…over a joint. Pain relief and stabilisation for transfer in a suspected fracture. Clinical suspicion of a scaphoid fracture despite a normal radiograph. Contraindications An…

…With a glass injury: consider radiography, since glass is usually visible on plain films. Irrigation fluid: a copious volume of drinking quality tap water or…

…Plain abdominal radiography has limited sensitivity. A calcified aneurysmal outline may be visible, but approximately one quarter of aneurysms are not calcified and therefore cannot…

…promptly, before radiography. The longer a joint remains dislocated, the harder the reduction becomes and the greater the risk of chondral and neurovascular injury. Aim…

…Relative Skin infection, herpes zoster or burns over the puncture site Relative Mechanical ventilation with a high PEEP (an increased risk of pneumothorax; ultrasound guidance…

…select a safe disposition and diagnostic strategy. Only a minority of patients presenting with acute chest pain ultimately have ACS; reported rates are generally 5…

…is pain free lying still but screams when turned has not finished being titrated. Expect an opioid naive adult to need 5–15 mg of…

…unstable pain: the onset takes 12 to 24 hours and the offset just as long. Breakthrough dose During ongoing opioid treatment: a breakthrough dose of…

…Costochondritis and general musculoskeletal pain are common causes of chest pain [2]. Pain Characteristics: Pain reproduced with palpation is often indicative of a noncardiac source…

…infarction Approach to patients with chest pain: differential diagnoses, evaluation and management Chest pain is one of the most common symptoms in the emergency department…

ECG Myocardial ischemia and infarction Use of ECG in acute coronary syndromes & chest pain patients An ECG must be performed on all patients seeking medical…

…node. Thus, withdrawal of parasympathetic activity results in increased heart rate and increased impulse transmission across the AV node. Sympathetic fibers innervate the entire heart…

…injection has gone to the right place — immediate pain relief is a diagnostic finding — and appears to reduce the risk of a post injection flare…

…or chronic chest pain attributable to suspected chronic coronary syndrome, is evaluated by estimating the likelihood of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) before diagnostic testing…

…region. The time limit is not a guarantee. Where the stroke risk is high or the time of onset uncertain, choose the more cautious course…

…A score of 3 or more indicates a difficult intubation — call for help and get out the videolaryngoscope and plan B before you give the…

…kills because the tube would not pass, but because the team keeps trying to intubate instead of changing the plan. The aim is always oxygenation…

…first. Procedure Choice of insertion site The left lower quadrant is the first choice : the abdominal wall is thinner there than on the right, and…

…Pain relief. Delivery IV, IM, PO, transdermal Dose Injection IV: • 150 μg in 1 ml vial. Dilute with 10 ml of normal saline and…

…entity. The hallmark of stable coronary artery disease is exercise related angina pectoris (chest pain); symptoms of ischemia appear during circumstances with increased myocardial demand…

…entity. The hallmark of stable coronary artery disease is exercise related angina pectoris (chest pain); symptoms of ischemia appear during circumstances with increased myocardial demand…

…chest pain) appear as the last event in the cascade. Thus, ischemic episodes may pass asymptomatically. Importance of heart rate during myocardial perfusion imaging It…

…heart failure. Routine opening of a persistently occluded infarct related artery in a stable and asymptomatic patient is by contrast not recommended [1,5]. STEMI…

…severe abdominal pain or repeated vomiting after probable allergen exposure sudden hypotension or severe bronchospasm during anaesthesia, a drug infusion or the administration of contrast…

…the dorsum of the foot lateral to the extensor hallucis longus tendon. Measure in the same way as on the arm. 4. Posterior tibial artery …

…A patient who cannot lie still — plan for sedation rather than abandoning the procedure. Choice of site The posterior superior iliac spine is the standard…

…arthritis of the neck. Symptomatic carotid stenosis, recent stroke or TIA in the vertebrobasilar territory. Retinal detachment. Relative: Marked cervical restriction of movement or pain…

…treatment review. For a fuller account of two of the commonest acute drug problems, see Warfarin therapy and Opioid therapy in severe pain. Cardiac arrest…

…Indications Evaluation of chest pain with an intermediate pre test probability of coronary artery disease. Assessment of exercise capacity and symptoms in known heart disease…

…burning, pelvic pain, dyspareunia. Cervical cancer screening according to the national programme. Checking an intrauterine device or a pessary. Assessment of prolapse. Sampling for a…

