SAQ Stack

Short Answer Questions for ED Fellowship Study

Case: Decompression illness

A 39 year old man returns from a diving trip and presents to your Emerg Dept. with severe lower back pain that began on surfacing. He has no medical problems, is not on any medications and is not allergic to anything. Vital signs are:

  • HR 97 bpm
  • BP 124/72 mmHg
  • GCS 15/15
  • RR 15 bpm
  • SpO2 97% on room air
You suspect he has decompression illness.

1. List (5) features on his history that would be important to know. 5 marks

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

2. Aside from decompression illness, list (4) indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. 4 marks

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

3. List (3) supportive measure that you would institute in the ED to treat a patient with decompression illness. 3 marks

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

4. How would you transfer a patient with decompression illness to a hyperbaric unit? 1 mark

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
SAQ Home

This case forms part of a collaborative marking project designed to support fellowship preparation. In the week leading up to each tutorial, you can contribute answers to any active case. If you contribute, your answers may be reviewed, marked, and used to refine the model answers during the weekly fellowship teaching sessions.

All responses are displayed anonymously or using anonymised avatars. You remain in full control of your answers and may withdraw them at any time.

Your personal results and updated model answers become available the day after the tutorial.

After the tutorial you can still do the case and self-mark your answers, but your answers will not be included in the group review.