Scenario
A 20 year old man presents to your emergency department with central chest pain that commenced after recreational drug use at a party two hours earlier.
His observations are:
Question
a. Describe and interpret his Chest X-ray (50%) b. Outline your management. (50%)
Answer
FACEM VAQ Exam 2007.2 – Question 2
- The overall pass rate for this question was 38/77 (49.4%).
- Chest X-ray showed mediastinal and subcutaneous emphysema.
- The examiners felt that this was an easy question poorly answered by many candidates.
- Satisfactory answers systematically described the image and interpreted it in the light of the clinical scenario. Management required knowledge of the supportive care of this condition and safe disposition of a drug affected patient.
- Unsatisfactory answers failed to address the above or suggested the inappropriate insertion of an intercostal catheter.
About Mike Cadogan
