BCEN CEN Practice Question

The symptoms described are classic for compartment syndrome, which includes severe pain, especially with passive stretch, pallor, paresthesia, pulselessness, and paralysis (the '5 P's'). Pain out of proportion to the injury and pain on passive stretching are particularly indicative of this condition. Early recognition and treatment are critical to prevent irreversible muscle and nerve damage. An x-ray is useful for diagnosing fractures but does not diagnose compartment syndrome. While deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and cellulitis can also manifest with pain and swelling, the pain from DVT is often not out of proportion nor exacerbated by passive stretching, and cellulitis typically presents with redness and warmth, which are not characteristic of compartment syndrome.