The brachiocephalic vein is formed by the confluence of the subclavian and internal jugular veins. In addition it receives drainage from: the left and right internal thoracic veins (also called internal mammary veins), left and right inferior thyroid veins
and the left superior intercostal vein

Boerhaave’s syndrome is also known as spontaneous oesophageal rupture or effort rupture of the oesophagus. Although vomiting is thought to be the most common cause, other causes include weightlifting, defecation, epileptic seizures, abdominal trauma, compressed air injury, and childbirth, all of which can increase the pressure in the oesophagus and cause a barogenic oesophageal rupture.
It usually follows excessive alcohol intake or overeating, or both, because either of these can induce vomiting.
The rupture is transmural.
A provider should suspect Boerhaave’s syndrome when a patient presents with retrosternal chest pain with or without subcutaneous emphysema when associated with heavy alcohol intake and severe or repeated vomiting. Up to one-third of patients do not present with these symptoms. The actual clinical presentation of Boerhaave syndrome will depend on the level of the perforation, the degree of leakage, and the time since the onset of the injury. Typically, the patient will present with pain at the site of perforation, usually in the neck, chest, epigastric region, or upper abdomen. Cervical perforations can present with neck pain, dysphagia, or dysphonia; intra-thoracic perforations with chest pain; and intra-abdominal perforations with epigastric pain radiating to the shoulder or back. History of increased intra-oesophageal pressure for any reason followed by chest pain should prompt consideration of this condition. Physical exam findings may include abnormal vitals (tachycardia, tachypnoea, fever), decreased breath sounds on the perforated side, mediastinal emphysema, and Hamman’s sign (mediastinal “crackling” accompanying every heartbeat) in left lateral decubitus position.

A scaphoid fracture is a break of the scaphoid bone in the wrist. Symptoms generally include pain at the base of the thumb which is worse with use of the hand. The anatomic snuffbox is generally tender and swelling may occur. Complications may include non-union of the fracture, avascular necrosis, and arthritis.

Scaphoid fractures are most commonly caused by a fall on an outstretched hand. Diagnosis is generally based on examination and medical imaging. Some fractures may not be visible on plain X-rays. In such cases a person may be casted with repeat X-rays in two weeks or an MRI or bone scan may be done.
Scaphoid fractures are often diagnosed by PA and lateral X-rays. However, not all fractures are apparent initially. Therefore, people with tenderness over the scaphoid (those who exhibit pain to pressure in the anatomic snuff box) are often splinted in a thumb spica for 7–10 days at which point a second set of X-rays is taken. If there was a hairline fracture, healing may now be apparent. Even then a fracture may not be apparent. A CT Scan can then be used to evaluate the scaphoid with greater resolution. The use of MRI, if available, is preferred over CT and can give one an immediate diagnosis. Bone scintigraphy is also an effective method for diagnosing a fracture which does not appear on x-ray.

Containment of fistula output and skin protection should be instituted as soon as the diagnosis is made as it will decrease local skin excoriation and inflammation, pain and infection. While low output fistulas may be controlled with a simple absorbent dressing, complex fistulas often require advanced techniques including barrier creams, powders, and sealants to protect the skin from auto-digestion as well as bridging for fistula isolation, topographical enhancements, and complex pouching systems with or without sump drainage
Fistulas arising from the oesophagus, duodenal stump after gastric resection, pancreaticobiliary tract, and jejunum are more likely to close without operative intervention. Additionally, those with long tracts and small enteric wall defects are associated with higher spontaneous closure rates. Fistulas in the colon show favourable rates of spontaneous resolution.

Morgagni hernias are one of the congenital diaphragmatic hernias (CDH), and are characterized by herniation through the foramen of Morgagni. When compared to Bochdalek hernias, Morgagni hernias are:
-anterior
-more often right-sided (,90%)
-small
-rare (,2% of CDH)
-at low risk of prolapse

Only ,30% of patients are symptomatic. Newborns may present with respiratory distress at birth similar to a Bochdalek hernia. Additionally, recurrent chest infections and gastrointestinal symptoms have been reported in those with previously undiagnosed Morgagni hernia.
The image of the transverse colon is herniated into the thoracic cavity, through a mid line defect and this indicates that it is a Morgagni hernia since the foramen of a Morgagni hernia occurs in the anterior midline through the sternocostal hiatus of the diaphragm, with 90% of cases occurring on the right side.

Clinical manifestations of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) include the following:
Early diagnosis – Right-side heart; decreased breath sounds on the affected side; scaphoid abdomen; bowel sounds in the thorax, respiratory distress, and/or cyanosis on auscultation; CDH can often be diagnosed in utero with ultrasonography (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or both

Late diagnosis – Chest mass on chest radiography, gastric volvulus, splenic volvulus, or large-bowel obstruction

Congenital hernias (neonatal onset) – Respiratory distress and/or cyanosis occurs within the first 24 hours of life; CDH may not be diagnosed for several years if the defect is small enough that it does not cause significant pulmonary dysfunction

Congenital hernias (childhood or adult onset) – Obstructive symptoms from protrusion of the colon, chest pain, tightness or fullness the in chest, sepsis following strangulation or perforation, and many respiratory symptoms occur.

Hematocolpos means accumulation of blood in vagina and hematometra is accumulation of blood in the uterus. These are most likely seen with an imperforate hymen; which is seen I 1 in 2000 females. If spontaneous resolution does not occur, treatment involves making a hole in the hymen to allow discharge of menstrual blood.

