Core conditions 6 Flashcards
Overview of osteoarthritis
- 4 cardinal symptoms: pain, stiffness, swelling, loss of function/ difficulty in activities of daily living
- Pain: worse during or after activity
- Stiffness: can be in the mornings (tend to be less than 30 minutes) and on or after activity
- Bony swelling
- Difficulty in ADL
Joint involvement in osteoarthritis
spine (spondylosis), carpometocarpal joint, distal interphalangeal joint, knees, in the big toe the metatarsal pharyngeal joint
Risk factors for osteoarthritis include
- Age
- Gender (females gender is associated with higher prevalence and severity)
- Genetic predisposition
- Previous injury to a joint
- Anatomic features (eg Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip)
- Obesity (which surprisingly is associated even with hand OA)
- Occupation (e.g. heavy manual work, whole-body vibration – such as heavy goods vehicle drivers)
Conservative management of OA
- Diet: weight loss even in non-weight bearing limbs i.e. the hand. May need referral to weight management programmes, access to a exercise and pharmacological or surgical intervention. Loosing >10% body weight causes a 50% reduction in pain
- Exercise: builds muscle strength reducing pain in joints and stabilising them. Some exercises may not be appropriate, ask a physio. Best exercises in arthritis is swimming and cycling
- Splints, braes, walking aids
- Education around self management
MDT approach to OA
- Physiotherapist (Exercise regime and pain relieving modalities)
- Occupational therapist (Joint protection, aids and adaptations, coping strategies)
- Podiatrist (splinting, insoles, footwear advice, minor foot surgery)
- Social worker (financial implications of disability, housing)
- Appliance officer (splints, braces, walking aids)
- Psychologist (coping strategies, chronic pain management)
Joint replacement in OA
- Indicated for severe disease: severe pain, sleep disturbance, impairement of function, gross restriction of mobility
- More risks associated when obese, encouraged to loose weight
- When conservative measures have failed
- OA is the biggest cause of hip replacement
- X-ray changes by themself do not indicate hip replacement
Acne- four factors involved
- Increased sebum production
- Hypercornification of the pilosebaceous duct (blackhead/comedone)
- Abnormality of microbial flora- Propionibacterium acnes
- Inflammation
Acne types
open comedones (whitehead), closed comedones (blackhead), papules, pustules, cysts, scars (ice pick, hypertrophic)
Acne topical treatments
- Benzoyl peroxide- can be bought OTC
- Topical retinoids- useful for comedones
- Topical antibacterials- Clindamycin and Erythromcyin
Acne oral therapies
- Oral antibiptics: Teracyclines (Oxytetracycline, doxycyckine, Limecycline, Erythromycin
- Hormonal treatment: COCP can be an alternative to oral antibiotics in women. Shouldn’t be used with topical agents
- Isotretinoin: pregnancy is a contraindication to topical and oral retinoids
Acne risk factors
- Family history
- Hormones: androgens, such as testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS)
- Adolescence
- Environmental factors: diet, stress, exposure to pollutants
Drug induced acne and acne fulminans
Drug induced acne: monomorphic i.e. pustules tend to be seen in steroid use
Acne fulminans: severe acne associated with systemic upset i.e. fever. May need hospital admission and oral steroids
Classification of acne
- mild: open and closed comedones with or without sparse inflammatory lesions
- moderate acne: widespread non-inflammatory lesions and numerous papules and pustules
- severe acne: extensive inflammatory lesions, which may include nodules, pitting, and scarring
Acne step up management scheme
- single topical therapy (topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide) if contraindicated use azelaic acid
- topical combination therapy (topical antibiotic, benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoid): avoid direct sunscreen and use SPF. Use moisturisers as can cause dry skin
- oral antibiotics: tetracycline (doxycycline). Tetracyclines should be avoided in pregnancy, breastfeeding and <12. Erythromycin can be used in pregnancy. A single oral antibiotic should be used for a maximum of 3 months
- Non resposnse to antibiotics or scarring: referral to dermatology for Isotretinoin
- A topical retionoid or benzoyl peroxide should be co-prescribed with oral antibiotics to reduce antibiotic resistance. Dont use oral and topical antibiotics in combination
Conservative acne treatment
- Avoid over cleaning the skin
- Use non-comedogenic makeup
- Avoid picking or squeezing spots
- Acne treatment takes 8 weeks to work
Acne: refer to dermatology if
- A severe variant of acne such as acne conglobata or acne fulminans (immediate referral)is suspected.
- Acne is severe, there is visible scarring or the person is at risk of scarring or significant hyperpigmentation.
- Multiple treatments in primary care have failed.
- Significant psychological distress is associated with acne, regardless of severity.
- There is diagnostic uncertainty.
Acne follow up
- Follow up should be 8-12 weeks after initiation of treatment
- If there has been an adequate response, treatment should be continued for at least 12 weeks.
- If acne has cleared or almost cleared, maintenance therapy with topical retinoids (if not contraindicated) or azelaic acid should be considered.
- Can be diagnosed to dermatologist if severe psychological burden regardless of severity
acne treatment: Isotretinoin
- affects night vision, have to declare if piolet
- Side effects: dry mucosal membranes. mood changes, arthralgia/myalgia, Teratogenicity, hypertriglyceridaemia
- Use in caution in re-puberty
- Should be on Pregnancy Prevention Programme: pregnancy tests every month and after stopping treatment. Should have effective contraception a month before, during and a month after treatment. Ideally use two types of contraception (dont use POP, condoms cant be used alone)
- Interacts with vitamin A, Tetracyclines and Warfarin
- Caution with suicide risk
Eczema
A chronic atopic condition caused by defects in the skin barrier leading to microbe entry this creates an immune response causing inflammation and associated symptoms.
Eczema: areas affected and triggers
Areas affected: Dry, red, itchy and sore patches of skin on flexor surfaces (the inside of elbows and knees) and on the face and neck
Triggers: change in temperature, certain dietary products, washing powders, cleaning products, emotional events or stresses