Important OSCE topics Flashcards
What are the first rank features of schizophrenia?
Auditory hallucinations (running commentary, 2+ voices discussing the patient, thought echo)
Delusions (e.g. persecutory)
Thought disorders (thought insertion, broadcasting and withdrawal)
Passivity phenomena (bodily sensations controlled by external influence, feelings/thoughts/mood/actions under someone else’s control)
What are other features of schizophrenia?
Negative symptoms (catatonia, blunting, anhedonia, alogia (poverty of speech), avolition
Impaired insight
Incongruency/blunting
Neologisms
What should you initially offer for pain relief in palliative care?
Regular MR morphine PO (can also give immediate release) and immediate release PO for breakthrough pain
What dose of morphine should patients generally start at?
20-30mg MR morphine PO daily dose
5mg breakthrough, e.g. 15mg MR morphine PO BD + 5mg breakthrough PRN
When prescribing morphine what side effects should you make the patient aware of and how can you counteract these?
Drowsiness
Nausea - antiemetic
Constipation - always give laxative
What fraction of the total daily dose of morphine should the breakthrough dose be?
1/6th
What opioid is preferred in patients with mild-moderate renal impairment?
Oxycodone
What opioid is referred in patients with severe renal impairment?
Fentanyl, buprenorphine, alfentanil
What is the management of metastatic bone pain?
Strong opioids
Bisphosphonates
Radiotherapy
When you are increasing the dose of morphine, by how much should you increase it at a time?
30-50%
What is the conversion rate for:
oral codeine –> oral morphine?
/10
What is the conversion rate for:
oral tramadol –> oral morphine?
/10
What is the conversion rate for:
oral morphine –> oral oxycodone?
/1.5
What is the conversion rate for:
oral morphine –> IV morphine?
/2
What is the morphine dose equivalent of a 12 microgram fentanyl patch?
30mg
What is the morphine dose equivalent of a 10microgram buprenorphine patch?
24mg
What are important points to remember for administering morphine?
It is in a locked cupboard, use needs to be logged in logbook, two people need to sign out the morphine
What are features of an UGI bleed?
Haematemesis, malaena, epigastric discomfort, sudden collapse
What are causes of UGI bleed?
Mallory weiss tear Oesophageal/gastric cancer Peptic ulcer Oesophagitis Oesophageal varices (tends to be large vol, haemodynamic compromise)
How is UGI bleed managed?
Admit
Cross match, FBC, UE, LFT, clotting
Airway management, A–>E
Suspected varices –> terlipressin + prophylactic antibiotics, endoscopy within 24 hours, banding/sclerotherapy, sengstaken-blakemore tube, portal pressure should be managed with medical therapy +/- TIPSS
All those who received intervention should be on continuous PPI IV for 72 hours
How long can a sengstaken-blakemore tube stay in?
Only for 12 hour, after that risk of necrosis
How is risk assessed in UGI bleed?
Blatchford score at risk, then with full rockall score after endoscopy
What vital signs/blood results would you expect to see in UGI bleed?
High urea, low Hb, low BP, high pulse
Remember patients likely to have hepatic dx hx
What are the causes of meningitis in ages 0-3 months?
Listeria monocytogenes
E. coli
GBS
What are the main causes of meningitis in ages 3 months-6 years?
H. influenzae
Strep pneumonia
N. meningitidis
What are the main causes of meningitis in ages 6 months-60 years?
Strep pneumonia
N. meningitidis
What are the main causes of meningitis in those >60?
Strep pneumonia
N. meningitidis
Listeria
What is a common cause of meningitis in those who are immunocompromised?
Listeria
What does the CSF analysis look like in someone with a bacterial meningitis?
Appearance: cloudy
White cells: polymorphs
Glucose: <50% plasma
Protein: high
What does the CSF analysis look like in someone with a viral meningitis?
Appearance: clear/cloudy
White cells: lymphocytes
Glucose: 60-80% plasma
Protein: normal/high
What does the CSF analysis look like in someone with a TB meningitis?
Appearance: fibrin webs
White cells: lymphocytes
Glucose: <50%
Protein: high
What does the CSF analysis look like in someone with a fungal meningitis?
Appearance: cloudy
White cells: lymphocytes
Glucose: low
Protein: high
How should you investigate suspected meningitis?
FBC, UE, LFT, CRP, coag, PCR, blood gas, blood cultures
LP if no signs of raised ICH (do not do LP in suspected meningococcal disease)
How should you manage suspected meningococcal disease?
IM benzylpen
What is the empirical management of meningitis in those aged <3 months?
IV cefotaxime + amoxicillin
What is the empirical management of meningitis in those aged 3 months-50 years?
IV cefotaxime
What is the empirical management of meningitis in those aged >50?
IV cefotaxime + amoxicillin
How is known listeria meningitis managed?
IV gentamicin and amoxicillin
What other non-antibiotic drug is sometimes given in meningitis?
IV Dex (not if septic shock, immunocomp or following surgery)
What drug is used instead of amoxicillin in meningitis if there is a pencillin allergy?
Chloramphenicol
Who should be offered prophylaxis for meningitis? What drugs is it?
Close contacts (<7 days) of meningococcal meningitis Rifampicin or ciprofloxacin (one dose)
What are the ECG changes in hyperkalaemia?
Tall tented T waves
Small p waves
Broadened QRS complexes
What are causes of hyperkalaemia?
AKI Drugs - spironolactone, K sparing diuretics, ACEi, ARB, heparin, ciclosporin Addisons disease Massive transfusion Metabolic acidosis
How is hyperkalaemia managed?
