TRAUMA EMERGENCIES Flashcards
How are sprains classified?
- grade 1: mild stretch, micro tears, mild swelling/tenderness, no instability, ambulatory. Early mobilization, few days elastic wrap.
- grade 2: incomplete tear, pain, swelling, tender, ecchymosis, joint instability. painful ambulation. Ace w/ aircast for a few weeks + ambulation.
- grade 3: complete tear, swelling, tender, ecchymosis, instability, loss of most of motor function. Unable to bear weight. 10 day cast, then splint…
A pediatric patient gets a soft tissue injury from volleyball practice. Her mom wants you to explain the healing process, how long each step takes and what to do for each….
- Inflammatory phase 72 hrs, protect, relative rest, decrease swelling (ice immediately 20-30 min or 10 on 10 off 3-4 times daily., most effective w/ compression.
- Reparative(fibroblast) 3wks, protect, FAROM, strength, endurance, power
- Maturation/remodel 2 yrs, card fitness, ROM, flexibility, proprioception, skills.
Stephanie hurt her ankle in gymnastics. She walks in to the clinic with her mom and you conduct a physical exam. Her ankle is swollen, but you don’t feel any tenderness around the back of the medial/lateral malleoli. Her mom thinks she should get an X-ray. What guidelines can you use to guide your decision?
Probably doesn’t need an X-ray.
Ottawa ankle rules:
- Ankle:-pain in malleolar zone + bone tenderness at posterior tip of L/M malleolus. OR can’t bear weight after injury and 4 steps in ED.
- Foot: Pain in midfoot zone + bone tenderness at base of 5th metatarsal or navicular bone. OR unable to bear weight post injury and 4 steps in ED.
William plays JV football. He injures his knee in a dog pile. He comes to your clinic complaining of pain. His father brings him in on a wheel chair and you note tenderness over the patella on examination. His father is in a rush, and would like to get going. Should you get an x-ray?
Ottawa knee rules
> 55, unable to bear weight post injury and 4 steps in ED, patellar tenderness or tibial tuberosity, can’t flex >90.
Define: avulsion fracture:
injury to the bone in a location where a tendon or ligament attaches to the bone. When an avulsion fracture occurs, the tendon or ligament pulls off a piece of the bone.
Define :closed fracture
-broken bone does not break the skin.
Define: comminuted fracture
-fracture in which the bone is splintered, crushed, or broken into pieces.
Define: displaced fracture
- the abnormal position of the distal fracture fragment in relation to the proximal bone. Types of fracture displacement include - angulation, rotation, change of bone length, and loss of alignment.
Define: epiphyseal fracture
-A Salter–Harris fracture is a fracture that involves the epiphyseal plate or growth plate of a bone. It is a common injury found in children,
Define: greenstick fracture
-fracture of the bone, occurring typically in children, in which one side of the bone is broken and the other only bent.
Define: impacted fracture
-fracture caused when bone fragments are driven into each other.
Define: intra-articular fracture
fractures that involve a joint space
Define: occult fracture
fracture that does not appear in x-rays, although the bone shows new bone formation within three or four weeks of fracture
Define: open fracture
the ends of the broken bone tear the skin.
Define: pathologic fracture
-fracture caused by disease that led to weakness of the bone structure. This process is most commonly due to osteoporosis, but may also be due to other pathologies such as: cancer, infection, inherited bone disorders, or a bone cyst.
Define: stress fracture
- fracture of a bone caused by repeated (rather than sudden) mechanical stress.
Define: torus fracture
-(also known as buckle fractures) are incomplete fractures of the shaft of a long bone that is characterised by bulging of the cortex.
Define: bone alignment
-in line w/ normal anatomy as opposed to angulation.
Define: bone apposition
- The relationship of fracture fragments to one another.
Define: delayed union
- fracture takes longer than normal to heal, nonunion is when it doesn’t heal.
Imaging of choice for tendon, ligament and muscle
Tendon, ligament and muscles: MRI and US.
Imaging of choice for bone
Bones: X-ray, CT, MRI.
Jon is an 8 year old boy who comes in with an elbow fracture. What are key elements of your PE?
Name of the injured bone
Location of the injury (eg, dorsal or volar; metaphysis, diaphysis, or epiphysis)
Orientation of the fracture (eg, transverse, oblique, spiral)
Condition of the overlying tissues (eg, open or closed fracture).
Other important descriptors include fracture angulation, displacement, and comminution.
What fractures require special care/ referral to orthopedist?
- intra-articular fractures
- blood vessel or nerve involvement.
- open fractures
- severe fractures, nonunion, displacement…if a cast won’t realign it….
