Browse categories and answer follow-up questions to refine your symptom profile.
Immediate Threats
Life threats
Airway edema with stridor
Escalate to resuscitation bay
If impending obstruction, prepare awake fiberoptic intubation
Cerebral edema
Declining mental status
Seizure
Hemodynamic compromise
Obstructive shock physiology
Severe hypoxemia
Rapidly progressive symptoms
Onset hours to days
Inability to lie flat
First Actions
Stabilization priorities
Upright positioning
Head of bed 30-60 degrees
Avoid supine positioning if dyspnea
Oxygen strategy
Nasal cannula to target SpO2 92-96%
Noninvasive ventilation if work of breathing high and airway stable
Vascular access strategy
Avoid upper extremity IV if feasible
Femoral IV access for unstable patient
If central access needed, femoral venous catheter
Monitoring
Continuous pulse oximetry
Cardiac monitor
Frequent neurologic reassessment
Early Consultation Triggers
Team activation
If airway compromise, anesthesia and ENT
Difficult airway cart
Awake technique planning
If suspected malignancy, oncology and radiation oncology
Tissue diagnosis planning
Urgent therapy coordination
If suspected catheter associated thrombosis, interventional radiology and vascular medicine
Anticoagulation planning
Endovascular therapy candidacy
If severe symptoms, interventional radiology for stent
Symptom relief within hours
Bridge to definitive cancer therapy
Key Concepts
Working diagnosis framework
Obstruction mechanism
External compression
Intraluminal thrombosis
Combined compression and thrombosis
Time critical phenotype
Rapid progression suggests thrombosis or aggressive tumor
Indolent progression suggests slowly growing mass
Goals of ED care
Protect airway and brain
Confirm anatomy and cause
Coordinate definitive therapy
SymptomDx is an educational tool for medical professionals. It does not replace clinical judgment. Verify all clinical data and drug dosages with authoritative sources.