🩺 Symptom Guide
Back Pain
Assess urgently for cauda equina syndrome, spinal cord compression, fracture, infection, cancer, aortic pathology, and other serious secondary causes.
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Red flags
- Bladder or bowel dysfunction
- urinary retention or altered urinary flow
- saddle anaesthesia or perineal sensory loss
- bilateral sciatica or progressive bilateral leg symptoms
First actions / assessment
- ABCDE first if unwell
- record full vitals, pain severity, neurological status, and capillary glucose if indicated
- clarify onset, duration, mechanism, radiation, whether pain is mechanical or constant, unilateral or bilateral leg symptoms, weakness, numbness, gait change, bladder or bowel symptoms, saddle symptoms, fever, weight loss, trauma, steroid use, cancer history, immunosuppression, IV drug use, and abdominal/vascular symptoms
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- Full differential diagnosis list
- History, examination, and investigations
- Linked protocols and drug doses
- Offline access and portfolio logging
Symptom Guide · StatResus — Emergency Medicine Reference