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Flashcards in Signs + Symptoms Deck (17)
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1
Q

What pre-syncopal symptoms can occur?

A
  • Dizziness
  • Light-headed
  • Visual blurring
  • Auditory changes
  • Sweating/feeling cold
  • Abnormal taste/smell
  • Did they know where they were
2
Q

What history can be taken from a witness?

A
  • Warning symptoms
  • What happened
  • Colour change
  • Movement in limbs (stiffness, jerking) + how long for
  • After movement stopped were they unresponsive/came around immediately
  • Have they had episodes in past
3
Q

What are the 3 P’s to distinguish cardiogenic and vasovagal syncope?

A
  • Precision - should be when upright
  • Provocation - pain, dehydration, emotional shock
  • Prodromal - lightheaded, visual blurring, ringing in ears
4
Q

What are the signs of cardiogenic syncope?

A
  • Patient slumps
  • Eyes roll back
  • Some movement in arms and legs
  • Very low BP - hypoperfusion of brain
5
Q

What are the signs of a generalised tonic/colonic seizure?

A
  • Cry out, fall, stiff, blue
  • Tonic/clonic jerks, generalised shaking
  • Unconscious - until few mins after
  • As seizure goes on jerks become slower but bigger before stopping
6
Q

What is a typical absence seizure?

A
  • Childhood absence epilepsy 4-7yrs
  • Juvenile absence epilepsy 13yrs
  • 30 secs where patient blacks out, seems confused
7
Q

What are the signs of Guillain-Barré syndrome?

A
  • Occurs few weeks after infection (food poisoning)

- Severe Acute neuropathy - ascending weakness and numbness affecting all 4 limbs (including facial muscles)

8
Q

What are the signs of a complex partial seizure?

A
  • Loss of awareness, not loss of consciousness
  • Chewing of mouth
  • Can’t put into words the feeling before
9
Q

What is status epilepticus?

A

Recurrent generalised tonic clonic seizures - fails to regain full consciousness.

10
Q

What is a vasovagal syncope?

A
  • Occurs due to reflex bradycardia +/-peripheral vasodilation provoked by emotion, pain or standing too long
  • Onset is over secs and is often preceded by pre-syncopal symptoms e.g. nausea, pallor, sweating and narrowing of visual fields
  • Brief clonic jerking may occur
  • No urinary incontinence or tongue biting
  • Unconscious ~2mins + recovery is rapid
11
Q

What is situation syncope?

A
  • Symptoms as for vasovagal but with a precipitant
  • Cough syncope
  • Effort syncope: brought on by exercise, usually cardiac cause e.g. AS, HCM
  • Micturition syncope: happens during or after micturition (usually men, at night)
12
Q

What is carotid sinus syncope?

A

Hypersensitive baroreceptors cause excessive reflex bradycardia +/- vasodilation on minimal stimulation e.g. head turning, shaving.

13
Q

What are signs of epilepsy?

A
  • Attacks when sleeping or lying down
  • Aura
  • Identifiable triggers e.g. TV
  • Altered breathing
  • Cyanosis
  • Typical tonic clonic movements
  • Incontinence of urine
  • Tongue biting
  • Prolonged post-ictal drowsiness
  • Confusion
  • Amnesia
  • Transient focal paralysis (Todd’s palsy)
14
Q

What are stokes-adams attacks?

A
  • Transient Arrhythmias e.g. bradycardia due to complete heart block, cause decreased CO + LOC
  • No warning (+/-palpitations) patient collapses
  • Pale + slow/absent pulse
  • Recovery in secs, patient flushes, pulse speeds up and consciousness regained
  • Anoxic clonic jerks may occur in prolonged LOC
  • Attacks may happen several times a day/any posture
15
Q

What are symptoms of hypoglycaemia?

A
  • Tremor
  • Hunger + perspiration
  • Light-headedness or LOC
16
Q

What are the symptoms of orthostatic hypotension?

A

Unsteadiness or LOC on standing from lying in those with inadequate vasomotor reflexes: the elderly, anti hypertensive medication, overdiuresis
- Lightheadedness, dizziness, weakness, tunnel vision

17
Q

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

A
  • Hyperventilation
  • Tremor
  • Sweating
  • Tachycardia
  • Parasthesiae
  • Light-headedness
  • No LOC suggests panic attack