Trauma & Orthopaedics Flashcards
Compartment Syndrome - presentation
Pain out of proportion of injury Pain on passive stretch Paraesthesia Pale/pallor High pressures Paralysis
Compartment Syndrome - management
Management:
Initial
• Notify trauma/ortho team - reg/consultant input needed
• Removed external dressings or bandages
• Elevate limb above heart
• Maintain good pressure control - avoid hypotension
Definitive
• Emergency fasciotomy - cut down & release fascia & relieve pressure
○ Explore, debride & remove any necrotic tissue
○ Wound left open but dressed
○ Plastics input for repair & potential grafts
Necrotising fasciitis - definition & aetiology/risk factors
rapidly progressing soft tissue infection which spreads along fascial planes
when involves penis/scrotum = Fournier’s gangrene
caused by polymicrobial infection or group a strep
trauma (open fractures), diabetes, immunocompromised, malignancy, IVDU, abscesses, age >60 - older age increases risk
Necrotising fasciitis - clinical features
Pain - precedes by 24-48hrs
Stages:
○ Stage I - Erythema, tenderness, swelling and warmth.
○ Stage II - Bullae formation, blistering and fluctuation of the skin.
○ Stage III - Haemorrhagic bullae, crepitus and tissue necrosis.
Fever, shock, AKI
Necrotising fasciitis - management
Imaging
Resuscitation
Surgical exploration & radical debridement +/- amputation
Board spec IV abx
Osteomyelitis - definition & pathogenesis
infection/inflammation of bone
causative organisms - staph aureus or pseudomonas aeruginosa (IVDU)
PATHOGENESIS
Haematogenous spread- refers to the spread via the blood
Non-haematogenous - breakdown or removal of the normal protective barriers
Osteomyelitis - clinical presentation
fever, pain, local inflammation
erythema
swelling
Osteomyelitis - risk factors
open fractures ortho ops inc prostetics IVDU diabetes - diabetic foot ulcers immunosuppressed PVD
osteomyelitis - investigations
Bloods • FBC - high WCC • CRP/ESR - high • U&Es - due to abx therapy • LFTs • HbA1c - DM = risk factor Imaging • X-rays; often won't show early changes, MRI; gold std used for dx
Osteomyelitis - management
Management:
• Medical; 6 week abx therapy
• Surgical; debridement of infected bone/tissu
Cauda Equina Syndrome - definition & classes
Compression of cauda equina (L2/L3)
Early - pain
Incomplete - + urinary difficulties
Retention – as above with painless retention
CES - causes
Lumbar disc herniation (L5/S1 and L4/L5 level most common) Metastasis/malignancy Lumbar cord stenosis Trauma NTD Infection (abscesses)
CES - Clinical Features
- Lower back pain
- Unilateral or bilateral leg pain
- Paraesthesia in lower limbs
- Weakness in lower limbs
- Incontinence - bladder/bowels
- Loss of sensation in perianal region
- Urinary retention
On examination CES will have LMN signs
CES - Investigations
Bedside • Observations • Urinalysis • Full neurological examination • PR exam Bloods • FBC & CRP
Imaging
• Bladder scan - if retention suspected
• X-rays - AP, lateral
• Emergency MRI - gold std to r/o or dx CES
CES - Management
• Surgical emergency - neurosurgical opinion & input is needed urgently
○ Lumbar decompression surgery