ABPTS ECS flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Shock index

Heart rate divided by systolic blood pressure. A value above 0.9 suggests occult hypoperfusion and predicts need for transfusion or higher-level care in trauma.

Cushing triad

Hypertension with widened pulse pressure, bradycardia, and irregular respirations. Indicates rising intracranial pressure and impending herniation requiring urgent intervention.

Glasgow Coma Scale

Scored as eye 1-4, verbal 1-5, and motor 1-6 for a total of 3-15. A score of 8 or less generally prompts airway protection.

SBAR handoff

Structured communication using situation, background, assessment, and recommendation. Improves transfer of clinical information and reduces omissions during care transitions.

Mean arterial pressure

Calculated as diastolic pressure plus one-third of the pulse pressure. Reflects average perfusion pressure across the cardiac cycle; typical target is 65 mmHg or higher.

STEMI reperfusion window

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention is targeted within 90 minutes of first medical contact at a PCI-capable hospital, or within 120 minutes if transfer is required.

Adult compression depth and rate

Chest compressions are delivered at 100-120 per minute to a depth of 5-6 cm with full recoil and minimal interruptions during resuscitation.

Tension pneumothorax management

A clinical diagnosis treated with immediate needle decompression followed by tube thoracostomy. Imaging must never delay decompression in an unstable patient.

Ottawa ankle rules

Radiography is indicated with malleolar zone pain plus posterior or medial malleolar tenderness, or inability to bear weight for four steps.

Compartment syndrome hallmark

Pain out of proportion to injury that worsens with passive stretch of the compartment muscles. Pulselessness and paralysis are late, unreliable findings.

Rule of Nines

Estimates burn surface area: each arm 9 percent, each leg 18 percent, anterior trunk 18 percent, posterior trunk 18 percent, head 9 percent, perineum 1 percent.

Parkland burn formula

Four milliliters per kilogram body weight times percent total body surface area burned, with half administered in the first eight hours after injury.

Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale

Assesses facial droop, arm drift, and abnormal speech. Any single abnormal finding raises suspicion for stroke and prompts activation of stroke protocols.

Diabetic ketoacidosis criteria

Glucose above 250 mg/dL with pH below 7.3, bicarbonate below 18 mEq/L, and elevated ketones. Treatment requires fluids, insulin, and potassium monitoring.

Anion gap

Sodium minus the sum of chloride and bicarbonate, normally about 8-12 mEq/L. An elevated gap narrows the differential to ketoacidosis, lactate, uremia, and toxins.

Anaphylaxis epinephrine dose

Intramuscular epinephrine 0.3-0.5 mg of 1:1000 concentration into the anterolateral thigh, repeated every 5-15 minutes as needed for persistent symptoms.

qSOFA criteria

Respiratory rate 22 or higher, altered mentation, and systolic blood pressure 100 mmHg or lower. Two or more criteria identify patients at higher risk of poor sepsis outcome.

Serotonin syndrome features

Clonus, hyperreflexia, agitation, and hyperthermia following serotonergic agents. Distinguished from neuroleptic malignant syndrome by clonus and brisk reflexes.

Needle decompression site

Second intercostal space at the midclavicular line or fourth to fifth intercostal space at the anterior axillary line, followed by definitive tube thoracostomy.

Endotracheal tube depth

Approximately 21 cm at the incisors for adult men and 19 cm for adult women. Position is confirmed with waveform capnography and chest radiography.

Intraosseous access indication

Used when intravenous access fails or would delay care. The proximal tibia is the most common adult site; flow rates support resuscitation medications and fluids.

Tourniquet placement

Applied 5-7 cm proximal to the bleeding wound and tightened until hemorrhage stops. Note the application time and never loosen once properly applied.

START triage

Mass casualty sorting by respirations, perfusion, and mental status. Patients are categorized as immediate, delayed, minimal, or expectant to match resources to survivable injuries.

Crisis standards of care

A declared shift from conventional through contingency to crisis capacity, permitting deviations from usual practice when demand overwhelms available resources.

Hospital incident command roles

The incident commander sets objectives, while operations, planning, logistics, and finance sections manage tactical response, information, resources, and cost tracking.

Organophosphate toxidrome

Pinpoint pupils, bronchorrhea, salivation, lacrimation, and muscle fasciculations. Treated with atropine for secretions and pralidoxime for neuromuscular effects.

EMTALA obligations

Requires a screening examination and stabilization for any patient presenting to an emergency department, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

Informed consent elements

Requires capacity, disclosure of risks, benefits, and alternatives, comprehension by the patient, and voluntary agreement without coercion.

Decision-making capacity

A clinical determination of whether a patient can understand, appreciate, reason about, and communicate a choice. Distinct from legal competence decided by courts.

Sensitivity formula

True positives divided by the sum of true positives and false negatives. Reflects the proportion of patients with disease who test positive.

Number needed to treat

The reciprocal of absolute risk reduction. Expresses how many patients must be treated for one additional favorable outcome; lower values indicate greater benefit.

Likelihood ratio interpretation

Values above 10 or below 0.1 substantially shift pretest to posttest probability, while values near 1 provide little diagnostic information.