Surgery Clerkship Flashcards
Desmopressin is analogue of what hormone?
antidiuretic hormone (ADH) - can cause hyponatremia by manifesting SIADH. Check serum electrolytes to check for hyponatremia
Solid liver masses - which one is this?
1. associated with anomalous arteries
2. arterial flow and central scar on imaging
Focal nodular hyperplasia
Solid liver masses - which one is this?
1. women in long term oral contraceptives
2. possible hemorrhage or malignant transformation
Hepatic adenoma
-well demarcated, hyperechoic lesions
-Needle biopsy is not recommended due to risk of bleeding, surgical excision is preferred
Solid liver masses - which one is this?
1. Systemic systems
2. chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis
3. Elevated alpha fetoprotein
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Solid liver masses - which one is this?
1. single/multiple lesions
2. known extrahepatic malignancy
Liver mets
What does elevated GGT (glutamyl trasnpeptidase) levels indicate?
- along with elevated alkaline phosphatase it can mean biliary compression or obstruction
Hydatid cysts are caused by what?
- found in the liver and caused by Echinococcus tapeworm infections.
- Most often seen in immigrants or occasionally in individuals from the southwest who are exposed to sheep and dogs
Leriche Syndrome is a triad of what?
- Bilateral hip, thigh, and buttock claudication
- Absent or diminished femoral pulses: from the groin distally, often with symmetric atrophy of the bilateral lower extremities due to chronic ischemia
- Impotence: almost always present in men with this condition
Pheochromocytoma
1. classic triad
2. management prior to surgery
- episodic headache, sweating, and tachycardia
- since intraoperative catecholamine surges can precipitate hypertensive crisis, pheochromocytoma crisis (a condition characterized by labile blood pressures, high fever, and multiorgan failure), and fatal arrhythmias —-> appropriate adrenergic blockade is needed before sx.
—- alpha adrenergic blockade should be administered first 7-14 days prior to sx then beta adrenergic blockade can be initiated 2-3 days prior to surgery
Types of rash in these conditions?
1. Toxic shock syndrome
2. Meningococcemia
3. Rocky mountain spotted fever
4. Scarlet Fever
5. Stevens Johnson Syndrome
- diffuse macular rash
- typically petechial
- macular initially then petechiae. Begins on extremities then centripetally
- Skin findings are preceded by a prodrome of fever, headache, vomiting, and sore throat – then 12-48 hours later theres fine, pink blanching papules on the neck and upper trunk and quickly generalize with flexural accentuation (rough, sandpaper like)
- mucocutaneous erythematous and purpuric macules that progress to necrosis and sloughing of epidermis
Major risk factors for ventilator associated pneumonia
- acid suppression (PPI, H2R blocker, antacid)
- Supine position
- Pooled subglottic secretions
- Paralysis and excessive sedation
- Excessive patient movement while intubated
- Frequent ventilator circut changes
A laryngeal ulcer in a smoker is likely what type of cancer?
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- comes with persistent hoarseness (>30 days) due to impaired vibration or movement of the vocal cords and fungating laryngeal mass
-other symptoms: dysphagia, airway obstruction, referred otalgia (pain felt in the ear but originating from a nonotologic source – facilitated by either CN IX or CN X)
Ludwig Angina
- Rapidly progressive cellulitis of the submandibular and sublingual spaces. Most cases arise from contiguous spread (rather than lymphatic) of polymicrobial dental infections in the mandibular molars
The primary source of head and neck SCC is usually from where?
- mucosal surfaces of the head and neck (nasopharynx, oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx)
what disease is this?
- Clinical presentations-
1. most pts asymptomatic until age 30-40
2. flank pain, hematuria
3. hypertension
4. palpable abdominal masses (usually bilatera)
5. chronic kidney disease
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
-flank pain and hematuria result from cyst rupture that can be triggered by activities involving bending and exertion (eg. yard work)
-HTN is typically early disease manifestation
Acute cellular rejection after transplant
1. Occurs at what point in time after transplant?
2. symptoms?
