Trauma Flashcards
what is a pneumothorax?
injury to the lung, resulting in release of air into the pleural space between the normally apposed parietal and visceral pleura
how is a pneumothorax diagnosed?
tension pneumothorax is a clinical diagnosis
- dyspnea, JVD, tachypnea, anxiety, pleuritic chest pain, unilateral decreased or absent breath sounds, tracheal deviation away from affected side, hyper resonance on affected side
what is treatment of a tension pneumothorax?
rapid thoracotomy incision or immediate needle decompression in the 2nd ICS, midclavicular line
what is the medical term for a ‘sucking chest wound’?
open pneumothorax
what does a pneumothorax look like on cxr?
loss of lung markings
what is flail chest?
two separate fractures on three or more consecutive ribs
how is flail chest diagnosed?
flail segment of chest wall that moves paradoxically
- sucks in with inspiration and pushes out with expiration opposite the rest of the chest wall
what is the major cause of respiratory compromise with flail chesT?
underlying pulmonary contusion
what is the treatment of flail chest?
intubation with positive pressure ventilation and PEEP PRN
what is cardiac tamponade?
bleeding into the pericardial sac, resulting in constriction of heart, decreasing inflow and resulting in decreased cardiac output (the pericardium does not stretch)
what are the signs/symptoms of cardiac tamponade?
tachycardia/shock with Beck’s triad, pulsus paradoxes, Kussmaul’s sign
define Beck’s triad
hypotension
muffled heart sounds
JVD
define Kussmaul’s sign
JVD with inspiration
how is cardiac tamponade diagnosed?
ultrasound (echocardiogram)
what is the treatment of cardiac tamponade?
pericardial window - if blood returns then median sternotomy to rule out and treat cardiac injury
how is a massive hemothorax diagnosed?
unilaterally decreased or absent breath sounds
dullness to percussion
cxr, CT scan, chest tube output
what is the treatment for massive hemothorax?
volume replacement
tube thoracostomy
removal of the blood
what are the indications for emergent thoracotomy for hemothorax?
massive hemothorax =
- > 1500cc blood on initial placement of chest tube
- persistent >200cc bleeding via chest tube per hour for 4hrs
what is the trauma resuscitation fluid of choice?
lactated ringer’s solution
- isotonic
- lactate helps buffer the hypovolemia-induced metabolic acidosis
what are the contraindications to placement of a Foley?
signs of urethral injury:
- severe pelvic fracture in men
- blood at the urethral meatus (penile opening)
- ‘high-riding’, ‘ballot able’ prostate (loss of urethral tethering)
- scrotal/perineal injury/ecchymosis
what test should be obtained prior to placing a Foley catheter if urethral injury is suspected?
retrograde urethrogram
how is gastric decompression achieved with a maxillofacial fracture?
oral gastric tube (OGT)
- not with NGT because the tube may perforate through the cribriform plate into the brain
why look in the ears?
hemotympanum is a sign of basilar skull fracture
otorrhea is a sign of basilar skull fracture
examination of what part of the trauma patient’s body is often forgotten?
patient’s back
what are the typical signs of basilar skull fracture?
raccoon eyes, battle’s sign, clear otorrhea or rhinorrhea, hemotympanum
what diagnosis in the anterior chamber must not be missed on the eye exam?
traumatic hyphema
- blood in the anterior chamber of the eye
what potentially destructive lesion must not be missed on the nasal exam?
nasal septal hematoma
- hematoma must be evacuated
- if not, it can result in pressure necrosis of the septum
what is the best indication of a mandibular fracture?
dental malocclusion
what is the best way to diagnose or rule out aortic injury?
CT angiogram
what must be considered in every penetrating injury of the thorax at or below the level of the nipple?
concomitant injury to the abdomen
what is the significance of subcutaneous air?
indicates PTX until proven otherwise
what is the seatbelt sign?
ecchymosis on lower abdomen from wearing a seatbelt
what must be documented from the rectal exam?
sphincter tone (indication of spinal cord function), presence of blood (indication of colon or rectal injury), prostate position (indication of urethral injury)