Community and Palliative Care Flashcards
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF ANTIEMETICS?
- Ondansetron - 5-HT3 - chemotherapty-related nausea
- Domperidone - prokinetic - used in parkinson’s as does not cross the blood brain barrier
- Cyclizine - anti-histamine - raised intracranial pressure
- Metocloprmaide - prokinetic - dopamine antagonist - extrapyramidal side effects
What antiemetic is best used in chemotherapy?
- Metoclopramide - dopamine antagonist
- 5HT3 receptor antagonist i.e ondansetron
What drug can you use to reduce intracranial pressure due to brain cancer?
Dexamethasone
What management would you do if a patient had back pain which was keeping them up at night?
- Refer for urgent MRI and prescribe dexamethasone
What cancer is CA 15-3 associated with?
Breast Cancer
What cancer is CA 19-9 associated with?
Pancreatic cancer
What cancer is CA 125 associated with?
Ovarian Cancer
What cancer is tumour marker CEA assocaited with?
Colorectal cancer
What cancer is tumour marker S-100 associated with?
Melanoma, schwannomas
WHAT IS NEOPLASTIC SPINAL CORD COMPRESSION?
- Spinal cord compression is an oncological emergency and affects up to 5% of cancer patients.
- Extradural compression accounts for the majority of cases, usually due to vertebral body metastases.
- It is more common in patients with lung, breast and prostate cancer
What are the features of neoplastic spinal cord compression?
- Back pain
- the earliest and most common symptom
- may be worse on lying down and coughing
- lower limb weakness
- sensory changes: sensory loss and numbness
- neurological signs depend on the level of the lesion. Lesions above L1 usually result in upper motor neuron signs in the legs and a sensory level. Lesions below L1 usually cause lower motor neuron signs in the legs and perianal numbness. Tendon reflexes tend to be increased below the level of the lesion and absent at the level of the lesion
What is the investigation for neoplastic spinal cord compression?
urgent MRI: the 2019 NICE guidelines recommend a whole MRI spine within 24 hours of presentation
What is the management of neoplastic spinal cord compression?
- High-dose oral dexamethasone
- Urgent oncological assessment for consideration of radiotherapy or surgery
WHAT DRUG IS COMMONLY USED FOR SECRETIONS IN PALLIATIVE CARE?
Hyoscine butylbromide
What class of drug is hyoscine butylbromide?
Muscarinic receptor antagonist
What is the conversion from oral codeine to oral morhpine?
Divide by 10
What is needed to prescribe along with some drugs for a syringe driver?
0.9% sodium cholride
What is the first line antiemetic for intracranial nausea and vomiting?
Cyclizine
What is a cancer with a weak inheritance?
Gastric cancer
What is a side effect of vincristine?
Peripheral neuropathy
What are the best opoids to use in renal failure?
Buprenorphine or fentanyl