Boerhaave syndrome refers to an oesophageal rupture secondary to forceful vomiting and retching. They are often associated with the clinical triad (Mackler’s triad) of vomiting, chest pain and subcutaneous emphysema. Other symptoms include epigastric pain, back pain, dyspnoea and shock. This condition was universally fatal before the age of surgery.

Ideal management for Boerhaave syndrome involves a combination of both conservative and surgical interventions.

Mainstays of therapy include the following:
– Intravenous volume resuscitation
– Administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics
– Prompt endoscopic and/or surgical intervention

Tazobactam is a compound which inhibits the action of bacterial beta-lactamases. It is added to the extended-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic piperacillin to broaden the spectrum of piperacillin by making it effective against organisms that express beta-lactamase and would normally degrade piperacillin.

Normal pH with low p(CO2) and low standard bicarbonate could indicate either compensated respiratory alkalosis or a compensated metabolic acidosis. However, the history of hyperventilation for 5 days (pleurisy) favours compensated respiratory alkalosis. Compensated metabolic acidosis would have been likely in a diabetic patient with fever, vomiting and high glucose (diabetic ketoacidosis).

An inguinal hernia is a common condition requiring surgical repair in the paediatric age group.
The infant or child with an inguinal hernia generally presents with an obvious bulge at the internal or external ring or within the scrotum. The parents typically provide the history of a visible swelling or bulge, commonly intermittent, in the inguinoscrotal region in boys and inguinolabial region in girls.
The swelling may or may not be associated with any pain or discomfort. More commonly, no pain is associated with a simple inguinal hernia in an infant. The parents may perceive the bulge as being painful when, in truth, it causes no discomfort to the patient.
The bulge commonly occurs after crying or straining and often resolves during the night while the baby is sleeping.
Indirect hernias are more common on the right side because of delayed descent of the right testicle. Hernias are present on the right side in 60% of patients, on the left is 30%, and bilaterally in 10% of patients.
Physical examination of a child with an inguinal hernia typically reveals a palpable smooth mass originating from the external ring lateral to the pubic tubercle. The mass may only be noticeable after coughing or performing a Valsalva manoeuvre, and it should be reduced easily. Occasionally, the examining physician may feel the loops of intestine within the hernia sac. In girls, feeling the ovary in the hernia sac is not unusual; it is not infrequently confused with a lymph node in the groin region. In boys, palpation of both testicles is important to rule out an undescended or retractile testicle.
In boys, differentiating between a hernia and a hydrocele is not always easy. Transillumination has been advocated as a means of distinguishing between the presence of a sac filled with fluid in the scrotum (hydrocele) and the presence of bowel in the scrotal sac. However, in cases of inguinal hernia incarceration, transillumination may not be beneficial because any viscera that is distended and fluid-filled in the scrotum of a young infant may also transilluminate. A rectal examination may be helpful if intestine can be felt descending through the internal ring.
A femoral hernia can be very difficult to differentiate from an indirect inguinal hernia. Its location is below the inguinal canal, through the femoral canal. The differentiation is often made only at the time of operative repair, once the anatomy and relationship to the inguinal ligament are clearly visualized. The signs and symptoms for femoral hernias are essentially the same as those described for indirect inguinal hernias.

Answer: Undertake a laparotomy

Intussusception, which is defined as the telescoping or invagination of a proximal portion of intestine (intussusceptum) into a more distal portion (intussuscipiens), is one of the most common causes of bowel obstruction in infants and toddlers.
Intussusception may be ileoileal, colocolic, ileoileocolic, or ileocolic (the most common type).
Most infants with intussusception have a history of intermittent severe cramping
or colicky abdominal pain, occurring every 5-30 minutes. During these attacks, the infant screams and flexes at the waist, draws the legs up to the abdomen, and may appear pale. These episodes may last for only a few seconds and are separated by periods of calm normal appearance and activity. However, some infants become quite lethargic and somnolent between attacks.
Infants with intussusception require surgical correction. Prompt laparotomy following diagnosis is crucial for achieving better outcomes. Primary anastomosis can be performed successfully, and stomas can be created in the critically ill patients or those with late detection and septicaemia.

Even in the era of gene-expression profiling, the nodal status still remains the primary prognostic discriminant in breast cancer patients. The exclusion of node involvement using non-invasive methods could reduce the rate of axillary surgery, thereby preventing from suffering complications.

Lymph node status is highly related to prognosis (chances for survival).

Hernia containing Meckel’s diverticulum is termed as Littre’s hernia.

Hernias occur when a viscus or part of it protrudes from within its normal anatomical cavity. A Littre’s hernia is an abdominal wall hernia that involves the Meckel’s diverticulum which is a congenital outpouching or bulge in the lower part of the small intestine and is a leftover of the umbilical cord.

Management of Littre’s hernia includes resection of the diverticulum followed by herniorrhaphy.

During the generation of an action potential, the membrane gets depolarized which cause the voltage gated sodium channels to open and sodium diffuses inside the neuron, resulting in the membrane potential moving towards a positive value. This positive potential will then open the voltage gated potassium channels and cause more K+ to move out decreasing the membrane potential and restoring the membrane potential to its resting value.

High pH with high standard bicarbonate indicates metabolic alkalosis. The pa(CO2) was appropriately low in compensation. This is hypokalaemia hypochloraemic metabolic acidosis due to prolonged vomiting. Treatment includes treating the cause and intravenous sodium chloride with potassium.

Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) is recommended as the next step of management for patients with proximal upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) of recent onset or severe symptoms.

