General Practice Flashcards
Target INR for patients on Warfarin?
2-3
What two questions are SUPER important to ask someone presenting with a headache?
Foreign Travel (can be the first presentation of Malaria) Pregnancy (pre-eclampsia)
How do you manage Cluster headaches in primary care?
Acutely: 100% Oxygen for 15 mins + Sumatriptan.
Prevention: Cut out smoking and drinking, Steroids + Lithium + Verapamil are all associated with reducing attacks, unclear mechanism.
Features of an aura?
Last 15-30 minutes, followed within the hour by migraines.
Visual: Chaotic distortion and blending of lines, dots, zig zags.
Sensory: Paraesthesia.
Motor: Ataxia, Dysarthria, Hemiparesis.
Speech: Dysphagia, Paraphasia.
How do you manage Migraines?
Acutely: NSAIDs + Paracetemol + Oral Triptan +/- Anti-Emetic.
Prevention: Avoid triggers, avoid pain medications as could trigger rebound, PROPANOLOL.
What do you do if a woman is getting COCP related migraines?
Switch to POP
How do you manage tension headaches?
Acutely: NSAIDs and Aspirin.
Prevention: Destress, Hydration, Alcohol avoidance. If all else fails comsider TCAs.
How do you manage Trigeminal Neuralgia?
First thing, refer to neuro for MRI. Must check TN isnt secondary to nerve compression due to another underlying pathology e.g. malformation, herpes zoster…
Medical = Carbamazepine, Phenytoin or Gabapentin. Surgical = When drugs have failed. Decompresses.
What do Strains and Sprains affect?
Strain = T for Tendon (or Muscle)
Sprain = P for Pligament
When should an X Ray be offered to a patient with an ankle injury?
Following Ottowa rules:
If pain in malleolar zone and any one of-
- Inability to weight bear
- Bony tenderness along the distal 6 cm of either the fibula or tibia or either malleolus.
How do you grade sprains and strains?
Grade 1-3
Depending either on extent of damage or Stability (sprains)/ Loss of Function (strains).
When should you refer a sprain?
If ligament is totally torn, if joint is unstable or if it hasnt healed in 6 weeks (will need further imaging, may have missed bony pathology).
Worsening pain, deformity, NV compromise are obvious concerns.
Which analgesics are used in sprains amd strains?
Paracetemol initially.
NSAIDs going forward-
- Oral (Naproxen or Ibuprofen)
- Topical (Diclofenac or Ibuprofen)
How do you distingiush Scleritis and Episcleritis?
Scleritis is frankly tender whereas Episcleritis is only uncomfortable or gritty.
Episcleritis has well defined inflammed blood vessels, Scleritis has a generalised pinkish hue.
What should you think if you see Scleritis?
Rheumatology (RA, SLE, Sjogrens, GPA, Scleroderma) or TB
What should you think if you see Uveitis?
Seronegative SAs.
IBD.
Sarcoidosis.
Infections e.g. Herpes, TB, Syphilis.
How do you distinguish Scleritis and Uveitis?
Uveitis you see more obvious pupil changes, such as irregular shape and a cloudy cornea.
May be visual changes or a hypopyon.
How do you treat Uveitis?
Steroids and CYCLOPLEGICS (drugs that paralyse the muscles of the eye and allow for healing)
How do you manage a corneal abrasion?
Chloramphrenicol (combined lubricant and antibiotic), Oral analgesics, Stop wearing contact lenses.
Refer if:
- Large abrasion
- Visual disturbance
- Not resolving
- Penetrating injury
- Embeded foreign body
- Chemical injury
What organisms cause corneal ulcers? How do they present?
Secondary to a corneal abrasion: Pseudomonas, Resp infection species.
Able to penetrate eye without abrasion: Neiseria
Will probably present as an abrasion that has gotten worse over time. May see a hazy epithelia defect with fluffy, irregular borders.
What causes Viral Keratitis?
Herpes Simplex
Varicella Zoster
How does Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma present?
Idiopathic, however DM is a risk factor.
Closure happens suddenly and asymptomatically, but it leads to a slow rise in intra-ocular pressure causing; Pain, Headache, Nausea, Vomiting, Photophobia, Reduced visual acuity. (Unilaterally)
Mid-dilated, unreactive pupil.
How do you manage Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma?
First step is to lie patient flat on their back, as this can spontaneously open up the angle.
Next refer to opthalmology. Management usually involves:
- Acetozolamide (systemic pressure reducing agent)
- Topical Beta-blockers (reduce IOP)
- Pilocarpine (myotic that opens up the angle)
Surgical management = Peripheral Iridotomy (laser bores hole in iris to allow for drainage)
How do you investigate corneal abrasions and foreign body injuries?
Fluorescein Stain under a Cobalt Blue light
What are the causes of a sub-conjuntival haemorrhage?
Normally over rubbing, minor trauma or minor exertion (lofting weights or going for a poo).
HOWEVER can be indicative of deranged coagulopathy or blood pressure.
3 Features of Anaphylaxis?
- Rapid onset
- Life threatening dysfunction of the Airway, Breathing and Circulation
- Skin changes (Flushing, Urticaria, Angioedema)
What antibiotic is given for high fever pain sore throat
Pen V or Clari
Also give Paracetemol and Ibuprofen to tackle muscle aches and fever.
How do you treat a Quinsy?
Refer for Lavage, Antibiotics, Surgical drainage and Pain relief.
What are the risk factors for UTIs?