…acid–base status and signs of myocardial ischaemia must be monitored during treatment [4,6]. Important exceptions Condition Overall strategy Common first choices : : : Acute aortic…

…effusion causing pain or restricted movement (therapeutic aspiration). Intra articular corticosteroid injection in verified inflammatory or osteoarthritis related joint disease. Contraindications Infection of the skin…

…three to six months during ongoing compression therapy, and always in the event of new or increasing pain. Preparation and equipment Doppler for the ankle…

…stenosis or exostoses Narrow and hard to reach Ongoing otitis externa Pain, spread of infection A small or uncooperative child Movement causes injury Preparation and…

…clip the hair — small cuts cause burning pain. 2. Position the pads, preferably anteroposteriorly : one anteriorly over the praecordium to the left of the sternum…

…Warfarin has a narrow therapeutic index, a half life of several days and more than a hundred clinically relevant interactions. What determines whether the treatment…

…V7, V8 and V9 in patients with high suspicion of posterior acute myocardial infarction (e.g due to reciprocal ST segment depressions in V1, V2…

…claudication, accompanied by moderate pain or paresthesia, while sensory and motor function remain preserved. The duration and progression of symptoms should be documented carefully. Longer…

…with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD), particularly those with stable chest pain, no previous diagnosis of CAD, and a low clinical likelihood of obstructive disease…

…Initial Clinical Context Chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom initiating evaluation for ACS. Features that increase the likelihood of ACS include: Sudden…

…present with chest pain, severe breathlessness, hypoxaemia, rales, or respiratory distress. In patients with HFpEF, acute hypertension is a frequent trigger of decompensation and may…

…of NSTEMI. It does identify several clinical manifestations that indicate particularly high risk and should influence the urgency of management: Recurrent or ongoing chest pain…

…with acute chest pain or chest pain equivalent symptoms. The ECG assessment remains necessary even when symptoms have improved by the time of medical evaluation…

…syncope Severe coronary artery or structural heart disease High risk features on examination include: Unexplained systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg Suggestion of gastrointestinal hemorrhage…

…1. Flowchart showing the natural course of coronary artery disease and classification of acute coronary syndromes into STEMI, NSTEMI and unstable angina using ECG criteria…

…myocardial infarction is the most severe complication of coronary artery disease. The most common initiating mechanism is rupture or erosion of a vulnerable (unstable) atherosclerotic…

…is supplied by the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX). Right dominant system is by far the most common anatomy, occurring in 90% of all individuals…

…must not have experienced chest pain during the last 12 hours before exercise. Patients with unstable angina pectoris with high risk should not undergo exercise…

…and should be managed urgently. The risk of cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest is high and pharmacological interventions are frequently futile. It is often necessary…

…artery occlusion, which results in the complete stop of blood flow and thus more extensive myocardial ischemia (referred to as transmural ischemia). Yet, the pain…

…during the examination. Work related musculoskeletal disorders are a common cause of pain and sickness absence for ultrasound practitioners (Harrison et al). When performing emergency…

…chest pain in acute pericarditis may be severe and the patient may also experience cold sweats, tachycardia and anxiety; all of which are common in…

…STEMI. In STEMI, a complete coronary artery occlusion leads to transmural ischemia, affecting a larger portion of the myocardium, thereby intensifying chest pain. In contrast…

…common in women (70% are women) and elderly individuals. Clinical characteristics and ECG changes in takotsubo cardiomyopathy The typical patient presents with severe chest pain…

…somewhere that makes incision in the emergency department the wrong move — in the hand, in the medial triangle of the face or perianally. Indications Fluctuant…

…subacute worsening of dyspnoea, cough and sputum in particular that exceeds the patient's normal variation and requires a change of treatment. Common precipitants are…

…The most common serious error is dilating a vessel that turns out to be an artery — everything in the technique is designed to make sure…

…proton pump inhibitor with concomitant NSAID use or a history of ulcer, not routinely Infection Consider Pneumocystis prophylaxis with high doses over a long period…

…margin must be included in the freeze. Contraindications Absolute: Suspected melanoma or any other pigmented lesion of uncertain diagnosis. A lesion in which histology is…

…the visual acuity before anything else is done. The second most important is to look for signs of perforation — Seidel's sign, an irregular pupil…