Syncope: Clinical (To be retired)

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Syncope: 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

Syncope: Clinical (To be retired)

USMLE® Step 2 questions

0 / 3 complete

Questions

USMLE® Step 2 style questions USMLE

of complete

A 76-year-old man comes to the office because of a brief loss of consciousness 2 hours ago. He was having dinner with two friends when he looked "pale" and slumped in his chair. He regained consciousness after about two minutes. He has a history of  hypertension and coronary artery disease, which has been treated with two stents. His temperature is 36.8°C (98°F), pulse is 145/min, respirations are 18/min, and blood pressure is 90/68 mm Hg. Cardiac auscultation shows no murmurs. An ECG is obtained and the rhythm strip is shown below. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?


Transcript

Content Reviewers

Rishi Desai, MD, MPH

Contributors

Antonella Melani, MD

Gil McIntire

Tanner Marshall, MS

Justin Ling, MD, MS

Syncope, or fainting, is when a person loses consciousness and muscle strength. It usually comes on quickly, doesn’t last long, and there’s usually a spontaneous recovery requiring no resuscitation.

It’s caused by a decrease in blood flow to the brain, usually due to low blood pressure.

There’s also presyncope, which is near loss of consciousness with lightheadedness, muscular weakness, blurred vision, and feeling faint without actually fainting.

Presyncope can lead to syncope, so you can think of it as a spectrum of the disease.

Recognizing symptoms of presyncope may allow to act fast and prevent evolution of the episode into a full faint.

The immediate treatment of an individuals with syncope or presyncope starts with laying the individual supine, with legs elevated if possible to help venous return to the heart and restore adequate brain perfusion.

Then, you should assess vital signs, namely a pulse and evidence of respiration, to distinguish cardiac arrest from syncope, and call for additional help if needed.

Finally, you should attempt to arouse the individual without trying to raise them up until they’re ready.

Ok so once the individual has regained consciousness, the next step is to identify the cause.

Neurocardiogenic, vasovagal, and reflex syncope are the most common causes of syncope, and this is a benign condition triggered by parasympathetic activation resulting in vagus nerve discharge.

This discharge may in turn be triggered by urination, defecation, coughing, prolonged standing, or a stressful event like seeing blood and needles.

Summary

Elsevier

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