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Short Answer Questions for ED Fellowship Study

Case: Pericardial effusion

A 55-year-old woman has presented with chest pain and shortness of breath. Bedside cardiac ultrasound has revealed a large pericardial effusion.

1. List (4) potential causes for her pericardial effusion. For each, provide a discriminatory feature from history or examination. 4 marks

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2. State (3) ultrasonographic signs suggestive of cardiac tamponade 3 marks

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Shortly after arrival, the patient deteriorates with a loss of consciousness and no palpable pulse. The cardiac monitor reveals sinus rhythm at a rate of 110bpm.

3. Briefly outline (5) components of your management. 5 marks

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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.

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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.