Diff Dx - General

Question 1

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Answer 1

Risk Factors:
-smoking
-CAD
-recent infection
-age
-heredity
Signs and Symptoms
-Aneurysm: 
    -back pain, left lower quadrant, flank pain
    -syncope
    -LE motor/sensory loss
    -awareness of pulse in abdomen 
-ruptured aneurysm:
    -acute, stabbing pain
    -cold, pulseless legs
    -drop in BP with sudden tachycardia
    -lightheaded, nausea

Question 2

Constitutional Signs and Symptoms

Answer 2

Fever
Diaphoresis
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Fatigue, malaise
Dizziness, Syncope
Unexplained weight loss

Question 3

What to screen for ANY PATIENT that walks through the door?

Answer 3

Constitutional signs and symptoms
Positive medical history
     -personal or family
     -recent infection, recurrent cold/flu
     -recent h/o trauma
     -h/o immunosuppresion
Vital Signs
Clinical presentation

Question 4

Clinical Presentations where something “doesn’t look right”

Answer 4

• insidious onset with no known cause
• fluctuating symptoms
• unrelieved by rest or change of position
• unable to alter symptoms during exam
• no discernable pattern of symptoms
• bilateral symptoms
• bilateral carpal tunnel
• night pain
• pain constant and intense
• pain that is poorly localized
• colicky pain
• symptoms unrelieved by tx