Scenario
A 65 year old man is brought to your urban district ED from a burning factory. Firefighters found him unconscious within the building.
His observations are as follows
Arterial blood gases on 15 l of oxygen
Question 1
List possible causes for his reduced conscious state
Question 2
Describe and interpret the ABG Results on 15L/min oxygen
Question 3
What features in the assessment of this patient would support a diagnosis of CO poisoning?
Question 4
Outline the key issues in the airway management of this patient
Question 5
The patient is safely intubated. COHb = 15% Discuss the role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in this setting.
Examiners Report
- Overall pass rate for this question was 52/60 (86.7%)
- This SCE examined core elements in CO poisoning, and high standards were expected of candidates.
- Good candidates synthesized information well, and prioritized key issues before addressing details.
- Those who performed poorly failed to demonstrate basic knowledge in this area, and/or were unable to interpret the ABGs.
ACEM Fellowship Structured Clinical Examination (SCE)
About Mike Cadogan