Primary UEDVT is less common than secondary forms. The most common primary form is effort-related thrombosis, also called Paget-Schroetter syndrome. It usually occurs in otherwise healthy young men who report, before the onset of thrombosis, vigorous arm exercise such as lifting weights, playing badminton, pitching a baseball, or performing repetitive overhead activities, such as painting or car repair. Most patients with effort-related UEDVT have an underlying venous thoracic outlet syndrome (VTOS). Secondary causes of UEDVT include central line insertion, malignancy, or pacemakers.

Patients with UEDVT typically present with heaviness, discomfort, pain, paraesthesia, and swelling of the affected arm. Physical examination may reveal pitting oedema, redness, or cyanosis of the involved extremity; visible collateral veins at the shoulder or upper arm; and fever.

Diagnosis is made by:
1. FBC: platelet function
2. Coagulation profile
3. Liver function tests
4. Duplex scan: investigation of choice
5. D-dimer testing
6. CT scan: for VTOS

Treatment options for primary UEDVT are as follows:
1. Anticoagulation therapy should be undertaken with a once-daily regimen of LMWH or fondaparinux for at least five days, followed by vitamin K antagonists for at least three months. Unfractionated heparin instead of LMWH is recommended for patients with renal failure or for those treated with CDT.

2. Early thrombus removal and restoration of venous patency should be done immediately after starting the patient on heparin. Catheter-based therapy is recommended for patients with proximal UEDVT of recent onset and severe symptoms, low risk for bleeding complications, and good functional status.

The rectus capitis anterior is a short, flat muscle, situated immediately behind the upper part of the longus capitis. It is also known as the obliquus capitis superior. It aids in flexion of the head and the neck. Nerve supple is from C1 and C2.

The operation aims to remove most of your large bowel including the blood supply and associated lymph glands and leave the rectum behind. It is most commonly recommended for inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

It is also recommended for other bowel conditions like familial adenomatous polyposis, and when there is more than one bowel cancer.

In inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis the small bowel is brought out to the skin of the tummy as an ileostomy and the remaining bowel (rectum) is closed off and left inside. In other conditions where possible, the two ends of the remaining healthy bowel (small bowel to rectum) are re-joined (an anastomosis). Most
people therefore do not require a stoma. However some people benefit from having a stoma made depending on circumstances regarding:
1) Their general state of health (heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, vascular disease, smoking, steroid medications, being undernourished);
2) Factors which cannot be seen until the surgeon can see inside your tummy (more extensive disease than originally thought, extensive pelvic scarring from previous surgery or other treatment, excessive bleeding).
Temporary stomas are made to divert faeces away from the join (de-functioning) to give the best chance to heal if there is concern it may be slow to heal.

Emergency indications for surgical intervention in severe UC include free perforation, haemorrhage or systemic instability. An urgent indication for colectomy is a severe attack that is unresponsive to medical therapy.

In the setting of severe UC, the procedure of choice is subtotal colectomy and ileostomy. The residual rectal disease is controllable in most patients. In general, there are advantages to the subtotal colectomy approach, including a lower morbidity if pelvic dissection is not performed, preservation of the rectum so that reconstructive procedures can be performed later, and allowing the definitive procedure to be deferred to an optimal situation when the patient is off immunosuppressive medications and has improved nutritional status. Usually, the staged reconstruction with IPAA or definitive total proctocolectomy is performed several months later.

Beta-thalassaemia is due to decreased production of β-polypeptide chains, with an autosomal inheritance pattern. Carrier patients (heterozygotes) are asymptomatic and have mild to moderate microcytic anaemia. This is known as thalassaemia minor. Homozygotes (β-thalassaemia major, or Cooley’s anaemia) develop severe anaemia and marrow hyperactivity. The disease presents at 1-2 years of age with severe anaemia and transfusional and absorptive iron overload. Patients also present with jaundice, leg ulcers, massive splenomegaly and cholelithiasis. The disease can also lead to splenic sequestration leading to faster destruction of transfused red blood cells. Increased marrow activity causes thickening of cranial bones. Involvement of long bones is also seen, which can cause pathological fractures and growth impairment. There is iron deposition in various organs, which can lead to heart failure or hepatic failure (leading to cirrhosis). Thalassaemias are suspected in presence of family history, or signs suggesting microcytic haemolytic anaemia. Further test and quantitative haemoglobin studies are useful. In beta-thalassaemia, there is an increase in serum bilirubin, iron and ferritin levels. There is severe anaemia, often with haemoglobin < 6 g/dl. There is an elevated red blood cell count, which are microcytic. Peripheral blood smear is diagnostic with nucleated erythroblasts, target cells, small pale red blood cells, and punctate basophilia.

Thromboangiitis obliterans, also known as Buerger’s disease, is a rare type of occlusive peripheral arterial disease, usually seen in smokers, most commonly in men aged 20 to 40. Symptoms most often include intermittent claudication, skin changes, painful ulcers on extremities, pain in the extremities during rest and gangrene. Diagnosis is based on clinical findings, arteriography, echocardiography, and computed tomography angiography. A difference in blood pressure between arms, or between the arms and legs is a common finding. Electrocardiographic findings include nonspecific abnormality or normal results.

In a developing foetus, the midgut develops to form most of the intestines. During this development process, the midgut usually bends around the superior mesenteric artery and forms what is referred to as the midgut loop.

The spinothalamic tract is a sensory pathway originating in the spinal cord that transmits information to the thalamus. There are two main parts of the spinothalamic tract: the lateral spinothalamic tract transmits pain and temperature and the anterior spinothalamic tract transmits touch (crude touch). The decussation of this pathway occurs at the level of the spinal cord. Hence, a unilateral lesion of the lateral spinothalamic tract causes contralateral loss of pain and temperature.

Acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) dislocation normally occurs secondary to direct injury to the superior aspect of the acromion. Loss of shoulder contour and prominent clavicle are the key features.