Stabilise myocardium - calcium gluconate
Shift K intracellularly - NEB salbutamol, insulin/dextrose infusion
Excrete K - calcium resonium, dialysis (for persistent hyperkalaemia in AKI), loop diuretics
What are the three types of causes of AKI?
Pre-renal
Intrinsic
Post-renal
What are some pre-renal causes of AKI?
Hypovolaemia, e.g. due to vomiting/diarrhoea
Renal artery stenosis
What are some intrinsic causes of AKI?
Glomerulonephritis ATN Acute interstitial nephritis rhabdomyolysis Tumour lysis syndrome
What are some post-renal causes of AKI?
External compression of ureter
Kidney stone in bladder/ureter
Name some drugs with nephrotoxic potential?
NSAIDs, ACEi, ARB, diuretics, aminoglycosides, iodinated contrast
What are features of AKI?
Fluid overload
Oliguria (<0.5ml/kg/h)
Rise in molecules kidney usually excretes (Cr, U, K) –> arrhythmias, uraemia (pericarditis, encephalopathy)
How should you investigate AKI?
UE - rise in serum Cr >26micromol/l in last 48h, rise in serum cr >50% in last 7 days, oliguria (<0.5ml/kg/h)
Urinalysis
Imaging - USS renal tract (within 24h)
How should you manage AKI?
Stop drugs - those making AKI worse (aminoglycosides, NSAIDs, ARBs, ACEi, diuretics), and those putting at risk of toxicity (lithium, metformin, digoxin)
Only use loop diuretics for significant fluid overload
Management hyperkalaemia
Referral (urologist/nephrologist)
RRT if not responding to medical management of complications (e.g. hyperkalaemia, uraemia..)
What is acute tubular necrosis?
Necrosis of renal tubular epithelial cells
What are the two main causes of ATN?
Toxins - aminoglycosides, myoglobin secondary to rhabdomyolysis, contrast agents, lead)
Ischaemia - sepsis/shock
What do you see in the urine of someone with ATN?
Brown muddy casts
What can cause acute interstitial nephritis?
Drugs, esp antibiotics (rifampicin, penicillin, NSAIDs, allopurinol, furosemide)
Systemic dx: SLE, sjogrens
Infections: Hanta virus, staph
What are features of acute interstitial nephritis?
Fever, rash, eosophilia, arthalgia, mild renal impairment, HTN
White cell casts, sterile pyuria
What is the CHADSVASC score?
Used to assess need for anticoagulation (DOAC or warfarin) in those with AF C - congestive cardiac failure (1) H - HTN (1) A2 - age >=75 (2) D - DM (1) V - vascular disease (1) A - age 65-74 (1) Sc - sex - female (1)
Score 0 = no anticoagulation, score 1 + male - consider Rx, score 2 - start treatment
What are the two types of bleeds causing epistaxis?
Anterior bleeds - usually from kiesselbacks plexus, often visible
Posterior bleeds - usually not visible, bleeding from deeper structures
What can cause epistaxis?
Trauma
Platelet disorder - ITP, thrombocytopenia, splenomegaly, leukaemia
How is epistaxis managed?
Haemodynamically stable –> sit forward, mouth open, pinch cartilaginous region of nose – if stops –> naseptin (peanut/soy/neocmycin allergy –> use mupirocin) to prevent crusting/vestibulitis
If doesn’t stop bleeding after 10-15 min attempt packing/cautery
Haemodynamically unstable/posterior/unknown bleeding source –> ED
What are causes of SBO?
Intrabdominal adhesions, hernias, neoplasms, IBD
What are features of SBO?
NV, bloating, constipation, abdominal pain
How do you image SBO?
Abdominal x-ray
How do you manage SBO in the first instance?
NG tube to decompress
A-E
Foley catheter to measure urine output
Fluids
What things can you not do on an AV fistula arm?
Cannulas
Take bloods
Do BP on that arm
What are causes of parkinsonism?
PD Drug induced, e.g. metoclopramide, antipsychotics Progressive supranuclear palsy Multiple system atrophy Wilson's disease Post-encephalitis
What causes parkinsons disease?
Progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra
What are the classic triad of features in PD?
Bradykinesia
Tremor
Rigidity
What features of PD symmetrical?
Classically asymmetrical
What are the features of bradykinesia in PD classically?
Poverty of movement (hypokinesia)
Short, shuffling steps
Reduced arm swing
Difficulty initiating movement
What kind of tremor is seen in PD?
Pill rolling, asymmetrical, low frequency, at rest
What are other features of PD?
Mask like facies Stooped posture Micrographia Drooling Psychiatric features - depression, sleep disturbance Impaired olfaction REM sleeping disorder Fatigue Postural hypotension
What may give clues that parkinsonism is drug induced?
Rapid onset, bilateral
Rigidity and tremor uncommon
How is parkinsons disease diagnosed?
Clinically
If uncertainty SPECT can be used
What drugs can be used in the management of PD?
Levodopa with carbidopa
Dopamine receptor agonists, e.g. bromocriptine, ropinirole
MAO-B inhibitors, e.g. selegiline
Amantadine
COMT inhibitors, e.g. entacapone
Anti-muscarinics, more used for drug induced parkinsonism
What is the most common type of cancer in the west?
Basal cell carcinoma
What is the most common type of BCC?
Nodular
What do BCC look like?
Exist in sun exposed sites, especially head and neck
Initially pearly, flesh coloured papule with telangiectasia
May ulcerate leaving central cater
How are BCC managed?
Referral to derm Surgical removal Curettage Cryotherapy Topical cream - imiquimod, fluorouracil Radiotherapy
What is compartment syndrome?
Raised pressure within a closed anatomical space
Raised pressure –> compromises tissue perfusion –> necrosis