Trauma: Chapter 1 Flashcards
Patient with cervical spine injury and airway problem. What do you deal with first?
airway
What are indications for securing an airway?
- unconscious
- noisy or gurgly breathing
- severe inhalation injury (smoke)
- need to connect to respirator
What are tools you need for orotracheal intubation?
- laryngoscope
- rapid induction (on awake pt)
- pulse oximetry
What is another of intubating a patient?
- nasotracheal intubation with fiber optic bronchoscope
When do you HAVE to use a fiberoptic bronchoscope?
When there’s subcutaneous emphysema in the neck.
What’s major sign of traumatic disruption in the tracheobronchial tree?
subcutaneous emphysema
What are situations when you need to do a cricothyroidotomy?
- laryngospasm
- severe maxillofacial injuries
- impacted foreign body that can’t be dislodged
At what ages would you be reluctant to do a cricothyroidotomy?
Before the age of 12
Why would you avoid doing cricothyroidotomy in kids?
to avoid the potential for future laryngeal
How do you test for in breathing?
- listen for breath sounds on both sides of the chest
2. pulse oximetry
What are the clinical signs of shock?
- low blood pressure (bp)- under 90mmHg
- fast feeble pulse
- lower urinary output (under 0.5 mL/kg/h)
- pale
- cold
- shivering
- sweating
- thirsty
- apprehensive
How can you distinguish shock from bleeding vs. tamponade or pneumothorax?
Bleeding= low CVP
Tamponade or tension pneumothorax= high CVP (big distended head and neck veins pneumothorax)
How do you distinguish shock from tamponade vs. pneumothorax?
pneumothorax has severe respiratory distress
no breath sounds on one side
hyperresonant to percussion
mediastinum displaced to the opposite side (tracheal deviation)
Hemorrhagic shock what do you do first? volume resusc. vs stopping the bleeding
urban setting (trauma center)= stop the bleeding first then volume all others= start with volume replacement
What do you volume replace people with?
- 2 L of Ringer lactate (without sugar)
- Then packed red cells
When do you stop giving fluids?
When urinary output = 0.5-2 cc/kg/h
What’s the preferred route of fluid resuscitation?
2 peripheral IV lines, 16-gauge
What do you do when you can’t insert peripheral ivs?
- percutaneous femoral vein catheter
- saphenous vein cut-down
What do you do when you can’t inserts ivs in kids under age 6?
intraosseous cannulation of the proximal tibia
What are the different ways to treat tamponade?
- pericardiocentesis
- tube
- pericardial window
- open thoracotomy
When do you get vasomotor shock?
- anaphylactic reactions
- high spinal cord transection
- high spinal anesthetic
What are physical exam signs of vasomotor shock?
pink, flushed
warm
CVP is low
What’s the main therapy for vasomotor shock?
pharmacologic treatment
…additional fluids will help
what kind of head trauma requires surgical intervention?
penetrating
How do you manage linear skull fractures?
leave them alone if they’re closed
- open fractures require wound closure
- comminuted or depressed fracture
What is the first thing you do when you have a patient w a head trauma who has become unconscious?
CT
If the CT is negative, what is the next step in management?
They can go home if the family wakes them up frequently during the next 24 hours to make sure they’re not going into a coma
signs of fracture of the base of the skull?
- raccoon eyes
- rhinorrhea
- otorrhea
- ecchymosis
When a patient has signs of a base of the skull fracture, what else must you check?
C-spine injury
What are the 3 components of neurologic damage from trauma?
- initial blow
- development of a hematoma that displaces the midline structures (surgical treatment)
- later development of increased ICP (intracranial pressure)–medical measures can prevent or minimize the third
How can you treat subdural hematoma WITH midline shift?
Craniotomy
bad prognosis
What are some strategies for lowering ICP?
- elevate head
- hypothermia (to reduce oxygen demand)
- hyperventilate (goal of a pCO2 of 35)
- avoid fluid overload
- give mannitol
- or furosemide
Signs of diffuse axonal injury?
- blurring of gray-white interface
2. multiple punctate hemorrhages
Populations that get subdural hematomas?
very old
alcoholics
how long does it take for signs of subdural hematoma to manifest?
several days or weeks- see deterioration of mental funciton and hematoma formation
In what cases must you surgically explore a penetrating neck trauma?
- expanding hematoma
- deteriorating vitals
- clear signs of esophageal or tracheal injury (coughing/spitting up blood)
Diagnoses and management of gunshot wound to the UPPER ZONE of the neck?
arteriographic
gsw BASE OF THE NECK?
diagnostic:
1. arteriography
2. esophagogram (water-soluble first, THEN barium if negative)
3. esophagoscopy and bronchoscopy before surgery (help decide the surgical approach)
Mngmt of stab wounds to the upper and middle zones of the neck?
if asymptomatic, observation only
Brown -Sequard Hemisection
- typically from knif blade
- ipsilateral paralysis and loss of proprioception distal to the injury
- contralateral loss of pain percepition distal to the injry
Anterior Cord Syndrome
- typical of burst fractures of the vertebral bodies
- loss of motor function on both sides distal to the injury
- loss of pain and temp on both sides distally
- proprioception preserved on both sides distally
Central Cord syndrome
- occurs in elderly w forced hyperextension of the neck (rear-end collision)
- paralysis and burning pain in upper extremities
- preservation of most functions in lower extremities
Rib fracture in the elderly treatmetn
- local nerve block
2. epidural catheter
do you need to find the bleeding source in Hemothorax?
No, the lung is usually the source and will stop by itself?
When do you need a thoracotomy with a hemothorax?
when there is a systemic bleeder (intercostal artery)
How do you know you need surgery in a hemothorax?
- when you recover more than 1500 cc or more of blood when the chest tube is inserted
- when you collect over 600 mL over ensuing 6 hrs
How do you assess for hidden injuries in blunt trauma?
- blood gas and chest x-ray (for pulmonary contusion)
2. cardiac troponins and ekg (for cardiac contusion)
Treating a sucking chest wound?
Occlusive dressing (allows air out, taped on 3 sides) but not in
Flail Chest Signs
- occurs when there are multiple rib fractures
- paradoxic breathing (chest wall caves in during inspiration and bulge out during expiration)
- pulmonary contusion
Pulmonary Contusion in Flail Chest Mngmt
- it’s very sensitive to fluid overlaod
- treat with fluid restriction and use of diuretics
- monitor blood gases
- If need respirator, must insert bilateral chest tubes to prevent tension pnthx
- also need to check for TRAUMATIC transection of the aorta
Radiographic sign of pulmonary contusion?
white out of the lungs on CXr–can happen up to 48 hrs later
Myocardial contusion?
- when you have a sternal fracture
- EKG monitoring detects it
- Order troponins
- worry about complications like arryth.
Traumatic rupture of the diaphragm
- bowel in the chest (can detect on exam and xray)
- Always on the left side
- If you suspect it, must do laparoscopy
- repair from the abdomen
Traumatic Aortic Rupture
- junction of arch and descending aorta most common site
- ULTIMATE “hidden injury”–asymptomatic until the hematoma blows up
.
How to detect a traumatic aortic rupture?
- DECELERATION injury
2. Presence of fractures in chest bones that are “very hard to break”– first rib, scapula, or sternum
Tests for aortic rupture?
- transesophageal echo
- spiral ct scan (most practical in trauma setting)
- MRI angiographaph
Subcutaneous Emphysema
- traumatic rupture in trachea or major bronchus
2. surgical repair follows