An ACJ dislocation, or AC separation, is a very frequent injury among physically active people. It is commonly caused by a fall directly on the shoulder or a direct blow received in a contact sport. Disruption of the ACJ results in pain and instability in the entire shoulder and arm. The pain is most severe when the patient attempts overhead movements or tries to sleep on the affected side.

In general, most AC injuries do not require surgery. There are certain situations, however, in which surgery may be necessary. Most patients recover with full function of the shoulder. The period of disability and discomfort ranges from a few days to 12 weeks depending on the severity of the separation.

Vincristine is an alkaloid chemotherapeutic agent. It is used to treat a number of types of cancer including acute lymphocytic leukaemia, acute myeloid leukaemia, Hodgkin’s disease, neuroblastoma, and small cell lung cancer among others. The main side-effects of vincristine are peripheral neuropathy and constipation.

An anal fissure is a painful linear tear or crack in the distal anal canal, which, in the short term, usually involves only the epithelium and, in the long term, involves the full thickness of the anal mucosa. Anal fissures develop with equal frequency in both sexes; they tend to occur in younger and middle-aged persons.

Treatment should include stool softeners and lifestyle advice. Failure of medical therapy is an indication for surgical therapy. Controversy mostly involves continued efforts to find a medical therapy for anal fissure that is as successful as the surgical therapy for the condition.
Typically, the patient reports severe pain during a bowel movement, with the pain lasting several minutes to hours afterward. The pain recurs with every bowel movement, and the patient commonly becomes afraid or unwilling to have a bowel movement, leading to a cycle of worsening constipation, harder stools, and more anal pain. Approximately 70% of patients note bright-red blood on the toilet paper or stool. Occasionally, a few drops may fall in the toilet bowl, but significant bleeding does not usually occur with an anal fissure.

Children with intussceception usually present at a relatively young age with colicky abdominal pain, together with a mass on clinical examination. The often cited red current jelly type stool is a rare but classical feature.

Juvenile polyps may occur as part of the familial polyposis coli syndromes. The lesions, which are hamartomas, are often cherry red if they protrude externally.

Ileal resection may lead to bile acid malabsorption and an altered biliary lipid composition. A “bile acid deficiency” in the enterohepatic circulation with a relative excess of cholesterol and cholesterol supersaturated bile might ensue, causing cholesterol gallstone formation.

In patients with Crohn’s disease involving the small
intestine, the prevalence of gall-bladder stones is higher
than that in the general population. One hypothesis
for this increased risk is that bile acid malabsorption,
secondary to impaired active bile acid transport as a
consequence of ileal disease/resection, leads to a
reduction in the total bile acid pool size and an increase
in biliary cholesterol saturation. In patients with
ulcerative or Crohn’s colitis, or who have undergone
colectomy, the bile acid malabsorption is less than that
in those with ileal dysfunction or resection, but the risk
of gallstone formation is still increased, allegedly by the
same mechanism.

Answer: Serum phosphate

Refeeding syndrome can be defined as the potentially fatal shifts in fluids and electrolytes that may occur in malnourished patients receiving artificial refeeding (whether enterally or parenterally. These shifts result from hormonal and metabolic changes and may cause serious clinical complications. The hallmark biochemical feature of refeeding syndrome is hypophosphatemia. However, the syndrome is complex and may also feature abnormal sodium and fluid balance; changes in glucose, protein, and fat metabolism; thiamine deficiency; hypokalaemia; and hypomagnesaemia.
During refeeding, glycaemia leads to increased insulin and decreased secretion of glucagon. Insulin stimulates glycogen, fat, and protein synthesis. This process requires minerals such as phosphate and magnesium and cofactors such as thiamine. Insulin stimulates the absorption of potassium into the cells through the sodium-potassium ATPase symporter, which also transports glucose into the cells. Magnesium and phosphate are also taken up into the cells. Water follows by osmosis. These processes result in a decrease in the serum levels of phosphate, potassium, and magnesium, all of which are already depleted. The clinical features of the refeeding syndrome occur as a result of the functional deficits of these electrolytes and the rapid change in basal metabolic rate.

Symptoms of hypophosphatemia include:

confusion or hesitation
seizures
muscle breakdown
neuromuscular problems
acute heart failure

Deficiency in thiamine can lead to Korsakoff’s syndrome (retrograde and anterograde amnesia, confabulation) and Wernicke’s encephalopathy (ocular abnormalities, ataxia, confusional state, hypothermia, coma). These symptoms are not present in the patient so Thiamine deficiency can be ruled out and there is no need to do tests for Serum vitamin B.

Cardiac notch: is an indentation on the left lung of the heart.
Coronary sinus: a venous sinus on the surface of the heart (the posterior aspect) that receives blood from the smaller veins that drain the heart.
Coronary sulcus: a groove on the heart between the atria and ventricles.
Transverse pericardial sinus: located behind the aorta and pulmonary trunk and anterior to the superior vena cava.
Oblique pericardial sinus: located behind the left atrium. Accessed from the inferior side (or the apex) of the heart upwards.
Horizontal pericardial sinus: this is a made-up term.

Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease which leads to long-term respiratory complications and is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibres. Symptoms due to long exposure to asbestos usually appear 10 to 40 years after initial exposure and include shortness of breath, cough, weight loss, clubbing of the fingers and chest pain. Typical chest X-ray findings include diffuse lung infiltrates that cause the appearance of shaggy heart borders.

