Common postoperative complications and their management, from wound infection to anastomotic leak, tested on USMLE Step 2 CK.
40 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- What is the most common cause of postoperative fever within the first 24-48 hours?
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Atelectasis.- Postoperative fever on postop day 3-5 is classically attributed to what cause?
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Urinary tract infection.- Postoperative fever on postop day 5-7 raises suspicion for what complication?
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Deep vein thrombosis.- Postoperative fever on postop day 7-10 is classically caused by what?
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Surgical wound infection.- Postoperative fever after day 10 should raise concern for what complications?
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Deep abscess or anastomotic leak.- The classic mnemonic for causes of postoperative fever by timing is the ____ (Wind, Water, Walking, Wound, Wonder drugs/deep abscess).
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5 Ws- What bedside interventions reduce atelectasis after surgery?
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Incentive spirometry and early ambulation.- What is the most common bacterial cause of surgical wound infection?
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Staphylococcus aureus.- What is the definition of wound dehiscence?
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Separation of the fascial layers of a surgical incision.- What is the classic presenting sign of wound dehiscence?
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Sudden discharge of pink (serosanguineous) fluid from the incision.- What are major risk factors for wound dehiscence?
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Obesity, poor nutrition, wound infection, increased intra-abdominal pressure, and steroid use.- What is evisceration?
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Protrusion of abdominal viscera through a fully separated wound.- What is the immediate bedside management of evisceration?
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Cover the exposed bowel with sterile saline-soaked gauze and arrange emergent surgical closure.- What is the hallmark early symptom of necrotizing fasciitis?
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Pain out of proportion to physical exam findings.- What is the definitive treatment for necrotizing fasciitis?
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Emergent surgical debridement.
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