Facts Learnt In Practice

Question 1

What is the fast acronym for stroke

Answer 1

Face weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
Arm weakness: Can the person raise both arms fully and keep them there?
Speech problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? Is their speech slurred?
Time to call 999: if you see any one of these signs.

Question 2

What were the findings of the CTT meta analysis of statins in 2010?

Answer 2

for every 1mmol/L reduction in LDL cholesterol, there is a 22% reduction in major vascular events.

Question 3

Why are antihistamines often prescribed in liver failure

Answer 3

Causes itchy skin

Question 4

Why do you need to be cautious of drugs that cross the BBB in renal impairment

Answer 4

When patients have Renal dysfunction they also have altered BBB
increased BBB permeability
Cautious of drugs that cause CNS side effects

Question 5

Why would patients with hepatic dysfunction have to be assessed in more depth for VTE prophylaxis

Answer 5

Clotting factors are made in the liver, if liver works less then more likely to bleed

Question 6

Why is Iv iron used in heart failure instead of oral and why is oral iron no longer multiple daily dosing

Answer 6

• Heart failure is often associated with gut edema and reduced gut perfusion, which impair oral iron absorption.
• Additionally, inflammation in chronic disease raises hepcidin levels, which further blocks iron absorption from the gut.

•	Oral iron doses stimulate hepcidin production, especially when taken frequently (e.g. TDS).
•	Hepcidin peaks around 6–24 hours after a dose and can block further iron absorption from subsequent doses.
•	So, with TDS dosing, the body may absorb less iron overall due to consistently elevated hepcidin levels.