week 1 - emergency medicine Flashcards
what is ATLS protocol?
what are the 3 main elements?
Advanced Trauma Life Support of American College of Surgeons
- primary survey
- secondary survey
- definitive care
what is primitive survey?
ABCDE airway breathing circulation disability/drugs/allergies
what are the goals of airway step assessment?
to secure airway and protect the spinal
in addition to airway what must be taken in consideration during an A step?
spinal mobilization of there is any suspicion of spinal injury
what comprises an adequate spinal immobilization?
full backboard and rigid cervical collar
in an alert patient, what is the quickest test for an adequate airway?
ask a question, if patient can speak the airway is intact
what is the 1st maneuver to establish an airway?
chin lift and/or jaw thrust
*often nasal airway can be used to temporary maintain airway
what is contraindicated while checking ABCDE?
neck manipulation if spinal trauma is suspected
if patient’s airway cannot be established by 1st maneuver , what is next approach?
end-tracheal intubation, either nasal or oral
what is contraindicated for nano-tracheal intubation?
why?
maxillofacial fracture
*cavernous sinus - houses internal carotid artery, one of the 2 major root arteries of Circle of Willis along with 3 oculomotor group nerves
damage to internal carotid artery will compromise brain circulation
if 1st maneuver and ends-tracheal intubation is unsuccessful, what is definitive approach to establish airway?
cricothyroidotomy (either by needle or surgical tube insertion)
what are life thoracic injuries?
- cardiac injuries
- pnumomothorax
- pulmonary embolism
- bleeding of rupture of esophagus
- severe asthma
- anything in thoracic, etc…
what must always be kept in mind during difficult attempts at establishing an airway?
spinal immobilization and adequate oxygenation
…
thoracotomy
thoracentis - hemothorax
periocentisis if cardiac tamponade
oxygenation
air coming in
ventilation is
CO2 going out
what comprises an adequate breathing assessment?
- inspection -
- auscultation
- percussion
- palpating
what are you looking for in “inspection” in adequate breathing assessment?
- air mov’t normal rate of respiration 12-20
- cyanosis
- tracheal shift
- jugular vein distention (heart squeezed),
- asymmetric chest expansion (flailed chest)
- use of accessory muscle of respiration,
- open chest wounds
what are you looking for in “auscultation” in adequate breathing assessment?
abnormal upper airway sounds:
- stridor (low pitch, upper respiratory airways )
- gurgling - edema, water sounds
- wheezing (lower respiratory airway) : wheezing can be asthmas, bronchioles obstruction, aspiration pneumonia, pancreatitis with acute respiratory syndrome, HEART ATTACK
**what are normal sounds in auscultation: vesicular
what are you looking for in “percussion” in adequate breathing assessment?
- hyper-resonance
- dullness over both lung fields (can be due to mass or fluid): ex lobar pneumonia, cancer, but LCHF
what are you looking for in “palpation” in adequate breathing assessment?
- presence of subcutaneous emphysema (here we are talking about crepitus, when you palpitate neck or upper chest you feel you are pressing bubble wrap, you palpate - due to trauma to neck and air escaped)
- flailed segments - broken segments
6 life-threatening conditions that must be dx and tx during B step are?
- airway obstruction - breathing is not possible
- tension pneumothorax
- open pneumothorax
- flailed chest
- cardiac tamponade
- massive hemothorax
how does one dx tension pneumothorax?
- dyspnea
- tachypnea
- anxiety
- pleuritic chest pain
- unilateral decreased or absent breath sounds
- tracheal shift AWAY from affected side
- hyper-resonance on affected side
how does one tx tension pneumothorax?
immediate decompression by needle thoracosotomy in in the 2nd inter-costal space (mid clavicular line), followed by tube thoracotomy, placed in anterior mid-axillary line in the 4th inter-costal space
difficult of breathing on inspiration is called what type of pain?
pleuritic pain
what are goal in assessing circulation
securing adequate tissue perfusion, tx of external bleeding
what is initial test for adequate circulation?
palpation of pulses as rough guide: if radial pulse is palpable, then systolic pressure is at least 80 mm Hg, and if a femoral or carotid pulse is palpable, then systolic pressure is at least 60 mm Hg
what comprises adequate assessment of circulation?
heat rate, BP, peripheral perfusion, urinary output (30-55 ml/hr), mental status, capillary refill, skin exam (cold and clammy signifies hypovolemia)
if urinary output and mental status are both insufficient (patient is not alert), then what can be the problem?
can be problem with circulation
in assessing circulation of young adult, what should you be careful of?
*beware of relying only on blood pressure: young patients are able to maintain their blood pressure until cardio-vascular collapse is imminent (they have robust autonomic system)
what is goals of disability assessment?
determination of neurological injury (think, neurological disability) along with current history of drugs and allergies
what comprises adequate assessment of disability?
assessment of mental status: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
brown fixed pupil is an indication of
ipsi-lateral mass, as CN III is compressed
Alert normal level of consciousness is?
- 3 - orient to self, time and place
- and to be able to perceive and respond/remembers to new/current stimuli
(internal stimuli - are you hungry, cold, hot?)
full rage *2 cerebral hemispheres and brain stem in tact
content of consciousness
- short term memory
-long term memory
-abstract thinking
(interpretation, what do people think - apple does not fall far from the tree?)
-intellectual functioning
-judgment (what do you wear when it is hot outside?)
-speech
-content of thought
-mood and affect
confusion level of consciousness means?
disturbed level of consciousness with impaired ability to think clearly, and to perceived, respond to, and remember current stimuli, somewhat disoriented
delirium level of consciousness means?
**motor AND psychological agitation (level and content of consciousness)
disturbed stated of consciousness with motor restlessness, hallucinations, severe disorientation, sometimes, delusion
obtundation level of consciousness means?
decreased alertness with psychomotor retardation