Leg ulcers: Clinical (To be retired)

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Leg ulcers: Clinical (To be retired)

Medical and surgical emergencies

Cardiology, cardiac surgery and vascular surgery

Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS): Clinical (To be retired)

Supraventricular arrhythmias: Pathology review

Ventricular arrhythmias: Pathology review

Heart blocks: Pathology review

Coronary artery disease: Clinical (To be retired)

Heart failure: Clinical (To be retired)

Syncope: Clinical (To be retired)

Pericardial disease: Clinical (To be retired)

Valvular heart disease: Clinical (To be retired)

Chest trauma: Clinical (To be retired)

Shock: Clinical (To be retired)

Peripheral vascular disease: Clinical (To be retired)

Leg ulcers: Clinical (To be retired)

Aortic aneurysms and dissections: Clinical (To be retired)

Cholinomimetics: Direct agonists

Cholinomimetics: Indirect agonists (anticholinesterases)

Muscarinic antagonists

Sympathomimetics: Direct agonists

Sympatholytics: Alpha-2 agonists

Adrenergic antagonists: Presynaptic

Adrenergic antagonists: Alpha blockers

Adrenergic antagonists: Beta blockers

ACE inhibitors, ARBs and direct renin inhibitors

Loop diuretics

Thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics

Calcium channel blockers

cGMP mediated smooth muscle vasodilators

Class I antiarrhythmics: Sodium channel blockers

Class II antiarrhythmics: Beta blockers

Class III antiarrhythmics: Potassium channel blockers

Class IV antiarrhythmics: Calcium channel blockers and others

Positive inotropic medications

Antiplatelet medications

Dermatology and plastic surgery

Blistering skin disorders: Clinical (To be retired)

Bites and stings: Clinical (To be retired)

Burns: Clinical (To be retired)

Endocrinology and ENT (Otolaryngology)

Diabetes mellitus: Clinical (To be retired)

Hyperthyroidism: Clinical (To be retired)

Hypothyroidism and thyroiditis: Clinical (To be retired)

Parathyroid conditions and calcium imbalance: Clinical (To be retired)

Adrenal insufficiency: Clinical (To be retired)

Neck trauma: Clinical (To be retired)

Insulins

Mineralocorticoids and mineralocorticoid antagonists

Glucocorticoids

Gastroenterology and general surgery

Abdominal pain: Clinical (To be retired)

Appendicitis: Clinical (To be retired)

Gastrointestinal bleeding: Clinical (To be retired)

Peptic ulcers and stomach cancer: Clinical (To be retired)

Inflammatory bowel disease: Clinical (To be retired)

Diverticular disease: Clinical (To be retired)

Gallbladder disorders: Clinical (To be retired)

Pancreatitis: Clinical (To be retired)

Cirrhosis: Clinical (To be retired)

Hernias: Clinical (To be retired)

Bowel obstruction: Clinical (To be retired)

Abdominal trauma: Clinical (To be retired)

Laxatives and cathartics

Antidiarrheals

Acid reducing medications

Hematology and oncology

Blood products and transfusion: Clinical (To be retired)

Venous thromboembolism: Clinical (To be retired)

Anticoagulants: Heparin

Anticoagulants: Warfarin

Anticoagulants: Direct factor inhibitors

Antiplatelet medications

Thrombolytics

Infectious diseases

Fever of unknown origin: Clinical (To be retired)

Infective endocarditis: Clinical (To be retired)

Pneumonia: Clinical (To be retired)

Tuberculosis: Pathology review

Diarrhea: Clinical (To be retired)

Urinary tract infections: Clinical (To be retired)

Meningitis, encephalitis and brain abscesses: Clinical (To be retired)

Bites and stings: Clinical (To be retired)

Skin and soft tissue infections: Clinical (To be retired)

Protein synthesis inhibitors: Aminoglycosides

Antimetabolites: Sulfonamides and trimethoprim

Antituberculosis medications

Miscellaneous cell wall synthesis inhibitors

Protein synthesis inhibitors: Tetracyclines

Cell wall synthesis inhibitors: Penicillins

Miscellaneous protein synthesis inhibitors

Cell wall synthesis inhibitors: Cephalosporins

DNA synthesis inhibitors: Metronidazole

DNA synthesis inhibitors: Fluoroquinolones

Herpesvirus medications

Azoles

Echinocandins

Miscellaneous antifungal medications

Anthelmintic medications

Antimalarials

Anti-mite and louse medications

Nephrology and urology

Hypernatremia: Clinical (To be retired)

Hyponatremia: Clinical (To be retired)

Hyperkalemia: Clinical (To be retired)

Hypokalemia: Clinical (To be retired)

Metabolic and respiratory acidosis: Clinical (To be retired)

Metabolic and respiratory alkalosis: Clinical (To be retired)

Toxidromes: Clinical (To be retired)

Medication overdoses and toxicities: Pathology review

Environmental and chemical toxicities: Pathology review

Acute kidney injury: Clinical (To be retired)

