Scenario
A 19 year old woman is brought to the emergency department by her concerned parents with a two day history of irritability and headache. She has a history of developmental delay and a ventriculo- peritoneal shunt for congenital hydrocephalus.
Her Glasgow Coma Score is 15. Her vital signs are normal.
Question
Describe your assessment. (100%)
Answer
FACEM SAQ Exam 2008.1 – Question 6
- The overall pass rate for this question was 55/62 (8.7%).
- Pass Criteria
- The question was felt to deal with a topical Emergency Dept presentation.
- Good answers dealt with a systematic approach to the assessment of the possible shunt and non-shunt related causes of this presentation.
- Features of unsuccessful answers
- Poor answers failed to adequately examine the shunt itself and failed to fully assess for non-shunt related conditions.
About Mike Cadogan