The bronchial circulation is part of the systemic circulation and receives about 2% of the cardiac output from the left heart. Bronchial arteries arise from branches of the aorta, intercostal, subclavian or internal mammary arteries. The bronchial arteries supply the tracheobronchial tree with both nutrients and O2. It is complementary to the pulmonary circulation that brings deoxygenated blood to the lungs and carries oxygenated blood away from them in order to oxygenate the rest of the body.

The most common glycogen storage disorder is von Gierke’s disease or glycogen storage disease type I. It results from a deficiency of enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase which affects the ability of liver to produce free glucose from glycogen and gluconeogenesis; leading to severe hypoglycaemia. There is also increased glycogen storage in the liver and kidneys causing enlargement and various problems in their functioning. The disease also causes lactic acidosis and hyperlipidaemia. The main treatment includes frequent or continuous feedings of corn-starch or other carbohydrates.

Surgical site infection (SSI) by Staphylococcus aureus is the most likely cause in this scenario. In the UK from 2010–2011, 23% of wound infections were due to S. aureus. Infection with the other organisms, including Streptococcus pyogenes, are much rarer.

Surgical site infections (SSI) comprise up to 20% of all healthcare-associated infections and at least 5% of patients undergoing surgery will develop an SSI as a result. SSIs may occur following a breach in tissue surfaces and allow normal commensals and other pathogens to initiate infection. The organisms are mostly derived from the patient’s own body.

SSIs are a major cause of morbidity and mortality.
Some preoperative measures that may increase the risk of SSI include:
1. Shaving the wound using a razor (disposable clipper preferred)
2. Tissue hypoxia
3. Delayed administration of prophylactic antibiotics in tourniquet surgery

SSIs can be prevented by taking certain precautionary steps pre-, intra-, and postoperatively.

1. Preoperatively:
a. Do not remove body hair routinely
b. If hair needs removal, use electrical clippers (razors increase the risk of infection)
c. Antibiotic prophylaxis if:
– placement of prosthesis or valve
– clean-contaminated surgery
– contaminated surgery

2. Intraoperatively:
a. Prepare the skin with alcoholic chlorhexidine (Lowest incidence of SSI)
b. Cover surgical site with dressing

3. Postoperatively:
a. Prevention of incisional infection by appropriate cleansing, skin care, and moisture management
b.Tissue viability advice for management of surgical wound healing by secondary intention

The patient has an injury due to falling on outstretched hands (FOOSH). Putting his clinical picture into consideration, he is most likely to have a fracture of the radial head.
Radial head fractures often occur with FOOSH injuries. Patients will complain of wrist pain, as well as elbow pain, and be hesitant to perform a range of motion. However, pain with supination and pronation at the elbow is imperative for diagnosis. Palpation at the lateral aspect of the elbow will elicit pain; you also may feel crepitus at the radial head with supination pronation. X-rays should be ordered, with a minimum of two views (AP and lateral). Radial head fractures can be difficult to recognize on x-ray. Assess for a sail sign or effusion on the image. A positive fat pad sign aids in diagnosis, as well. If the image is inconclusive, but the exam is consistent, treat until proven otherwise.
Management should include intensive patient education. Compression wrapping for comfort and stability may be used along with a sling. Please note, early light motion is imperative for these patients, as elbow contracture and stiffness are very common after injury, possibly leading to long-term complications. These patients need to be seen by an orthopaedic specialist as soon as possible to begin management. Be aware that if displacement or step-off of the radial head is present, this may require surgical intervention, and motion could worsen alignment if not managed meticulously.
Other INJURIES TO THE UPPER EXTREMITY DUE TO (FOOSH):
Radial Styloid Fracture
Distal Radius Fracture
Scaphoid Fracture
Scapholunate Tear
Distal Radioulnar Joint
Cellulitis
Synovitis

Three antibiotics are effective against Clostridium difficile:
Metronidazole 500 mg orally three times daily is the drug of choice, because of superior tolerability, lower price and comparable efficacy.
Oral vancomycin 125 mg four times daily is second-line therapy in particular cases of relapse or where the infection is unresponsive to metronidazole treatment.
Thirdly, the use of linezolid might also be considered.

The patient suffers from hyperkalaemia as an adverse effect of RBCs transfusion, which causes his ECG changes.
The potassium concentration of blood increases during storage, by as much as 5–10 mmol u−1. After the transfusion, the RBC membrane Na+–K+ ATPase pumping mechanism is re-established and cellular potassium reuptake occurs rapidly. Hyperkalaemia rarely occurs during massive transfusions unless the patient is also hypothermic and acidotic.
The total extracellular potassium load, which is <0.5 mmol for fresh RBC units and only 5-7 mmol for units at expiration, rarely causes problems in the recipient because of rapid dilution, redistribution into cells, and excretion. An abnormally high potassium level (>5 mmol/l or ≥1.5 mmol/l net increase) within an hour of transfusion is classified as transfusion-associated hyperkalaemia.
Irradiation enhances potassium leakage.

Metoclopramide is a potent dopamine-receptor antagonist with anti-emetic and prokinetic properties. It is therefore commonly used to treat nausea and vomiting, and to facilitate gastric emptying in patients with gastric stasis. The anti-emetic action of metoclopramide is due to its antagonist activity at D2 receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) in the central nervous system. Common adverse drug reactions associated with metoclopramide include restlessness (akathisia), and focal dystonia.

The likely diagnosis is megaloblastic anaemia, which also shows the presence of hypersegmented neutrophils.

The adductors of the fingers are the palmer interossei. They are supplied by the ulnar nerve, which is a branch of the medical cord of the brachial plexus.