3. definitive diagnosis made by?
4. treatment?
- Within the first 3 months
- fevers, malaise, lethargy - some are asymptomatic - suspected based on LFT abnormalities
- biopsy
- high dose corticosteroids
Mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction
1. Acute or within 3-5 days (2 possible things)
2. within 5 days or up to 2 weeks
3. Up to several months
1a. papillary muscle rupture/dysfunction
1b. interventricular septum rupture
2. Free wall rupture
3. Left ventricular aneurysm
What is the involved coronary artery for these?
1a. papillary muscle rupture/dysfunction
1b. interventricular septum rupture
2. Free wall rupture
3. Left ventricular aneurysm
1a. RCA
1b. LAD (apical septal) or RCA (basal septal)
2. LAD
3. LAD
What are the clinical findings for
1a. papillary muscle rupture/dysfunction
1b. interventricular septum rupture
1a. severe pulmonary edema, respiratory distress + new early systolic murmur + Hypotension/cardio shock
1b. chest pain, new holosystolic murmur, hypotension/cardio shock
What are the clinical findings for
1. Free wall rupture
2. Left ventricular aneurysm
- Chest pain + distant heart sounds + shock, rapid progression to cardiac arrest
- heart failure, angina, ventricular arrhythmias
What are the echo findings for these?
1a. papillary muscle rupture/dysfunction
1b. interventricular septum rupture
2. Free wall rupture
3. Left ventricular aneurysm
1a. Severe mitral regurgitation
1b. Left to right ventricular shunt
2. pericardial effusion with tamponade
3. thin and dyskinetic myocardial wall
What is pyoderma gangrenosum?
- form of neutrophilic dermatosis that starts with inflammatory papule, pustule, or nodule and progresses to form an expanding ulcer with a purulent or fibrinous base and an irregular, violaceous border
—usually on trunk or lower extremities
—30% are triggered by local trauma
—risk increases in patients with underlying systemic inflammatory disorder
Bacterial pneumonia often causes pleural effusion - the type of effusion depends on how the pneumonia develops in the body.
–differentiate uncomplicated vs complicated
- Uncomplicated - sterile exudate in pleural space. pH >= 7.2 with glucose >= 60 mg/dL
—WBCs <= 50,000 and LDH <= 1,000 units/L
–culture is negative
–tx is antibiotics - Complicated (exudative) - bacterial invasion of pleural space. pH < 7.2 with glucose < 60 mg/dL
—WBCs > 50,000 and LDH >1,000
–culture is positive or FALSELY negative
–tx antibiotics and drainage
How are complicated parapneumonic effusions different from empyemas?
Empyemas have gross pus or bacteria on gram stain.
-most complicated effusions and ALL empyemas require drainage in addition to antibiotics
What are the 6 Ps of acute limb ischemia?
- Pain
- Pallor
- Paresthesia
- Pulselessness
- Poikilothermia
- Paralysis
*these patients do not have PAD and develop acute limb ischemia typically due to arterial embolus from Afib. Those with existing PAD who develop acute on chronic limb ischemia often lack these 6 Ps or develop them more slowly bc those with PAD have collateral circulation which form in response to progressive accumulation of atherosclerosis
Aspiration: chemical pneumonitis vs aspiration pneumonia
1. onset
2. manifestations
3. management
Chemical pneumonitis
1. sudden: within minutes or hours
2. abrupt dyspnea, cough, hypoxemia;;; low grade fever, diffuse crackles/wheezes, infiltrate in dependent portion of lung
3. supportive care, oropharyngeal suction
Aspiration pneumonia
1. indolent: few days to weeks
2. fever, cough with putrid sputum, infiltrate in dependent portion of lung
3. Antibiotics that target pathogens
Bacterial endophthalmitis
1. etiology
2. clinical features
- Bacterial infection of the aqueous humor or vitreous
- decreased vision with eye discomfort, conjunctival injection and edema, purulent haziness or layering of leukocytes in anterior chamber
Post of fever (acute)
1. 1-2 days
2. 3-5 days
3. 4-6 days
4. 5-7 days
5. 7+ days
- wind - atelectasis, pneumonia
- water - UTI
- walking: DVT
- wound -
- wonder drugs
Catheter related bloodstream infection typically occurs at what point after catheter insertion?
