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cause of back
pain
Chidinma Chima-Melton
Critical Care Conference
Pulmonary & Critical Care
Objectives
Review a case of severe low
back pain in a critical care
setting
Appreciate the importance of
the history and physical in
assessing low back pain
Review the emergency causes
of low back pain, including the
work-up and management
Who is this?
Case Presentation
Chief Complaint:
Back pain
HPI
63 year old man who presents with severe
lower back pain
First noted pain when walking dog 4 days
prior to admission
Came to ED given dexamethasone,
toradol and dilaudid
Sent home with mobic, medrol dose pack
and percocet
Went to an outpatient clinic and received a
steroid hip injection
HTN
Degenerative Joint Disease
Psoriatic arthritis
Anxiety and Depression
Hypercholesterolemia
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Vocal Cord Disease
Sleep Apnea but does not use CPAP
Medications
ASPIRIN 81 MG EC TABLET
ATORVASTATIN 10 MG ORAL TABLET
CARISOPRODOL (SOMA)
FINASTERIDE 5 MG ORAL TABLET
MELOXICAM 15 MG ORAL TABLET
METOPROLOL 50 MG EXTENDED-RELEASE TABLET
OXYCODONE
TERAZOSIN 10 MG CAPSULE
VALSARTAN 160 MG ORAL TABLET
PE
Vitals: 97.6 F (36.4 C), BP: 97/55 mmHg, Heart Rate: 89 Resp
Rate: 16, SpO2: 97 %/RA
General: Alert, cooperative, mild distress, appears stated age,
hoarse voice.
Head: Normocephalic, without obvious abnormality, atraumatic.
Eyes: Conjunctivae/corneas clear. PERRL, EOMs intact.
Throat: Lips, mucosa, and tongue normal. Teeth and gums normal.
Neck: Supple, symmetrical, trachea midline, no adenopathy, thyroid:
no enlargment/tenderness/nodules, no carotid bruit and no JVD.
Pulmonary: Clear to auscultation bilaterally.
Chest wall: No tenderness or deformity.
Heart: Regular rate and rhythm, S1, S2 normal, no murmur, click,
rub or gallop.
Abdomen: Soft, non-tender. Bowel sounds normal. No masses, No
organomegaly.
Extremities: Extremities normal, atraumatic, no cyanosis or edema.
SLR negative
Pulses: 2+ and symmetric all extremities.
Back: patient defers exam for now, states his pain is too
EB Medicine 2013
EB Medicine 2013
Labs on admission
Troponin 1.42
CBC 2.5>14.4/42<82
Na 131 /K 4.4 Cl 96/ HCO3 20 BUN 35/ Cr 0.8 Gluc
164
Anion Gap 15
Lactate 2.9
Calcium, Serum 7.8
Albumin 2.2
Alkaline Phosphatase 48
ALT
21
AST 40
Bilirubin, Direct 1.7 Indirect 0.4Total 2.1
Total Protein 4.4
Hospital Course
Admitted to the medical floors
Started on pain control with oxycodone, dilaudid
and muscle relaxants robaxin
Reviewed MRI lumbar spine
PT evaluation
Home medications continued
Day 2
Became hypotensive, febrile, abdomen became
distended, developed bloody diarrhea, nausea,
vomiting and epigastric pain.
Lactate elevated (3.6), surgery consult was called
for evaluation for SBO
Hypotension was refractory to multiple fluid
boluses (7Liters)
NGT output suspicious for coffee ground emesis
He was transferred to the ICU shortly thereafter
for continuing care.
KUB performed this morning demonstrated dilated
loops of bowel concerning for ileus vs SBO, no free
air.
CXR on Transfer
Day 2 Continued
Central line placed and Vasopressors started
Surgery consult for concern for SBO recommend
NGT to suction (decompress)
Broad spectrum antibiotics (vancomycin and
zosyn IV) initiated
GI consulted for UGIB PPI started
TTE negative for Vegetation
Low back pain continued Pain management
consulted
Day 4
Cultures remained positive for MSSA
UA suggestive of MSSA
WBC scan performed:
1. Findings consistent with osteomyelitis at T4-T5 and
L3-L4 as described above.
2. Findings suspicious for inflammatory/infectious
process of the left hip.
3. Infectious process of the right mid and left lower
lung.
4. Likely inflammatory/infectious process of the colon.
Diagnosis
T4-T5 osteomyelitis, L3-L4 diskitis and epidural
phlegmon with mild cord compression
MSSA Bacteremia with UTI and pulmonary
dissemination
L hip MSSA Septic Arthritis
Plain Radiographs
Routine plain films are not indicated - very low for
an intervenable lesion or pathology
In a study of 68,000 radiographs, clinically
unsuspected lesions occurred in 1:2500 patients
aged 20 to 50 years.
X-ray is recommended in patients who have:
Direct trauma-related back pain
Suspected of having a possible vertebral
compression fracture
Young patients with lower back pain where
ankylosing spondylitis is suspected
After Conservative
Management
In patients with low back pain and radiculopathic
symptoms who are still symptomatic after 4
weeks of conservative management and self-care
Imaging should be discussed that can be
intervened upon i.e. injection therapy and surgery.
Usually MRI is preferred
AAFP
In CASE of Emergency
Spinal Hematoma
TIP: Spinal epidural hematomas are rarely
spontaneous. Usually related to trauma,
postoperative spinal surgery,
anticoagulation, thrombolysis, lumbar
puncture, epidural anesthesia,vascular
malformation, or chiropractic
manipulation.
Presentation: Back pain and possible
neurologic complaints
Diagnosis: A low threshold for imaging
with MRI with Gad or CT myelogram with
contrast is needed in suspected patients
Reverse of coagulopathy, and patients
Epidural Abscess
Epidural abscess is a rare condition (0.2-2.8
cases/10,000/y)
Most common in the 60- to 70-year age group
Risk factors are diabetes mellitus, alcoholism,
AIDS/immunocompromised states, cancer, and
IVDU, trauma and spinal surgery
20% of patients will have no predisposing factors
Staphylococcus aureus most common organism
Epidural Abscess
Locations
Epidural Abscess
Posterior epidural abscesses tend to be related to
a distant focus
Anterior infections are generally related to
osteomyelitis or diskitis (which can be related to a
distant focus or contiguous spread, such as psoas
abscess)
Presentation: Nonspecific - can include fever,
back pain, and malaise
Diagnosis: MRI with gad (preferred) or CT
myelogramwith contrast
Treatment: 4-6 weeks antibiotics and consider
surgical decompression.
William Osler
References
Andersson GB. Epidemiological features of
chronic low-back pain. Lancet.
1999;354(9178):581-585. (Review)
Chou R, Qaseem A, Snow V, et al. Diagnosis and
treatment of low back pain: a joint clinical
practice guideline from the American College of
Physicians and the American Pain Society. Ann
Intern Med. 2007;147(7):478-491. (Clinical
practice guideline)
NICE. National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence - low back pain (CG88). 2009. (Clinical
practice guideline)
An Evidence-Based Approach To The Evaluation
And Treatment Of Low Back Pain In The