The skin over the cheek and the maxilla are innervated by the trigeminal nerve (CN V). The trigeminal nerve has three major branches and it is the largest cranial nerve. The three branches of the trigeminal nerve are; the ophthalmic nerve, the maxillary nerve and the mandibular nerve. The trigeminal nerves ganglion is a sensory nerve ganglion know as the trigeminal ganglion (also referred to as the Gasser’s ganglion or the semilunar ganglion). It is contained in the dura matter in a cavity known as the Meckel’s cave, which covers the trigeminal impression near the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone.

Azlocillin, like piperacillin, is an acylampicillin antibiotic with an extended spectrum of activity and greater in vitro potency than the carboxypenicillins. Azlocillin is similar to mezlocillin and piperacillin. It demonstrates antibacterial activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Dukes staging and 5 year survival:
Dukes A – Tumour confined to the bowel but not extending beyond it, without nodal metastasis (95%)
Dukes B – Tumour invading bowel wall, but without nodal metastasis (75%)
Dukes C – Lymph node metastases (50%)
Dukes D – Distant metastases (6%)

The baroreflex or baroreceptor reflex is one of the body’s homeostatic mechanisms for regulating blood pressure. It provides a negative feedback response in which an elevated blood pressure will causes blood pressure to decrease; similarly, decreased blood pressure depresses the baroreflex, causing blood pressure to rise. The system relies on specialised neurones (baroreceptors) in the aortic arch, carotid sinuses and elsewhere to monitor changes in blood pressure and relay them to the brainstem. Subsequent changes in blood pressure are mediated by the autonomic nervous system. Baroreceptors include those in the auricles of the heart and vena cava, but the most sensitive baroreceptors are in the carotid sinuses and aortic arch. The carotid sinus baroreceptors are innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX); the aortic arch baroreceptors are innervated by the vagus nerve (CN X).

The steps involved in leukocyte arrival and function are:
1. margination: cells migrate from the centre to the periphery of the vessel
2. rolling: selectins are upregulated on the vessel walls
3. adhesion: upregulation of the adhesion molecules ICAM and VCAM on the endothelium interact with integrins on the leukocytes, interaction of these results in adhesion
4. diapedesis and chemotaxis: diapedesis is the transmigration of the leukocyte across the endothelium of the capillary and towards a chemotactic product
5. phagocytosis: engulfing the offending substance/cell.

Acute (or Adult) respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a medical condition occurring in critically ill patients characterized by widespread inflammation in the lungs. The development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) starts with damage to the alveolar epithelium and vascular endothelium, resulting in increased permeability to plasma and inflammatory cells. These cells pass into the interstitium and alveolar space, resulting in pulmonary oedema. Damage to the surfactant-producing type II cells and the presence of protein-rich fluid in the alveolar space disrupt the production and function of pulmonary surfactant, leading to micro atelectasis and impaired gas exchange. The pathophysiological consequences of lung oedema in ARDS include a decrease in lung volumes, compliance and large intrapulmonary shunts. ARDS may be seen in the setting of pneumonia, sepsis, following trauma, multiple blood transfusions, severe burns, severe pancreatitis, near-drowning, drug reactions, or inhalation injuries.

The patient has a right groin hernia since he has a reducible lump and a history of carrying heavy objects.
Inguinal hernias present with a reducible lump in the groin.
A third of patients scheduled for surgery have no pain, and severe pain is uncommon (1.5% at rest and 10.2% on movement).
Inguinal hernias are at risk of irreducibility or incarceration, which may result in strangulation and obstruction; however, unlike with femoral hernias, strangulation is rare.
Inguinal hernias are often classified as direct or indirect, depending on whether the hernia sac bulges directly through the posterior wall of the inguinal canal (direct hernia) or passes through the internal inguinal ring alongside the spermatic cord, following the coursing of the inguinal canal (indirect hernia).

Surgery is the only curative treatment.
If patients with asymptomatic inguinal hernia are medically fit, they should be offered repair
Mesh repair is associated with the lowest recurrence rates of hernia
Laparoscopic repair is suggested for recurrent and bilateral inguinal hernias, though it may also be offered for primary inguinal hernia repair
The EuraHS recommendations:
– For Primary unilateral Hernia: Mesh repair, Lichtenstein or endoscopic repair are recommended. Endoscopic repair only if expertise is available.
– Primary bilateral: Mesh repair, Lichtenstein or endoscopic.
– Recurrent inguinal hernia: Mesh repair, modifying the technique with respect to the previous technique.
– If previously anterior: Consider open preperitoneal mesh or endoscopic approach (if expertise is present).
– If previously posterior: Consider an anterior mesh

In inguinal hernia tension-free repair, synthetic non-absorbable flat meshes (or composite meshes with a non-absorbable component) should be used.

Dumping syndrome is the effect of altered gastric reservoir function, abnormal postoperative gastric motor function, and/or pyloric emptying mechanism. Clinically significant dumping syndrome occurs in approximately 10% of patients after any type of gastric surgery and in up to 50% of patients after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Dumping syndrome has characteristic alimentary and systemic manifestations. It is a frequent complication observed after a variety of gastric surgical procedures, such as vagotomy, pyloroplasty, gastrojejunostomy, and laparoscopic Nissan fundoplication. Dumping syndrome can be separated into early and late forms, depending on the occurrence of symptoms in relation to the time elapsed after a meal.
Postprandially, the function of the body of the stomach is to store food and to allow the initial chemical digestion by acid and proteases before transferring food to the gastric antrum. In the antrum, high-amplitude contractions triturate the solids, reducing the particle size to 1-2 mm. Once solids have been reduced to this desired size, they are able to pass through the pylorus. An intact pylorus prevents the passage of larger particles into the duodenum. Gastric emptying is controlled by the fundic tone, antropyloric mechanisms, and duodenal feedback. Gastric surgery alters each of these mechanisms in several ways.