- Fractures that can cause stunted growth : Salter Harris
- Fractures that can result in avascular necrosis:
Which fractures are associated with avascular necrosis?
- 5th metatarsal
- scaphoid
- femoral head
- Talus (neck of)
Name the different kinds of Salter-Harris Fractures and the prognosis of each:
S: straight across- prognosis good: closed manipulation and plaster cast
A: above- prognosis good: closed manipulation and plaster cast
L: lower- prognosis good if blood supply intact. CT, open reduction, internal fixation.
T: two/through- prognosis poor, needs reduction and fixation via surgery. CT, open reduction and internal fixation.
R: ram closed. poor prognosis: usually found in retrospect, but MRI can catch it.
*Long term follow up with all of these.
When do growth plates usually close in females? Males?
*Growth plates close for females: 13-15, males: 15-17.
The nurse hands you a chart and says the patient is a 5-8 year old girl who was roller skating and had a FOOSH injury. She has swelling of her elbow and pain w/ supination and pronation. What is a very common injury you suspect? What sign might you see on x-ray? How will you treat this?
Elbow: supracondylar fracture
Sail sign/fat pad sign on x-ray of ant/post fat pads.
TX: if nondisplaced, long arm cast. If displaced, closed reduction, external fixation and cast.
A 3 year old is brought to your clinic. He is holding his arm close to his body and extended. What do you suspect?
-Radial head subluxation: occurs when a portion of the annular ligament slips into the radiohumeral joint and becomes trapped.
Kiddo holds elbow close to body w/ elbow extended.
Reduce w/ hyperpronation or supination w/ flexion.
Evan is an overweight adolescent who appears to been b/t 10-18 years of age. His mom brings him to clinic because he has started limping and complaining of pain in his hip, groin and knee. You watch him walk and he walks with one leg turned outward. What do you suspect? What might you find on x-ray? How will you treat this?
-Hip: Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis:
overweight males, 10-18 yoa. Pain in hip, groin, thigh or knee worsened by activity. Limps w/ affected leg turned outward.
X-ray shows ice cream slipping off cone/ posterior displacement of femoral head.
TX: surgery and PT. If severe: closed fixation.
Barbara is a college volleyball player. She shows up to the ED 20 minutes after her game started with a swollen right knee. She says she landed from a block and heard/felt a “pop”. She couldn’t keep playing b/c of the pain and her knee kept giving out. What is this? How is it treated?
-Knee: ACL tear. Impact/abrupt stops and turns.
Knee swelling w/in 24 hours, “pop”, knee is unstable/gives out.
MRI. Surgical repair and PT.
Wally is a toddler who appears less than 5 yoa. His mom says he was running in a field that was pretty uneven. His foot planted and he kept moving forward and he tumbled. When he got up he was crying and has been limping since. You note swelling, warmth and increased pain with dorsiflexion. What do you suspect? How might you treat it?
-Leg: Toddler’s fracture.
Jimmy comes in to your clinic complaining of low back pain. It’s lasted less than 4 weeks and so you decide a history and physical exam are all he needs. What would be some risk factors that would cause you to consider imaging like x-ray, CT or MRI?
- new onset and Hx of CA
- CA sx: weight loss, night sweats, pain worse at night/ laying down
- pain that lasts more than 4 weeks
- age> 50 yoa
- Hx of osteoporosis
- Hx of corticosteroid use
- neuro deficits
*concerned about CA and things like compression fractures.
Sam is a 38 year old UPS worker. He is complaining of low back pain that radiates below his knees and numbness/weakness in his legs. What do you suspect? What nerves should you test? What are tests you can use to support your diagnosis?
- Sciatica: pain that radiates below knees, numbness and weakness in legs.
- Test L5 (dorsiflextion of ankle and great toe + sensation of web of great toe) and S1 (achilles reflex, sensation over post and lat. foot, plantarflexion) nerve roots.
- Try also cross, seated and straight leg tests.
Benjamin is a 62 year old that comes to the ED complaining of bladder dysfunction, numbness in his saddle area and pain and weakness in his lower extremities. What do you suspect?
Cauda equina
Barbara is a 55 year old woman who walks into your office using a walker. You note that she leans forward while pushing her walker. She complains of low back pain that is worse with standing and walking and better when she leans forward or at rest. She also has pain and numbness that radiates to her feet. What do you suspect?
Spinal stenosis
Oliver is a 74 year old man who has a history of smoking and is complaining of pain in his lumbar region. What does his age and smoking history increase his risk for that could cause this type of pain?
-AAA: lumbar pain. USPSTF says screen men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked
How often are bulging discs seen in asymptomatic patients?
over 50% asymptomatic patients have bulging discs, so this is not a reliable way to diagnose back pain.
