Historical Red Flags/Exam Red Flags
Derived from federal guidelines as published by the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), formerly the Agency for Health Care
Policy and Research (AHCPR)
HISTORICAL RED FLAGS:
- H/O unexplained, concurrent fever, chills, night sweats, weight loss
- H/O malignancy
- Retention/loss of bowel bladder control (cauda equina?)
- H/O severe pain that wakes from sleep and not relieved by position change
- H/O progressive motor deficit
- Severe acute pain with unexplained onset; i.e. no injury, fall, etc.
- Athletic injury, especially in adolescents
- Throbbing, unrelenting LBP with H/O ASCVD; i.e. aneurysm
- Unexplained spinal pain in the elderly, alcoholic, steroid user
- Osteoporosis
EXAM RED FLAGS:
- Profound/progressive motor loss
- Unexplainable neurologic deficits
- Decreased sphincter tone/saddle anesthesia with fears of cauda equina
- Severe pinpoint vertebral pain
- Upper motor neuron findings i.e. clonus, + Babinski, etc.
- Myelopathy with general weakness
- Ataxia gait
Source: Allina Hospitals & Clinics
First published: 03/07/2002
Last updated: 06/01/2002
Reviewed by: Paul Kleeberg, MD