The late dumping syndrome is suspected in the person who has symptoms of hypoglycaemia in the setting of previous gastric surgery, and this late dumping can be proven with an oral glucose tolerance test (hyperinsulinemic hypoglycaemia), as well as gastric emptying scintigraphy, which shows the abnormal pattern of initially delayed and then accelerated gastric emptying.

The clinical presentation of dumping syndrome can be divided into GI symptoms and vasomotor symptoms. GI symptoms include early satiety, crampy abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and explosive diarrhoea. Vasomotor symptoms include diaphoresis, flushing, dizziness, palpitations, and an intense desire to lie down.

The expression of these symptoms varies in different individuals. Most patients with early dumping have both GI and vasomotor symptoms, while patients with late dumping have mostly vasomotor symptoms. Patients with severe dumping often limit their food intake to avoid symptoms. This leads to weight loss and, over time, malnutrition.

Early dumping syndrome generally occurs within 15 minutes of ingesting a meal and is attributable to the rapid transit of food into the small intestine, whereas late dumping syndrome occurs later and may be attributed to hypoglycaemia with tremors, cold sweats, difficulty in concentrating, and loss of consciousness.

Early dumping systemic symptoms are as follows:
Desire to lie down
Palpitations
Fatigue
Faintness
Syncope
Diaphoresis
Headache
Flushing

Early dumping abdominal symptoms are as follows:
Epigastric fullness
Diarrhoea
Nausea
Abdominal cramps
Borborygmi

Late dumping symptoms are as follows:
Perspiration
Shakiness
Difficulty to concentrate
Decreased consciousness
Hunger

Vestibular neuronitis or labyrinthitis causes a self-limited episode of vertigo, presumably due to inflammation of the vestibular division of cranial nerve VIII. Its causes are unknown, It may be due to a virus, but it can be related to a bacterial infection, head injury, stress, allergy, or as a reaction to medication. Symptoms can last up to 7-10 days.

Paronychia affecting the big toe will result in inflammation of the superficial inguinal lymph nodes as it drains lymph from the big toe.

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome is a rare disorder that involves straining during defecation, a sense of incomplete evacuation, and sometimes passage of blood and mucus by rectum.
The syndrome is poorly named because associated lesions may be solitary or multiple and ulcerated or nonulcerated; they range from mucosal erythema to ulcers to small mass lesions.
Lesions are typically located in the anterior rectal wall within 10 cm of the anal verge.
It is probably caused by localized ischemic injury or prolapse of the distal rectal mucosa. Diagnosis is clinical with confirmation by flexible sigmoidoscopy and biopsy. Treatment is a bowel regimen for mild cases, but surgery is sometimes needed if rectal prolapse is the cause.

The cardinal symptom of Fissure in ano is pain.

The oculomotor nerve is the third cranial nerve (CNIII). It offers motor and parasympathetic innervation to many of the ocular structures. The motor fibres innervate a number of the extraocular muscles. While the parasympathetic fibres supply the sphincter pupillae and the ciliary muscles of the eye, and the sympathetic fibres innervates the superior tarsal muscles.

Fick’s principle states that, VO2 = (CO × CAO2) – (CO × CVO2) where VO2 = oxygen consumption, CO = cardiac output, CAO2 = oxygen concentration of arterial blood and CVO2 = oxygen concentration of venous blood. Thus, CO = VO2/CAO2– CVO2, CO = 500/0.24–0.16, CO = 500/0.8, CO = 6.25 l/min. Cardiac output is also given by product of stroke volume and heart rate. Thus, stroke volume = cardiac output / heart rate = 6.25/70 × 1000 stroke volume = 90 ml approximately.

The patient has Gustilo-Anderson Grade IIIb.
Options for wound closure in the treatment of open fractures include primary closure of the skin, split-thickness skin grafting, and the use of either free or local muscle flaps. The timing of open wound closure has proponents in the immediate, early, and delayed categories
Gustilo-Anderson classification
Type I – Open fracture with a wound less than 1 cm in length, and clean
Type II – Open fracture with a laceration more than 1 cm in length, without extensive soft-tissue damage, flaps, or avulsions
Type III – Either an open segmental fracture, an open fracture with extensive soft-tissue damage, or a traumatic amputation
The description of type III fractures was subsequently further refined and described by Gustilo et al in 1984, [6] as follows:
Type IIIa – Severe comminution or segmental fractures, but with adequate coverage of bone and a wound that is closable by simple means
Type IIIb – Extensive soft-tissue damage in association with the open fracture, with significant bone exposure and periosteal stripping, typically requiring tissue rotation or free tissue transfer for closure
Type IIIc – Any open fracture with an arterial injury that requires repair

Diagnosis of meningitis can be carried out with examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with a lumbar puncture (LP). In a case of bacterial meningitis, the CSF analysis will show:
– Opening pressure: > 180 mmH2O
– White blood cell count: 10–10 000/μl with neutrophil predominance
– Glucose: < 40 mg/dl
– CSF glucose to serum glucose ratio: < 0.4
– Protein: > 4.5 mg/dl
– Gram stain: positive in > 60%
– Culture: positive in > 80%
– Latex agglutination: may be positive in meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli and group B streptococci
– Limulus, lysates: positive in Gram-negative meningitis

The vagus nerve supplies the parasympathetic fibres to the abdominal structures that are receive arterial supply from the coeliac trunk or superior mesenteric artery i.e. up to the transverse colon. The end of the transverse colon and the gastrointestinal structures distal to this point receive parasympathetic innervation from the pelvic splanchnic nerves and blood from the inferior mesenteric artery(IMA). The ascending colon, caecum, jejunum and ileum would all, thus, be affected by this damage. Sigmoid colon would not be affected.

