NS 1st rotation as a resident-What do I have to know?

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skiz knot

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I am a soon to be ortho intern and my 1st rotation is neurosurgery. The problem is that I have no idea what the NS bread and butter cases are. I assume craniotomies and decompressions of the spine, but what else do I have to know??? Any pearls, advice, etc...?

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Greenbergs handbook of neurosurgery is a good place to start.

BB cases: Crani for bleed (Know difference and management for subdural, epidural, ICH, etc). Crani for tumor, ventriculostomy, ACDF, discectomy, lumbar fusion, laminectomy, CTR, VP shunt, etc.

Know management of severe HTN, correction of coags (always know your coag values, know how to reverse elevated INR. Most want it around 1.2). Obstructive vs. communicating hydrocephalus. Different types of herniation syndromes transtentorial vs. subfalcine

Basics of ICP, cushings response, hydrocephalus, chiari malformations, concusion/decreased LOC, etc. Oh, know how to read a CT as far as what acute vs. chronic blood looks like, epidural vs. subdural, hydrocephalus, is the fourth ventricle open, midline shift, etc.

The neuro exam to include pupils, pronator drift, signs of myelopathy, babinski and what it means, hoffmans reflex, dermatomes, disc herniation syndromes (what disc causes weakness, dermatomal distribution) and Brown-sequard, central cord syndromes, etc

Thats pretty brief but should get you started and if you know this stuff you'll be a rock star!
 

Rock on with your bad self! Thanks!
 
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Funny, I'm in the opposite situation (NS intern starting with 2 months of ortho).
 
Greenbergs handbook of neurosurgery is a good place to start.

BB cases: Crani for bleed (Know difference and management for subdural, epidural, ICH, etc). Crani for tumor, ventriculostomy, ACDF, discectomy, lumbar fusion, laminectomy, CTR, VP shunt, etc.


--> What are BB cases?
 
I am not even in medical school, but I would hazard a guess that it is "brain bleed"
 
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