Kidney stones: Clinical (To be retired)

Adrenergic antagonists: Alpha blockers

Neurology and neurosurgery

Stroke: Clinical (To be retired)

Seizures: Clinical (To be retired)

Headaches: Clinical (To be retired)

Traumatic brain injury: Clinical (To be retired)

Neck trauma: Clinical (To be retired)

Lower back pain: Clinical (To be retired)

Spinal cord disorders: Pathology review

Anticonvulsants and anxiolytics: Barbiturates

Anticonvulsants and anxiolytics: Benzodiazepines

Nonbenzodiazepine anticonvulsants

Migraine medications

Osmotic diuretics

Antiplatelet medications

Thrombolytics

Opioid agonists, mixed agonist-antagonists and partial agonists

Opioid antagonists

Pulmonology and thoracic surgery

Asthma: Clinical (To be retired)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Clinical (To be retired)

Venous thromboembolism: Clinical (To be retired)

Acute respiratory distress syndrome: Clinical (To be retired)

Pleural effusion: Clinical (To be retired)

Pneumothorax: Clinical (To be retired)

Chest trauma: Clinical (To be retired)

Bronchodilators: Beta 2-agonists and muscarinic antagonists

Pulmonary corticosteroids and mast cell inhibitors

Rheumatology and orthopedic surgery

Joint pain: Clinical (To be retired)

Anatomy clinical correlates: Clavicle and shoulder

Anatomy clinical correlates: Axilla

Anatomy clinical correlates: Arm, elbow and forearm

Anatomy clinical correlates: Wrist and hand

Anatomy clinical correlates: Median, ulnar and radial nerves

Anatomy clinical correlates: Bones, joints and muscles of the back

Anatomy clinical correlates: Hip, gluteal region and thigh

Anatomy clinical correlates: Knee

Anatomy clinical correlates: Leg and ankle

Anatomy clinical correlates: Foot

Acetaminophen (Paracetamol)

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Glucocorticoids

Opioid agonists, mixed agonist-antagonists and partial agonists

Antigout medications

Assessments

Leg ulcers: Clinical (To be retired)

USMLE® Step 2 questions

0 / 2 complete

Questions

USMLE® Step 2 style questions USMLE

of complete

 A 34-year-old man presents to the emergency department for evaluation of pain in the right lower extremity. The patient was running on the beach without shoes over the past weekend and sustained a small laceration to the bottom of the foot. Over the past 24 hours, he has been experiencing severe pain and swelling of the foot to the point that he is unable to bear weight. He is otherwise healthy and does not smoke, consume alcohol, or use illicit substances. Temperature is 38.6°C (101.5°F), pulse is 109/min, respirations are 22/min, and blood pressure is 131/72 mmHg. On physical examination, a 3 cm x 3 cm area of erythema is noted on the underside of the right foot. The patient is exquisitely tender to palpation over the entire aspect of the right foot extending to the mid tibia. A radiograph of the right foot is obtained and demonstrates the following finding:



Reproduced from: Radiopaedia

Which of the following is the most appropriate treatment for this patient’s clinical condition?  

Transcript

Content Reviewers

Rishi Desai, MD, MPH

Contributors

Antonella Melani, MD

Sam Gillespie, BSc

Tanner Marshall, MS

An ulcer is an unhealed sore or open wound that may appear on the skin or mucosal surfaces due to destruction of the epidermis that extends into the dermis and may reach subcutaneous fat or deeper tissues.

Skin ulcers may take a very long time to heal. For optimal wound healing, the wound bed needs to be well vascularized, free of devitalized tissue, clear of infection, and moist.

The general approach to treating any ulcer starts from wound debridement to remove the accumulation of devitalized tissue, as well as decreasing the bacterial load to prevent infections.

This is usually done through irrigation, typically warm isotonic saline solution; while surgical debridement with a scalpel or other sharp instruments is done for removing large areas of necrotic tissue, for chronic non healing ulcers, or when there are signs of infection.

In addition, individuals with infected ulcers should have wound cultures sent and should get started on antibiotic therapy.

Then, a dressing is applied to the ulcer to help the wound heal more quickly by providing a sterile, breathable and moist environment, as well as reducing the risk of infection. Dressings are typically changed daily or every other day.

Nonhealing ulcers may progress to gangrene, which is a hard, dry texture, usually in the distal toes and fingers, often with a clear demarcation between viable and black, necrotic tissue.

When gangrene has set in, aggressive debridement or amputation of the affected area may be required.

Skin ulcers most often appear on the legs, and can result from multiple causes.

Biopsies are not usually necessary for most ulcers, but can be helpful when the diagnosis is uncertain.

The most common causes are venous insufficiency, arterial insufficiency, and neuropathy. So they’re often classified as venous, arterial, or neuropathic.

Venous ulcers are associated with venous insufficiency due to valve dysfunction, which causes stasis of blood in the legs, and that leads to an increase in venous pressure. This in turn allows blood proteins and fluid to leak into the interstitial space.

Elsevier

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