Figure this one out.

[EMTIsee]

25 year old male, presents with headache in top of head, body chills, flushed face, nausea/ vomiting and swollen neck. Bp 190/90 hr 85, temp. 94.7, shortness of breather, eyes buggy. Meningitis? or sever flu

 

[phideux]

What do you mean by "swollen neck"? The whole neck swelled up, or swollen glands in the neck? Meningitis usually presents with a fever and a stiff/sore neck.

 

[chaz90]

Umm...How about some real lab results and exam findings if someone is trying to make a diagnosis?

Neurological assessment? History? Onset? CBC? Chem panel? Blood cultures? Lumbar puncture results if the differential for meningitis is that high?

From what's here so far, I'm going with lupus [emoji6]

 

[STXmedic]

It's Lupus.

 

[CALEMT]

It's Lupus.

Its always Lupus.

 

[chaz90]

It's Lupus.

I clearly edited my initial post too late!

 

[EMTIsee]

What do you mean by "swollen neck"? The whole neck swelled up, or swollen glands in the neck? Meningitis usually presents with a fever and a stiff/sore neck.[/QUOTE

Very swollen glands

 

[joshrunkle35]

The things that don't jive well together for a flu are vomiting and a very high BP and the flushed face. Vomiting might have low, normal or slightly elevated BP, but not typically severely elevated. Was that BP normal for the patient?

This sounds like some type of septic shock secondary to something else. Elevated BP, flushed face, shortness of breath.

Could be something like severe food poisoning. Intake questions?

Could be meningitis, though the "stiff neck" would be classic and is not represented.

Could even be something like Mononucleosis.

Could be an injury to the brain as well. Head trauma questions?

My first guess would be mono, second flu, third, sepsis, fourth, meningitis, last guess head trauma/TBI/Cerebellar Herniation.

 

[joshrunkle35]

25 year old male, presents with headache in top of head, body chills, flushed face, nausea/ vomiting and swollen neck. Bp 190/90 hr 85, temp. 94.7, shortness of breather, eyes buggy. Meningitis? or sever flu

Do you have an answer for what the diagnosis was?

 

[ERDoc]

There isn't a clear cut answer here. He's hypothermic, which could be sepsis but he is hypertensive with a normal heart rate. I'm going with hypothalamic bleed. Yeah, it's real common so it has to be that.

 

[Brandon O]

Have to consider encephalitis.

Let's not use the term "swollen glands" unless we're either 1) your grandmother or 2) actually referring to glands. They're lymph nodes.

Edit: also, hopefully this is idle musing inspiring by a patient presentation, not something you're currently experiencing. While EMTLife is a rich and rewarding experience it is not actually medical care.