Medical emergencies

Medical Emergencies -

You will see this symbol when something bad has happened, and you need to act quickly!

The most important thing you need to know is advanced life support, since this is the basic for dealing with all these situations.

Emergency Presentations

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Headache
• Shock
• Anaphylaxis
• Sudden death
• New Onset Coma

Emergency Conditions

Cardiovascular Emergencies

• Heart attacks (Myocardial infarction) and Acute Coronary Syndrome
• Acute heart failure
• Cardiogenic shock (pump failure).
• Tachycardia - Broad complex and narrow complex
• Cardiac tamponade

Respiratory Emergencies

• Asthma attack
• COPD exacerbation
• Epiglottitis
• Tension pneumothorax
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary embolism (PE)

Neurological Emergencies

• Meningitis
• Raised intracranial pressure
• Cauda equina syndrome
• Cerebral abscess and cerebral malaria
• Status epilepticus
• Wernicke's encephalopathy
• Closed angle glaucoma

Gastrointestinal Emergencies

• Acute appendicitis
• Acute liver failure
• Haematemesis
• Acute pancreatitis
• Upper GI bleeding
• Bowel obstruction
• Strangulated hernia

Metabolic Emergencies

• Acute renal failure
• Addisonian crisis
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Hypopituitary emergencies
• Phaeochromocytoma
• Poisoning
• Thyroid emergencies - thyroid storm and myxoedema coma

Physical Injury

• Burns
• Head injury