Week One - Case One Flashcards
what is musculoskeletal pain caused by
injury to the muscles or bones that is detected via the pain receptors that carry impulses to the brain
when would musculoskeletal pain occur
after some exertion or injury - exacerbated by movement
would there be any additional features such as coughing blood or fever in musculoskeletal pain
no
what is the most common form of chest pain
musculoskeletal pain
what are some question to ask when querying musculoskeletal pain
Has the patient done any strenuous exertion or exercise recently that may have caused the pain?
Does the pain get worse if the patient twists their upper chest or touch their chest wall?
Has this ever happened before?
what is pleurisy
is an inflammation of the pleura - the two layers
what kind of pain does pleurisy cause
sharp pain due to the innervation of the parietal pleural innervation
what are the most common causes of pleurisy
viral or bacterial infections
what are the symptoms of pleurisy
cough, runny nose and fever
what is absent in pleurisy
Haemoptysis
what are questions to ask when querying pleurisy
Has the patient had a recent cough, cold or viral infection?
Has the patient had a recent fever?
Is there a cough? Is it productive?
Has this ever happened before?
what is a pneumothorax
the presence of abnormal air between the two pleural linings called the pleural space
how does this air leak cause lung collapse
this air leak builds up, thus stretching the pleural lining and presses on the lung to cause it to collapse
what are the symptoms of a pneumothorax
sharp chest pain and breathlessness
what are risk factors for pneumothorax
underlying lung disease, being male, smoking
what are questions to ask if querying a pneumothorax
Does the patient’s gender and age fit with those in the population most at risk?
Does the patient smoke?
Has this ever happened before?
what is a pulmonary embolism
is an abnormal clot formation in the pulmonary circulation to the lung that results in reduced blood flow to the region of the lung that the pulmonary artery supplies
this causes infection of the lung
what are the symptoms of PE
breathlessness
pleuritic chest pain
sometimes Haemoptysis
can there be calf swelling with PE
yes
what are the questions to ask about when querying a PE
Does the patient have any risk factors for PE?
Is there any coughing of blood?
Has the patient noticed any calf swelling?
Has this ever happened before?
what is a primary spontaneous pneumothorax
no underlying disease
usually the result of rupture of a pleural ‘bleb’ - congenital defect in the tissue of the alveolar wall
who is a primary spontaneous pneumothorax most common in
most common in tall young men
what is homocystinurea
body can’t process the amino avid methionine
what is the recurrence rate
25-50%