Geris + palliative Flashcards
Q: What is another name for acute confusional state?
A: Delirium or acute organic brain syndrome.
Q: Name three predisposing factors for acute confusional state.
A: Age > 65 years, background of dementia, significant injury (e.g. hip fracture), frailty or multimorbidity, polypharmacy.
Q: List three precipitating events for acute confusional state.
A: Infection (e.g. urinary tract infections), metabolic issues (e.g. hypercalcaemia, hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, dehydration), change of environment, any significant cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, or endocrine condition, severe pain, alcohol withdrawal, constipation.
Q: What type of memory disturbance is more prominent in acute confusional state?
A: Loss of short-term memory is greater than long-term memory.
Q: What are some features of acute confusional state?
A: Memory disturbances, agitation or withdrawal, disorientation, mood change, visual hallucinations, disturbed sleep cycle, poor attention.
Q: What is the first-line sedative recommended by the 2006 Royal College of Physicians guidelines for managing acute confusional state?
A: Haloperidol 0.5 mg.
Q: According to the 2010 NICE delirium guidelines, what medications can be used to manage acute confusional state?
A: Haloperidol or olanzapine.
Q: Why can management of acute confusional state be challenging in patients with Parkinson’s disease?
A: Antipsychotics can often worsen Parkinsonian symptoms.
Q: What medications are preferred for urgent treatment of symptoms in Parkinson’s patients with acute confusional state?
A: The atypical antipsychotics quetiapine and clozapine.
Q: Besides treating the underlying cause, what is another management strategy for acute confusional state?
A: Modification of the environment.
Q: What type of disease is Alzheimer’s and what percentage of dementia cases in the UK does it account for?
A: Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain, accounting for the majority of dementia cases in the UK.
Q: What non-pharmacological management does NICE recommend for Alzheimer’s disease?
A: Offering ‘a range of activities to promote wellbeing that are tailored to the person’s preference’ and group cognitive stimulation therapy for patients with mild and moderate dementia.
Q: Name two other non-pharmacological therapies that may be considered for Alzheimer’s disease according to NICE.
A: Group reminiscence therapy and cognitive rehabilitation.
Q: Which three acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are recommended by NICE for managing mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease?
A: Donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine.
Q: What is memantine and in what situations is it recommended by NICE?
A: Memantine is an NMDA receptor antagonist recommended for patients with moderate Alzheimer’s who are intolerant of, or have a contraindication to, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, as an add-on drug for moderate or severe Alzheimer’s, or as monotherapy for severe Alzheimer’s.
Q: What is NICE’s stance on the use of antidepressants for depression in patients with Alzheimer’s disease?
A: NICE does not recommend antidepressants for mild to moderate depression in patients with dementia.
Q: Under what circumstances does NICE recommend the use of antipsychotics in Alzheimer’s patients?
A: Antipsychotics should only be used for patients at risk of harming themselves or others, or when agitation, hallucinations, or delusions are causing severe distress.
Q: What is a relative contraindication for the use of donepezil?
A: Donepezil is relatively contraindicated in patients with bradycardia.
Q: What is an adverse effect of donepezil?
A: Insomnia.
Q: What type of disease is Alzheimer’s, and what percentage of dementia cases in the UK does it account for?
A: Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain, accounting for the majority of dementia cases in the UK.
Q: List three risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.
A: Increasing age, family history of Alzheimer’s disease, and Caucasian ethnicity.
Q: What percentage of Alzheimer’s cases are inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, and what genes are involved?
A: 5% of cases are inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. The involved genes include amyloid precursor protein (chromosome 21), presenilin 1 (chromosome 14), and presenilin 2 (chromosome 1).
Q: Which apoprotein allele is associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and what does it encode?
A: Apoprotein E allele E4 is associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and it encodes a cholesterol transport protein.
Q: Why is Down’s syndrome a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease?
A: Individuals with Down’s syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, which contains the gene for amyloid precursor protein, leading to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.