Surgery Clerkship Flashcards
What is the most common carpal bone fracture?
Scaphoid fracture
FOOSH causing wrist hyperextension or axial compression should be concerning for?
Scaphoid fracture
What physical exam finding is seen with scaphoid fracture?
Tenderness in anatomical snuffbox
Patient presents after FOOSH and is found to have tenderness in his anatomical snuffbox. The X-ray does not demonstrate fractures.
What to do next?
Thumb spica and re-image in 7-10 days OR confirm with CT or MRI of the wrist.
X-ray at the time of scaphoid fractures has low sensitivity. Therefore, even if the initial x-ray is negative, CT scan or MRI of the wrist is recommended to confirm. As an alternative, the wrist can be immobilized with a thumb spica splint and can be re-imaged in 7-10 days.
For patients involved in serious deceleration traumas, e.g. MVAs or falls from greater than 10 feet, physicians should have high caution for?
Blunt aortic trauma
Blurt aortic injury carries a high mortality rate, making expeditious detection and treatment critical.
What is the most common complication for anterior shoulder dislocations?
Axial nerve injury
The radial nerve is frequently injured with ____?
Humeral mid-shaft fractures
Scapular winging?
Damage to the long thoracic nerve which innervates the serratus anterior muscle
Respiratory distress
Neurologic disfunction or confusion
Petechial rash
Fat embolism syndrome
Think of this with fracture of large marrow-containing bones like the femurs or pelvis, s/p ortho surgery, and pancreatitis.
Amenorrhea, abdominal/pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, positive B-hcg
Ectopic pregnancy
Sudden-onset, severe, unilateral lower abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting
Unilateral, tender adnexal mass
Ovarian torsion
Sudden-onset, severe, unilateral lower abdominal pain immediately following strenuous or sexual activity
Ruptured ovarian cyst
Blunt thoracic trauma.
Tachypnea, tachycardia, and hypoxia within 24 hours of the trauma.
Chest wall bruising.
Decreased breath sounds on side of injury.
Pulmonary contusion
Preoperative evaluation of the surgical patient: what is the number one limiting factor prior to surgery? (3)
History of cardiovascular disease
- EF below 35%
- Recent MI. Must defer surgery 6 months and stress patient during the interval.
- CHF. Must medically optimize the patient with ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, and spironolactone to decrease mortality.
True or False: patients should quit smoking prior to surgery.
True.
Patients should quit smoking 6-8 weeks prior to surgery and use nicotine patches if needed in the meantime.
Who should get PFTs done as part of preoperative evaluation? (2)
- Patients with known lung disease
2. Patients who have significant smoking history
True or False: Dialysis patients should not have surgery.
False. If the patient is on dialysis, dialyze the patient 24 hours prior to surgery.
72 y/o man undergoing femoro-popliteal bypass for severe left leg claudication which causes unbearable pain with exercise.
The patient has PMH of T2DM and remote appendectomy.
What preoperative testing is recommended?
a. BMP only
b. BMP + EKG
c. BMP + EKG + PFTs
d. BMP + EKG + exercise stress test
e. BMP + EKG + thallium stress test
E. BMP + EKG + thallium stress test
Vascular surgery is very high risk surgery. This patient has two significant risk factors for a cardiac event: DM and age >70. Therefore, the patient needs a thorough workup including a tress test. Since the patient has claudication in his leg, exercise stress testing is not recommended. Non-exercise stress testing is recommended.
What are the ABCs of trauma assessment? (3)
Airway - assess and secure airway (orotracheal tubes are the best way to maintain airway in patients without facial trauma. Patients with facial trauma require a cricothyroidotomy. Patients with cervical since injury still need an orotracheal tube. This should be performed with flexible bronchoscopy to reduce risk of further c-spine injury.
Breathing - proper ventilation to maintain O2 saturation above 90%.
Circulation - insert 2 large-bore IVs into the patient and begin aggressive fluid resuscitation to prevent hypovolemic shock.
27 y/o man
Severe abdominal pain radiating to back after car accident.
Abdomen hurts after colliding with the steering wheel.
After 2 days in the hospital, he develops a large ecchymosis on his right flank.
Most likely diagnosis?
Hemorrhagic pancreatitis
Bruising on the flank suggests retroperitoneal damage. This is where blood collects in pancreatitis. Pseudocysts may develop 6-8 weeks after pancreatitis. Renal trauma and aortic trauma do not present with ecchymosis.
What does free air under the diaphragm indicate?
Perforation of bowel
What is the best initial test to evaluate for free air under the diaphragm?
Upright CXR
Best test for evaluating for intraabdominal bleeding?
FAST scan (ultrasound)
When do you add CT scan to FAST scan?
When you want to evaluate retroperitoneal bleed or if you suspect splenic rupture in spite of negative FAST