Foundations
What medical term describes the surgical removal of an organ or body part, such as removal of the appendix?
-ectomy
A patient has recurrent symptomatic gallstones causing biliary colic. What definitive operation may be offered?
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Why are postoperative patients encouraged to mobilize early when safe?
It reduces risks such as venous thromboembolism (among other conditions such as atelectasis).
What term describes an abnormal connection between two epithelial surfaces, such as between bowel and skin?
Fistula
🎁
You just won 100 free points!
Why does diabetes increase the risk of poor wound healing?
Hyperglycaemia impairs immune function and microvascular blood flow.
A patient has a painful lump in the groin that becomes bigger when coughing. What is the likely diagnosis and the mechanism behind it?
Inguinal hernia; raised intra-abdominal pressure pushes abdominal contents through a weak area.
Hernia doc grants you the ability to snipe 100 points from another team🦎
A patient is brought in after blunt abdominal trauma. They have left-upper-quadrant pain, dizziness, and new pain at the tip of the left shoulder. Which injured organ should be suspected, and what explains the shoulder pain?
The spleen; blood irritates the diaphragm, causing referred pain through the phrenic nerve.
A patient has a red, painful IV cannula site with swelling. What should be suspected?
Phlebitis or IV-site infection
A patient has severe right-lower-quadrant pain, fever, and guarding. Why is guarding more concerning than simple tenderness?
It suggests peritoneal irritation, raising concern for an acute surgical abdomen.
Why might a surgeon leave a contaminated wound open initially rather than close it tightly?
To allow drainage and reduce the risk of trapping infection inside.
A patient has abdominal distension, nausea, absent bowel sounds, and has not passed flatus after abdominal surgery. What is the likely diagnosis?
Postoperative ileus
A patient has a tender, non-reducible umbilical hernia with overlying skin erythema. What complication should be suspected?
Strangulation
A patient with appendicitis initially improves on antibiotics, but later develops persistent fever, right-lower-quadrant pain, and a tender mass. CT shows a localized fluid collection beside the appendix. What is the diagnosis, and what is the appropriate initial management if the patient is stable?
Periappendiceal abscess; start broad-spectrum IV antibiotics and arrange image-guided percutaneous drainage if the collection is accessible, with surgical review.
A patient develops fever and shortness of breath on the first day after surgery. Using the postoperative-fever framework, which cause should the team consider first?
A respiratory cause (“wind”), such as atelectasis or pneumonia
If you can list the five Ws of postoperative fever, you can steal 100 points from another team🥷💰