- > 48 hours
Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- symptoms
- labs that are diagnostics
- pathology
- diseases it is associated with?
- asymptomatic at 1st but then fatigue and pruritus
- increased alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase
- fibrous obliteration of small bile ducts, with concentric replacement by connective tissue in onion skin pattern
- IBD and ulcerative colitis
Acute mesenteric ischemia
1. symptoms
2. lab results
3. risk factors
4. etiology
- rapid onset of periumbilical pain (severe), pain out of proportion to exam findings, hematochezia is a late finding
- leukocytosis, elevated hemoglobin, elevated amylase, and metabolic acidossi (increased lactate)
- atherosclerosis, embolic sources, hypercoagulable disorder
- cardiac embolic events in the setting of Afib, valvular disease, or cardiovascular aneurysms –> can lead to embolus in mesenteric arteries
argatroban
1. mechanism of action
- acts by reversibly binding to the catalytic thrombin active site, thus inhibiting activation of factors V, VIII and XIII (the coagulant factors), as well as preventing fibrin formation and platelet aggregation
manifestations of superior pulmonary sulcus tumor (5)
- shoulder pain
- Horner syndrome (ipsilateral ptosis, miosis, endopthalmos and anhidrosis)
- Neurologic symptoms in the arm (invasion of C8-T2 nerves)
- Supraclavicular lymphadenopathy
- weight loss
- what imaging is done to confirm diagnosis of testicular torsion
- What anatomical differences can be seen in testicle
- Other symptoms
- Doppler ultrasound of the scrotum
- Horizontal testicular lie with elevated testicle
- Testicular, inguinal, abdominal pain ;; nausea, vomiting;; absent cremasteric reflex, swollen, erythematous scrotum
Stress factures
1. xray results
2. management
- usually negative xray in the first 2-3 weeks
- analgesia and reduced weight bearing; referral to ortho surgeon for high risk fracture
What are the 6 risk predictors in RCRI (revised cardiac risk index)
- high risk surgery (eg. vascular, intrathoracic)
- ischemic heart disease
- history of congestive heart failure
- history of cerebrovascular disease (stroke or TIA)
- Diabetes mellitus treated with insulin
- Preoperative creatinine >2 mg/dL
0-1 factor: low risk of cardiac death/nonfatal cardiac arrest/or nonfatal MI
> = 2 factors: elevated risk of cardiac death/nonfatal cardiac arrest/or nonfatal MI
- What testing occurs for low risk RCRI (0-1) before surgery
- What about for >=2 RCRI
- This person can undergo surgery without further testing
- further preop eval requires assessment of cardiac functional capacity (the ability to perform >= 4 metabolic equivalents)
—> patients who can do >= 4 METs can proceed to sx w/out further eval
—> patients who can only do <4 METs require further consideration
CARDIAC STRESS TESTING: When is exercise based testing recommended over pharmacologic based testing?
Cardiac stress testing - only necessary if cardiac intervention will impact surgical/perioperative management (e.g. postponing elective surgery for revascularization)
- pharmacologic based testing is used when patients are not likely to have an adequate exercise workload (<4 METs)
What is considered <4 METs and >= 4 METs
<4 METs =
-eat, dress, use toilet
-walk indoors in the house
-do light housework (e.g. vacuuming)
> =4 METs =
-climb a flight of stairs
-run for a short distance
-do yardwork
-participate in golf, tennis, or dancing
Pulmonary contusion
1. clinical features
2. diagnosis
3. management
- presents <24 hours after blunt thoracic trauma, tachypnea, tachycardia, hypoxia
- Rales/decreased breath sounds
— CT scan* or CXR with patchy alveolar infiltrate not restricted by anatomic borders - pain control, incentive spirometry, chest PT, supplemental oxygen and ventilatory support
What is euthyroid sick syndrome?