Incontinence and sexual activity (lead to increased bacterial inoculation)
Menopause and low oestrogen (make the vagina dry and easy to colonise)
Dehydration and obstruction (reduced urine flow)
DM, Immunosuppression… (increased bacterial growth)
Causes of Hospital Aquired UTIs?
Most common is still E.Coli
Klebsiella, Staph, Proteus Mirabillis are also common
How do you treat Prostatitis?
Ciprofloxacin for 4 weeks.
Its a Fluroquinolone which are the only antibiotics able to penetrate prostatic fluid.
What is sterile pyuria and what causes it?
The presence of WBCs in urine that doesnt grow anything when cultured.
Infectious Causes = Urinary tract TB, Appendicits, Prostatitis, Chlamydia
Non-Infectious = Stones, Cancer, Nephritis, PCKD, Cystitis, SLE, Steroid use, Pregnancy
When should you give antibiotics im conjunctivitis?
Not resolving over 3 days, or need rapid resolution.
Give chloramphenicol.
What are the 3 common organisms behind Atypical pneumonia, and what antibiotics do you give for them?
Legionella = Cipro and Clary
Chlamydia = Tetracycline
Pneumocytis = Co-Trimoxalone (given as prophylactic in HIV patients)
Screen for all 3 if non resolving pneumonia or high curb score.
What are the possible causative organisms for HAP and what do you give to cover them?
Organisms: E. Coli, Pseudomonas, Anaerobes
Antibiotics: Aminoglycoside and Pen V
Worrying side effects of Aminoglycosides?
Sensorineural hearing loss, visual loss through nerve damage.
What so you give in Aspiration pneumonia?
IV Cephalosporin and Metronidazole.
How do you manage Acute Sinusitis?
Most will spontaneously resolve within 7-10 days, until then manage with P&I, steam inhalation and plenty of fluids.
Decongestants and Nasal Steroid Spray (Beclometasone can be given in severe cases)
Amoxicillin is rarely used, but given if Frontal Sinusitis, IMS, CF or mot resolving after 3 weeks.
How do you define Chronic Sinusitis?
Sinusitis symptoms, either non-stop for 3 months or 3 times in a year.
Management is the same as severe acute sinusitis.
More likely to present with a nasal drip, polyps and voice changes.
Refer to ENT if aymptoms getting in the way of everyday life.
How do you distinguish Sinusitis from Rhinitis?
Sinusitis causes frontal headache and face pain.
Rhinitis has more discharge and sneezing.
When should you refer a Rhinitis patient and what for?
If severe, which is to say:
- Troublesome symptoms
- Interfeering with work or school
- Difficulty sleeping
- Impacts AoDL
Refer for allergy testing, Rhinitis almost always has a trigger.
How do you manage Rhinitis?
- Decrease allergen exposure.
- Nasal steroids are safe and effective long term.
- Oral steroids for rescue therapy.
- Oral or Topical antihistamins.
- Montelukast.
- Topical or Oral decongestants.
What is a Furunculosis?
Staph Aureus boil within the outer ear.
Treat with pain relief and referal to ENT for drainage.
What can cause refered pain to the ear?
- Dental issues like carries, abscess, impacted molars.
- HSV infection
- Ramsay-Hunt
- Tumours in the Larynx
- Tonsilitis, Quinsy
- Cervical Spondylosis
What are the two worrying things to exclude in a patient with ear discharge?
1) CSF Leakage. Will have history of head injury, fluid will test positive for glucose.
2) Perforated ear drum, possibly due to Cholesteatoma (a cyst caused by an ingrowing hair due to repeated infections)
When would you refer Otitis Externa to an ENT?
If Diabetic or Immunosuppressed. At risk of developing an aggresive form of inner ear necrotising fascitis.
How do you manage Otitis Externa in primary care?
ALUMINIUM ACETATE.
Can give antibiotic drops but AA is as effective.
Consider steroids if cause is eczema or oral antibiotics if canal is blocked.
What works for Pseudomonnas infection pretty much anywhere in the body (GI, RTI, Pinna Perichondritis)?
Ciprofloxacin
What are the two forms of Otitis Media and how do you manage both?
Acute Suppurative Otitis Media (the infection one): Delayed antibiotics, only if havent healed in 4 days. AMOXICILLIN.
(N.B. Can also get a chronic form that is the same except drum has perforated and infection has continued, unless perforation is central and they are symptomless, refer to ENT)
Otitis Media with Effusion (the one caused by Eustachian tube disfnction): Usually resolves within a couple of months, if not refer to ENT for Grommet insertion and excusion of a tumour.
How might Acute Suppurative Otitis Media present?
- Ear pain
- Perhaps systemically unwell
- May have sudden hearing loss, discharge and spike in pain. This would be caused by the drum perforating.
What part of the ear drum is safe when perforated?
Central part.
If attical or marginal, refer to ENT.
How do you manage Mastoiditis?
Vancomycin and Ceftriaxone, IV, in hospital
List some causes of Comductive Hearing Loss?
Impacted Wax Foreign Bodies Drum Perforation Middle Ear Effusion Otosclerosis
List some causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss?
Presbyacusis Measles Meningitis Meniere’s Drugs e.g. Furosemide and Aminoglycosides Acoustic Neuroma Noise induced deafness
What are the symptoms of an acoustic neuroma?
Unilateral SN hearing loss
Tinnitus
Facial Palsy
What causes Tinnitus?
Often unknown.
Can be:
- Natural with hearing loss
- Loud noises
- Head injury
- Anaemia
- Hypertension
- Meniere’s
- Loop diuretics
- TCAs
- NSAIDs and Aspirin
- Aminoglycosides