GP - Acute Confusion Flashcards
List some possible causes of acute confusion in an elderly patient.
- Trauma – head injury
- Worsening dementia
- Stroke
- Encephalitis
- Thyroid disorder
- Chest infection
- Hypoxia
- Wernicke’s encephalopathy
- Iatrogenic
- Drug overdose
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Constipation
- Sever pain
- Electrolyte imbalance e.g. hypercalcaemia, hyponatremia, hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, dehydration
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Urosepsis
What is Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)?
A legal document that lets an individual (the ‘donor’) appoint one or more people (known as ‘attorneys’) to help make decisions or to make decisions on the donor’s behalf in the future event of lack of mental capacity
What are the 2 types of LPA?
- Health and welfare
- Property and financial affairs
What is an Advanced Statement?
A statement written by the patient, setting out preferences, wishes, beliefs and values regarding future care.
- An advanced statement is to provide a guide to anyone who might have to make decisions in that patient’s best interest if in future should the pt no longer have capacity or ability to communicate their decisions
- Is not legally binding
What is an Advanced Decision (als called a living will)?
Which of the following medications can cause hyponatremia?
- Omeprazole
- Codeine
- Atorvastatin
- Citalopram
- Paracetamol
- Ramipril
- Aspirin
- Ibuprofen
- Citalopram
- Omeprazole
- Ramipril
Name some common medications which can cause hyponatremia.
- ACE-inhibitors
- Diuretics
- Anti-depressants
- PPIs
Draw / outline the differential diagnoses pathway for
Hyponatraemia
using the question “Is the pt Dehydrated?” to start.
If a patient exhbits an adverse reaction to a medication how should this be recorded?
The drug + the adverse reaction should be recorded in the patient’s record (and tagged as priority if possible so that future prescribers are warned)
e.g. Adverse reaction to omeprazole: hyponatraemia