- low total and free T3 levels with normal T4 and TSH (early on but then later all is low)
–high circulating levels of glucocorticoids and inflammatory cytokines
hematuria, voiding symptoms (dysuria, frequency), and/or hydronephrosis with flank pain —> more likely indicates
- bladder cancer - get urgent cytoscopy
When invasive infection is suspected in patients with burn injuries, empiric antibiotic therapy is required —> covering what organisms? (name organisms and drug used)
- gram positive skin flora organisms
- gram negative organisms
**piperacillin-tazobactam or a carbapenem (gram neg)
+ **vancomycin (gram pos)
Diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is achieved with?
- tenderness at insertion of plantar fascia (at heel and hindfoot)
- pain with dorsiflexion of toes
- presence of heel spurs on x-ray (but this is low sensitivity or specificity)
How should patients taking warfarin who require anticoagulation reversal (like for urgent surgery) be managed? (3)
- stop warfarin
- patients should get prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), concentrate of vitamin K dependent
- IV vitamin K
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) vs Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)
- what is the difference
- patients typically are..
PBC
1. Immune response against intrahepatic bile ducts that promotes cholestasis. Acute cholangitis is rare bc PBC is intrahepatic
2. Much more common in women and rarely associated with UC.
PSC
1. fibrosis and stricturing of the medium and large intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts promoting cholestasis and acute cholangitis.
2. Most commonly in men and associated with ulcerative colitis
Pilonidal disease
1. what is it
2. who does it affect
3. tx
- a fluctuant mass 4-5 cm cephalad to the anus in the intergluteal region w/associated mucoid, purulent, or bloody drainage. This is when a edematous infected hair follicle in the intergluteal region becomes occluded and infection spreads subcutaneously and forms abscess.
- young males, obese individuals, sedentary lifestyles – age 15-30
- drainage of abscess followed by excision of sinus tracts.
Febrile Nonhemolytic transfusion reaction
1. Symptoms
2. Pathophysiology
- mild fever, rigors, myalgias, nausea (depends on severity)
- The presence of preformed antibodies to donor leukocyte antigens and occasionally from cytokines in the plasma component of the transfused sample
Acute hemolytic transfusion reaction
1. symptoms
2. pathophysiology
- hemolysis, ESRD, DIC, hypotension
- mismatch between donor and recipient blood groups, caused by native recipient immunoglobulins against the donor antigen. Tx begins with immediate discontinuation of transfusion.
Anaphylactic Transfusion reaction
1. Symptoms
2. Pathophysiology
- Flushing, itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bronchospasm, SOB, angioedema, and in severe cases airway obstruction and distributive shock
- When transfused blood contains antigen against which the recipient has preformed IgE antibodies –> leads to severe type I (immediate) hypersensitivity reaction with diffuse mast cell degranulation and histamine release
Delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction (DHTR)
1. symptoms
2. pathophysiology
- anemia, jaundice, and fatigue may occur 1-10 days following transfusion
- Recipient develops antibodies against donor antigens 1-10 days after transfusion.
Transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI)
1. symptoms
2. pathophysiology
- noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. Fever, dyspnea, severe hypoxemia, and shock
- Occurs within 6 hours -immune mediated reaction usually against transfusion of platelets or plasma
Methemoglobinemia
1. Symptoms
2. Pathophysiology
3. Treatment
- SOB, fatigue, lethargy, light headedness, and in severe cases arrhythmia, seizure, and multisystem organ failure. Blood appears darkened (chocolate color) on gross visualization.
- When an abnormal fraction of Hg in the blood exists in the ferric (Fe3+) form (methemoglobin). Methemoglobin cannot effectively bind oxygen. This typically occurs because of exposure to an oxidant stressor such as anesthetic, nitrate, or dapsone.