What is the prognosis for most acute back pain? Back pain d/t sciatica?
prognosis excellent, 90% recover in 2 weeks, <75% if sciatica
Recurrence is common
How should you treat acute low back pain?
No bed rest: return to activity asap. NSAID/Tylenol/Muscle relaxant. Manipulation may help, injections are not recommended (unless failed therapy and radicular sx). PT, braces, etc. not recommended.
What sort of back pain diagnoses are considered an emergency?
cauda equina, spinal cord compression, progressive neuro deficits.
Evan is a 34 year old who just got into a car wreck. He appears well, but is complaining of a progressive, deep aching pain in his right thigh. You note extreme pain with passive ROM of his right leg. What might this be?
- Compartment syndrome, oftend d/t long bone fracture or trauma.
- 5 p’s of arterial insufficiency inaccurate. Need to measure compartment pressure and get fasciotomy if compartment syndrome.
What is the general protocol for acid/akali burns of the eye?
- irrigation then get to ophthalmologist for ABX, Cycloplegics and Steroids. Alkali penetrate more and are worse than acid.
Amy was using a sander and feels like something shot into her eye. You do an exam…..if it’s just an abrasion, how long will it take to heal? If there is a foreign body what sorts of tools can you use to remove it? Is there anything else you should do? What if she wears contacts?
- Abrasions heal in 24-72 hours regardless of therapy.
- FB can be removed w/ irrigation, swab or needle.
- after FB removed give abx ointment (not drops..they sting and don’t lubricate as well): erythromycin ointment
- if they use contacts then give abx that cover pseudomonas like tobramycin or cipro.
- no patching unless the FB is large and even so needs to be
Tim comes to clinic complaining of eye pain and decreased visual acuity. On PE you notice a tear drop shaped pupil and afferent pupillary defect. He may have been playing with his new BB gun he got for Christmas. What do you suspect and how should you manage this?
penetrating/perforating trauma AKA open globe trauma.
-SX: decreased VA, Afferent pupillary defect, tear drop pupil, extrusion of vitreous, tenting of cornea.
Don’t apply pressure or put drugs onto eye. Cover eye, bed rest, antiemetic, sedation, IV ABX of Vanc and Ceftriaxone, send to opth for CT and TX.
Suzy comes in to your clinic w/ her mom because she cut her eyelid after running into a street sign. Under what circumstances should you refer her to opthalmology?
-refer if: open globe injury, full thickness lack of eyelid, orbital fat prolapse, involvement of lid margin, drainage system, poor alignment.
Dan is a pitcher for his baseball team. He just got hit in the face by a line drive. He comes to your clinic with a grossly red anterior chamber. What is this and what should you do?
hyphema
-blunt trauma or blood dyscrasia = pain and layering of red blood cells in the anterior chamber. Be suspicious of other eye trauma. Refer to opth. for CT. Eye shield and analgesia for the ride.
Snorkel Sean free dove with swim goggles on this afternoon and was startled when he looked in the rear-view mirror of his car he was surprised to see well-demarcated areas of extravasated blood just beneath the sclera in his eyes. What is this and how long will it take to heal?
subconjunctival hemorrhage
pupil reacts, no foreign body sensation or photophobia, no corneal opacity, no hypopyon.
-can happen w/ valsalva, coughing, sneezing, vomiting.
-Dx’d in absence of VA decrease, discharge, photophobia, FB sensation.
-Will resorb in 1-2 weeks.
Name 3 common symptoms of TBI
LOC
confusion
amnesia
A 25 year old male cyclist who just flipped over his handlebars without a helmet is brought to the ED. The nurse asks you if she should arrange for imaging….You recall the CANDADIAN CT HEAD RULES:
If GCS 30 min, MVA vs Ped, ejection, fall > 3ft, anticoag use, sz, focal neuro def.
=> CT=> neuro consult.
Ben just ran into a door and cut his scalp. It’s bleeding profusely. How will you control the bleeding? How will you close the wound. What kind of abx?
scalp lacerations:
- lots of blood= direct pressure 15 mn, can use lido/epi, rapid closure.
- Don’t cut hair (introduces FB),
- if not closing just to stop bleed then use staples, can use hair if > 1cm and straight lac<10cm. Most don’t need ABX, leave open to air.
Nathan was playing baseball and was hit in the forehead by a ball. He has a giant bump on his forehead. What is this? Are you concerned? How long will it take to go away?
- scalp hematoma
- can indicate skull fracture or intracranial trauma so be wary
- most resolve in 2-3 days.
True/False: scalp wounds should be probed to detect the degree of injury.
False
What are 5 signs of skull fracture?
- crepitus
- battle sign
- raccoon eyes
- CSF leak from ears or nose
- hemotympanum