COTE Flashcards
Define Geriatric giants?
Major categories of impairment that appear in elderly people.
What are the 5 Geriatric giants (Bernard Isaacs)?
5I’s
Immobility Instability Incontinence Intellectual impairment Iatrogenic Illness
What are the conversion factors for
- Oral Morphine -> Oral Oxycodone?
- Oral Codeine -> Oral Morphine
- Oral Tramadol -> Oral Morphine
- Oral Morphine -> Subcut Morphine
- Oral Morphine -> Subcut Diamorphine
- Oral Oxycodone -> Subcut Diamorphine
- Oral Morphine -> Transdermal Fentanyl
- 1.5 (Usually said that Oxycodone is nice as strong)
- Divide 10
- Divide 10
- Divide by 2
- Divide by 3
- Divide by 1.5
- Conversion of 1:100 (X100)
Advantages of oxycodone VS morphine in elderly/palliative care?
Less sedation
Vomiting
Pruritus
Although greater constipation
What is a syringe driver?
Continuous subcutaneous infusion.
Usually considered in palliative care as an alternative to oral route consumption difficulties and those patients that aren’t active and mobile.
Green - mm per 24hr (delivery rate given)
Blue - mm per hr (delivery rate given)
What are the primary side effects of opioids?
Nausea
Drowsiness
Constipation
What is usually a good adjunct to prescribe alongside opioids?
Laxatives
Which opioids are preferred in elderly/palliative care and why?
Buprenorphine
Fentanyl
Less nephrotoxic as they’re not renally excreted so is a good choice for those with severe renal impairment. Undergo hepatic metabolism.
NICE Guidelines on Palliative care prescribing for pain relief [6 Points]
- When starting treatment, offer patients with advanced and progressive disease regular oral modified-release (MR) or oral immediate-release morphine for breakthrough pain
- If no comorbidities use 20-30mg of MR a day with 5mg morphine for breakthrough pain.
- Oral MR release morphine > Transdermal patches
- Prescribe laxatives for all patients after starting strong opioids.
- Drowsiness is transient if no settling adjust dosage. Consider adding antiemetic if nausea persists.
- For cancer patients - Breakthrough dose of morphine is 1/6 of the daily morphine dose
Name medications used in syringe drivers for Palliative care patients:
- Nausea and vomiting (4)
- Respiratory secretions (1)
- Bowel colic (1)
- Agitation/restlessness (3)
- Pain (1)
Nausea/Vomiting: cyclizine, levomepromazine, haloperidol, metoclopramide
Respiratory secretions: hyoscine hydrobromide
Bowel Colic: hyoscine butylbromide
Agitation: Midazolam, Haloperidol, Levomepromazine
Pain: Diamorphine (Able to mix with a number of drugs, more soluble than morphine, easier to administer in higher doses)
Headache cause by raised ICP due to Brain mets/cancer
What would you GIVE?
Dexamethasone
- Reduce oedema around brain
GMC - Stance on life prolonging treatment in terminal ill px
[3 Points]
Must not be motivated by a desire to bring about a patient’s death.
You must always start with a presumption in favour of prolonging life and you
Must take all reasonable steps to prolong life.
What are the 5 Main Pre-emptive medications prescribed for EOL? Indications?
Morphine/Oxycodone - Pain & Breathlessness
Midazolam - Agitation, Anxiety
Haloperidol- Nausea, Agitation, delirium
Hyoscine Butylbromide l- Respiratory secretions
What are the 9 Scores of the Clinical Frailty Scale (Rockwood Clinical frailty score)
1 - Very Fit 2 - Well 3 - Managing Well 4 - Vunerable 5 - Mildly Frail 6 - Mod Frail 7 - Sev Frail 8 - Very Sev Frail 9 - Terminally Ill
What 3 questions should you be asking someone WHO HAS HAD A FALL?
- Why did they fall?
- How did they fall?
- Did they injure themselves?
Why should anticholinergic drugs be avoided in the elderly population?
More suscepible to the neurological toxicity of anticholinergic drugs because of: physiological and pathological modifications related to aging.
Increase in the blood–brain barrier permeability
Lower ability of the liver and kidney to break down and excrete medications
Substantial decrease in cholinergic neurons/receptors in the brain
Can easily cause confusion or delirium
Drowsiness/sedation
What 5 areas are anticholinergic drugs used for?
Antimuscarinics (Urinary Incontinence)
Anti-psychotics/Anti-Depressants
Antihistamines
Antispasmodics
Risk factors of long-lie fall
- Rhabdomyeolysis
- Pressure sores
- Dehyrdration
Define Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment?
An interdisciplinary diagnostic process to determine the medical, psychological and functional capability of someone who is frail and old”
What does IMCA stand for?
Role of IMCA?
Independent mental capacity advocate
Support and represent people who lack capacity and they do not have anyone else to represent them in decisions about changes in long-term accommodation or serious medical treatment.
Commissoned by NHS and local authorities.
List 5 Causes for Falls?
Total 7
Visual impairment
Dementia
Drugs
Hypoglycaemia
Poor environment - Lighting, surrounding (loose furniture - rugs)
Neurological - Stroke/ Parkinson’s, peripheral neuropathy
Syncope - Vasovagal, cariogenic, arrhythmias
Complications of L-Dopa Therapy?
Postural Hypotension
On-off effect - Fluctuations in motor performance between normal function and restricted mobility.
Dyskinesias with long term use (Shortening duration of action of each dose)
Why is Carbidopa combined with L-dopa?
Class of drug?
Carbidopa prevents the breakdown of levodopa prematurely in the bloodstream so more levodopa can enter the brain.
Decarboxylase dopamine inhibitor
Also aid in reducing N/V
Cardiac Conditions can cause embolic CVA ?
Hint: 5
AF Infective Endocarditis MI causing mural thrombus Aortic / Mitral valve disease Patent foramen ovale
Interventions in hospital for Px to PREVENT PRESSURE SORES?
Regular Skin Assessments - Pain, Colour changes, Skin integrity at pressure areas, Temperature, Firmness, Moisture
Repositioning
Pressure redistrubition - Foam mattresses, cushions, heel support
Barrier creams
Name 2 Dopamine Agoists for Parkinsons?
Bromocriptine
Ropinirole
What 4 Areas (Domains) does a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Address?
Medical - Medication Review, Nutritional status, Problem list/co-morbidities, Disease severity
[Doc, Nurse, Dietician, SALT]
Mental Health - Cognition, Mood/Anxiety, Fears
[Psychologist, Doc, Nurse, OT]
Functional Capacity - ADLs, Gait & Balance, Physical, Acitivity/Exercise status
[OT, PT, SALT]
Social/Environmental - Transport, Home safety, Social network support, Care resources eligibility
[OT, Social Worker]
Result - Personalised Care Plan + Intervention + Regular Review
Treatment for Dementia - Pharmalogical/ Non-Pharma?
Non-Medical Contact with animals Music and dance Aromatherapy Massage
Pharmacological
AD - Ach-Inhibtors/Antiglutaminergic (NMDA-Agonists)
Vascular - Management of vascular risk factors
Lewy Body - Rivastigmine, Clozapine
FTD - Supportive
Name 2 AcH-Inhibitors for Alzheimers Dementia
Donepenzil
Rivastigmine
Define Malnutrition
State in which a deficiency of energy, protein and/or other nutrients causes measurable adverse effects on the body’s
- Form
- Composition
- Function
- Clinical Outcome
Causes of malnutrition?
Starvation - Decreased nutrient intake
Malabsorption - Inability to utilise ingested nutrients
Increased nutrient requirement (infection/sepsis)