- Supplemental oxygen + IV methylene blue
Cushing reflex
- what is it?
- pathophysiology?
- Systemic HTN, bradycardia, and irregular respirations observed during periods of increased intracranial pressure, often in the setting of impending herniation
- MAP rises in setting of intracranial bleeding to maintain cerebral perfusion pressure. - With increased MAP, carotid baroreceptors trigger reflex bradycardia as an autoregulatory response. Irregular respirations occur bc of compression of pons and medulla.
What is the first line medication for aortic dissection?
- Labetalol - antihypertensive used to decrease BP to prevent further progression of the dissection flap. Goal of decreased heart rate to 60/min and BP to less than 100-120 mmHg systolic and 60-80 mmHg diastolic
What is the most predictive factor of the severity of the resulting aspiration pneumonia?
- Small volume simple fluid aspiration may be resorbed by the lung without consequence but LARGE VOLUME ASPIRATION may sufficiently impair gas exchange and result in refractory hypoxia.
Cholangiocarcinoma
1. symptoms
2. Diagnosis steps
- abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, jaundice, and pruritus + dark urine or light pale stools
- Imaging of abdomen (CT scan or MRI) + ERCP for direct visualization of the lesion and bile duct scrapings or biopsy can occur for definitive diagnosis
VIPoma
1. symptoms
2. cause
- chronic and profound watery diarrhea, electrolyte disturbances (hypokalemia, hypercalcemia), achlorhydria, alkalosis, flushing, and vasodilation
- Endocrine neoplasia that produces vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) -potent vasodilator, regulates smooth muscle activity, epithelial cell secretion, and blood flow in the gastrointestinal tract
Gastrinoma
1. symptoms
2. what does it cause
- associated with zollinger-ellison syndrome: Can lead to recurrent/chronic duodenal or jejunal ulcers, which can present with abdominal pain, diarrhea secondary to malabsorption, and possible hematemesis, melena, or hematochezia
- excessive production of acid by the gastric parietal cells
Glucagonoma
1. symptoms
2. what does it cause
- nonspecific and include mild DM, paraneoplastic rash, weight loss
- Increases serum glucose concentration
Insulinoma
1. symptoms
2. what does it cause
- hypoglycemia - neurologic (agitation, headache, blurry vision, diplopia, tremor), autonomic (diaphoresis, tremor, nausea, vomiting, cramping, tachy, anxiety), nonspecific (fatigue, weakness, lethargy)
- neoplasm of pancreatic islet cells that functionally produces insulin in a dysregulated manner
Somatostatinoma
1. symptoms
2. what does it cause
- weight loss, mild DM, steatorrhea (fat excretion in stool), and achlorhydria
- increased somatostatin release (somatostatin prevents (inhibits) the release of pancreatic hormones, including insulin, glucagon and gastrin, and pancreatic enzymes that aid in digestion)
Crohn disease is common risk factor for what type of calculi?
- oxalate
- What do Leydig cell tumors secrete?
- Where do they arise from?
- produce sex hormones in response to LH. Generally secrete androgens in men but can also secrete estrogens in states of dysregulation
- Leydig tumors arise from interstitial cells of the testicle
What type of thyroid carcinoma is associated with MEN familial association, hematogenous/lymphatic spread
-arises from parafollicular C cells and produces calcitonin
-often arises insidiously and is typically asymptomatic until a nodule is of palpable size
Medullary thyroid carcinoma
- What is the most common type of thyroid cancer and its histology??
- second most common and its histology?
- Papillary carcinoma - empty appearing nuclei with central clearing, nuclear grooves, and psammoma bodies in histology
- Follicular carcinoma - neoplastic cells are noted to invade the surrounding capsule
- What is the rare, aggressive thyroid malignancy?
- On exam what do you find
- anaplastic carcinoma - invades local structures like esophagus and trachea
- “hard, woody mass” can be palpable, dysphagia, or hoarseness