Chapter·SurgeryAbdominal emergencies

Gastrointestinal perforationDownloads

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Sample Questions

1

A 66-year-old man is brought to the emergency department after a motor vehicle accident. The patient was a restrained passenger in a car that was struck on the passenger side while crossing an intersection. In the emergency department, he is alert and complaining of abdominal pain. He has a history of hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic kidney disease, and perforated appendicitis for which he received an interval appendectomy four years ago. His home medications include rosuvastatin and lansoprazole. His temperature is 99.2°F (37.3°C), blood pressure is 120/87 mmHg, pulse is 96/min, and respirations are 20/min. He has full breath sounds bilaterally. He is tender to palpation over the left 9th rib and the epigastrium. He is moving all four extremities. His FAST exam reveals fluid in Morrison's pouch. This patient is most likely to have which of the following additional signs or symptoms?

APain radiating to the back

BGross hematuria

CMuffled heart sounds

DFree air on chest radiograph

EShoulder pain

2

A 52-year-old man is brought to the emergency department with severe epigastric discomfort and left-sided chest pain radiating to the back that began after waking up. He has also vomited several times since the pain began. He underwent an esophagogastroduodenoscopy the previous day for evaluation of epigastric pain. He has ischemic heart disease and underwent a coronary angioplasty 3 years ago. His mother died of pancreatic cancer when she was 60 years old. His current medications include aspirin, clopidogrel, metoprolol, ramipril, and rosuvastatin. He is pale, anxious, and diaphoretic. His temperature is 37.9°C (100.2°F), pulse is 140/min, respirations are 20/min, and blood pressure is 100/60 mm Hg in his upper extremities and 108/68 mm Hg in his lower extremities. Pulse oximetry on room air shows oxygen saturation at 98%. An S4 is audible over the precordium, in addition to crepitus over the chest. Abdominal examination shows tenderness to palpation in the epigastric area. Serum studies show an initial Troponin I level of 0.031 ng/mL (N < 0.1 ng/mL) and 0.026 ng/mL 6 hours later. A 12-lead ECG shows sinus tachycardia with nonspecific ST-T changes. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

AEsophageal perforation

BPneumothorax

CAortic dissection

DAcute pancreatitis

EAcute myocardial infarction

3

A 51-year-old man with a recent diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease currently treated with an oral proton pump inhibitor twice daily presents to the urgent care center complaining of acute abdominal pain which began suddenly less than 2 hours ago. On physical exam, you find his abdomen to be mildly distended, diffusely tender to palpation, and positive for rebound tenderness. Given the following options, what is the next best step in patient management?

ASerum gastrin level

BUrgent CT abdomen and pelvis

CH. pylori testing

DAbdominal radiographs

EUpper endoscopy

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