal perforation?
gastrografin contrast esophagram
What is the treatment for esophageal perforation?
emergent surgery
A pt presents with severe colicky pain, absence of flatus/feces, high pitched bowel sounds, nausea, vomiting and constant movement to find comfort in the setting of prior surgery/ elderly pt with weight loss and anemia or melanotic stools/ recurrent lower abdominal pain/ history of hernia/ sudden abdominal pain in elderly most likely suffers from …
Obstruction
secondary to adhesions/ tumor/ diverticulitis/ incarcerated hernia/ volvulus
What is the most accurate diagnostic tests for an abdominal obstruction?
CT scan of abdomen and pelvis (showing transition point- location at which the obstruction has occured)
What are two other diagnostic tests other than an abdominal CT that can be used in abdominal obstruction?
- CBC and lactate (elevated)
2. supine and erect abdominal X-ray (showing dilated loops of bowel, absence of gas in rectum)
An elderly pt presenting with sudden abdominal pain and has a bird’s beak sign on abdominal x-ray most likely suffers from …
Volvulus
What is the best treatment for abdominal obstruction?
NPO, nasogastric suction, IV fluids and emergency surgery
What is the best initial treatment for abdominal obstruction secondary to volvulus?
proctosigmoidoscopy with rigid instrument leaving rectal tube in place
What is the best treatment for recurrent abdominal obstruction secondary to volvulus?
sigmoid resection
What are the two contraindications for elective repair of abdominal hernias?
- umbilical hernia in kid (less than 2 years old)
2. esophageal sliding hiatal hernia
A middle aged/ elderly pt presents with fever, leukocytosis, acute left lower quadrant pain, peritoneal irritation in left lower quadrant and palpable tender mass most likely suffers from ..
Acute Diverticulitis
in woman, could be fallopian tube or ovaries
What is the most accurate diagnostic test for acute diverticulitis?
CT with contrast (abscess, free air, fat stranding)
What is absolutely contraindicated in a patient with acute diverticulitis?
colonoscopy
What is the treatment for diverticulitis if there are no peritoneal signs?
outpatient antibiotics
What is the treatment for diverticulitis if there is localized peritoneal signs and abscess?
admit pt, NPO, IV fluids, IV antibiotics, and CT guided percutaneous drainage of abscess
What is the treatment for diverticulitis if there is generalized peritonitis or perforation?
emergency surgery
What is the treatment for recurrent attacks of diverticulitis?
elective surgery
What are the risk factors for pancreatitis? (6)
- alcoholism
- gallstones
- meds (thiazides, furosemide, penatmidine, flagyl, tetratcycline)
- hypertriglyceridemia
- trauma
- Post ERCP
A pt presents with abdominal pain radiating to the back with associated nausea and vomiting in the setting of alcoholism/ gallstones/ hypertriglyceridemia/ post-ERCP most likely suffers from …
Acute Pancreatitis
What is the best initial test for suspected acute pancreatitis?
serum amylase and/or lipase (12-48 hours of symptoms)
urine amylase or lipase for 3rd-6th day
What are the signs that suggest hemorrhagic pancreatitis in a pt with pancreatitis presentation? (3)
- lowering hematocrit
- very high WBC (> 18,000), glucose, BUN
- hypocalcemia
What is the best initial treatment for acute pancreatitis?
NPO, nasogastric suction, IV fluids
What complication of pancreatitis can occur 10 days after onset of symptoms presenting with persistent fevers and high WBC count and what is the treatment?
abscess; surgical drainage
What complication of pancreatitis can occur 5 weeks after initial onset presenting with anorexia, pain and palpable mass and what is the treatment?
pseudocyst
- if painful and >6cm and > 6 weeks, surgical internal drainage or endoscopic drainage
- if infected, percutaneous external drainage
- if painless, no drainage
What are two major side effects of chronic pancreatitis?
- diabetes (give insulin)
2. steatorrhea (replace pancreatic enzymes)
A pt presents with anorexia developing into vague periumbilical pain that then becomes sharp, severe, constant and localized to the right lower quadrant, palpation of LLQ increases the pain felt in RLQ, fever, and leukocytosis (WBC 10,000-15,000) most likely suffers from …
Acute Appendicitis
What is the most accurate diagnostic test for acute appendicitis?
CT scan
What is the treatment for acute appendicitis?
IV antibiotics before appendectomy
if perforated, continue IV antibiotics until fever and WBC normalized
What are the indications for elective surgery in a patient with ulcerative colitis? (4)
- present more than 20 years (malignancy potential)
- multiple hospitalizations
- need chronic high dose steroids/ immunosuppressants
- toxic megacolon
A pt with history of ulcerative colitis who develops abdominal pain, fever, leukocytosis, epigastric tenderness, massively distended transvers colon on X-rays with gas within the colon wall most likely suffers from ….
Toxic Megacolon
A pt presenting with severe abdominal pain and the pain appears to be out of proportion to the physical exam, has signs of acidosis and sepsis most likely suffers from ….
Mesenteric Ischemia
What is the best initial step in management of a pt with suspected mesenteric ischemia?
- surgery (if diagnosed during, perform embolectomy and revascularization)
- angriography (if diagnosed during, give vasodilators or thrombolysis)
What is the best diagnostic test and treatment for intrabdominal absecess?
CBC and CT of abdomen/pelvis with contrast; surgical or percutaneous drainage and antibiotics
An obese, fecund women in her 40’s presents with recurrent episodes of abdominal pain, high alkaline phosphatase, dilated ducts on sonogram, nondilated gallbladder full of stones and direct hyperbilirubinemia most likely suffers from…
Obstructive Jaundice Caused by stones
What is the best initial diagnostic test for obstructive jaundice caused by stones?
sonogram
What is the confirmatory diagnostic test for obstructive jaundice caused by stones?
endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
What is the treatment for obstructive jaundice caused by stones?
endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) followed by cholecystectomy
A pt presenting with progressively worsening jaundice, hyperbilirubinemia, and weight loss most likely suffers from….
Intrabdominal Tumor (adenocarcinoma of pancreas head/ ampulla of Vater, cholangiocarcinoma)
What is the best initial test for detecting a suspected intraabdominal tumor?
CT scan (if positive, obtain tissue diagnosis via endoscopic ultrasound/ EUS)
What is the next best step in management for detecting a suspected intraabdominal tumor if a CT scan is negative?
MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography)
if positive, obtain tissue diagnosis via ERCP/ endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
A pt presents with brief colicky pain in the right upper quadrant radiating to the right shoulder and back, triggered by fatty foods, without signs of systemic infection or peritoneal irritation most likely suffers from …
Biliary Colic
Temporary occlusion of cystic duct by gallstone