The clinical symptoms of Superior Orbital Fissure Syndrome can be explained by the nerve involvement on an anatomic basis.
External ophthalmoplegia is secondary to impairment of the oculomotor, trochlear, and abducens nerves.
Ptosis develops because of lost tension and function of the levator palpebrae superior muscle involving the superior branch of the oculomotor nerve, and loss of tone in Muller’s muscle involving the sympathetic fibre arising from the cavernous sinus.
Proptosis is caused by a decreased tension of the extraocular muscles, which normally are globe retractors, thereby allowing forward movement of the globe.
The fixed dilated pupil with loss of accommodation arises from disruption of the parasympathetic fibres coursing with the oculomotor nerve.
Compromise of the lacrimal and frontal nerves of the ophthalmic branches of the trigeminal nerve results in anaesthesia of the forehead and upper eyelid, lacrimal hyposecretion, and possibly in retro-orbital pain and neuralgia along the path of the nerve.
Because of the disruption of the sensory nasociliary nerve, there may be anaesthesia of the cornea and the bridge of the nose with loss of the corneal reflex. When the disruption is partial, the corneal reflex remains intact.
If the optic nerve is also involved including the above-mentioned symptoms, it is known as the orbital apex syndrome.

The patient has Denis B fracture, unstable fracture requiring open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF)
open reduction internal fixation indications:
– any talar displacement
– displaced isolated medial malleolar fracture
– displaced isolated lateral malleolar fracture
– bimalleolar fracture and bimalleolar-equivalent fracture
– posterior malleolar fracture with > 25% or > 2mm step-off
– Bosworth fracture-dislocations
– open fractures
– malleolar non-union

Danis-Weber classification:
type A
below the level of the talar dome
usually transverse
tibiofibular syndesmosis intact
deltoid ligament intact
medial malleolus occasionally fractured
usually stable if medial malleolus intact
type B
the distal extent at the level of the talar dome; may extend some distance proximally
usually spiral
tibiofibular syndesmosis usually intact, but a widening of the distal tibiofibular joint (especially on stressed views) indicates syndesmotic injury
medial malleolus may be fractured
the deltoid ligament may be torn, indicated by a widening of the space between the medial malleolus and talar dome
variable stability, dependent on the status of medial structures (malleolus/deltoid ligament) and syndesmosis; may require ORIF
Weber B fractures could be further subclassified as 9
B1: isolated
B2: associated with a medial lesion (malleolus or ligament)
B3: associated with a medial lesion and fracture of the posterolateral tibia
type C
above the level of the ankle joint
tibiofibular syndesmosis disruption with a widening of the distal tibiofibular articulation
medial malleolus fracture or deltoid ligament injury often present
a fracture may arise as proximally as the level of the fibular neck and not visualized on ankle films, requiring knee or full-length tibia-fibula radiographs (Maisonneuve fracture)
unstable: usually requires ORIF
Weber C fractures can be further subclassified as 6
C1: diaphyseal fracture of the fibula, simple
C2: diaphyseal fracture of the fibula, complex
C3: proximal fracture of the fibula
a fracture above the syndesmosis results from external rotation or abduction forces that also disrupt the joint
usually associated with an injury to the medial side

Osteoarthritis is most common in older adults, predominating in women between the ages of 40 and 70; after this age, men and women are affected equally. It affects an entire joint, with disruption and potential loss of joint cartilage, along with other joint changes, including bone hypertrophy (osteophyte formation). The pain is usually gradual and is worse after activity, with occasional joint swelling. X-ray findings include marginal osteophytes, narrowing of the joint space, increased density of the subchondral bone, subchondral cyst formation, bony remodelling and joint effusions.

The use of intravenous diltiazem or verapamil is contraindicated in patients with ventricular tachycardia. The IV administration of a calcium channel blocker can precipitate cardiac arrest in such patients.
Marked hemodynamic deterioration and ventricular fibrillation have occurred in patients with wide-complex ventricular tachycardia (QRS >= 0.12 seconds) treated with IV verapamil.

A cerebral abscess can result from direct extension of cranial infections, penetrating head trauma, haematogenous spread, or for unknown causes. An abscess forms when an area of cerebral inflammation becomes necrotic and encapsulated by glial cells and fibroblasts. Oedema around the abscess can increase the intracranial pressure. Symptoms result from increased intracranial pressure and mass effects. In a CT scan, an abscess appears as an oedematous mass with ring enhancement.

Initially, all tibial shaft fractures should be stabilized with a long posterior splint with the knee in 10-15° of flexion and the ankle flexed at 90°
Closed fractures with minimal displacement or stable reduction may be treated nonoperatively with a long leg cast, but cast application should be delayed for 3-5 days to allow early swelling to diminish. The cast should extend from the midthigh to the metatarsal heads, with the ankle at 90° of flexion and the knee extended. The cast increases tibial stability and can decrease pain and swelling.
Despite proper casting techniques and adequate follow-up, not all nonoperatively treated tibial shaft fractures heal successfully.
Operative fixation is required when fractures are unstable. Surgical options include plating, external fixation, intramedullary nailing, and, in some cases, amputation.
Intramedullary nailing with locking screws (see the image below) has become the treatment of choice for most tibial shaft fractures. The prevalence of non-union and malunion is greatly decreased in comparison with the other methods of fixation. Patients are also able to return to low-impact activities much sooner than they can with the other treatments.