Introduction To Clinical Application Flashcards
Define abuse and neglect
Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment
Somebody may abuse or neglect by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm
What piece of legislation and guidance was released around safeguarding in 2018?
Working together to safeguard children 2018
What 3 areas are included in the assessment framework triangle for a child’s needs?
Childs development needs
Parenting/ carer capacity
Family and environmental factors
What age does a child need to be and have unexplained bruising to have an automatic referral to social care?
Children under 2
What are the 4 categories of abuse?
Physical
Sexual
Emotional
Neglect
What is syncope and how does it happen?
Transient loss of consciousness characterised by fast onset and spontaneous recovery
Caused by a reduced perfusion pressure in the brain
Syncope is usually self limiting being horizontal will fix low blood pressure due to the baroreceptor reflex
What is pre-syncope?
Symptoms preceding a syncopal episode includes:
Light headed ness
Sweating
Pallor
Blurred vision
What are a few broad categories for syncope?
Reflex syncope - baroreceptor reflex not working as quickly
Orthostatic hypotension - some as above but commonly in elderly
Cardiac/ cardiopulmonary disease - serious cause
What is the mechanism causing reflex syncope?
Disorder of the autonomic regulation of postural tone
Activation of part of the medulla leads to decrease in sympathetic output and increase in parasympathetic
Fall in cardiac output and BP leads to reduced cerebral perfusion
What are 3 examples of reflex syncope?
Vasovagal - simple faint - from prolonged standing, stress, sight of blood, pain
Situational syncope - e.g. coughing, straining, lifting heavy weight
Carotid sinus massage
How much of a blood pressure drop is defined as orthostatic hypotension?
20 mmHg on SBP
What is the pathophysiology with standing causing syncope?
Standing causes 500-800ml of blood to pool in legs
Reduction in end diastolic volume
Reduced cardiac stretch therefore reduced stroke volume and cardiac output
Normally managed by the baroreceptor reflex
If this fails then cerebral perfusion will drop and syncope occurs
Why would the baroreceptor reflex fail?
Baroreceptor become less sensitive with age and hypertension
Medications such as antihypertensives can impair this response or venous return
Dehydration - hypovolaemia is common in elderly
What is cardiac syncope?
Syncope caused by cardiac disease
Any patient who presents with a fall should have an ECG done
What are the 3 broad categories of cardiac syncope?
Electrical problem - bradycardia or tachycardia
Structural - aortic stenosis or hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
Coronary - MI/ IHD
Why does aortic stenosis cause syncope?
Narrowing of aortic valve - harder to push blood through the valve - heart has to work harder then in exercise it can fail to adequately perfuse the brain
Syncope with AS have a mean survival of 2-5 years untreated
Also ejection systolic murmur
What are risk factors of cardiac syncope?
FHx of cardiac disease or sudden cardiac death
Preceding chest pain or palpaitations
PMHx of IHD or ASD repairs
Abnormal ECG
What is important to note about the elderly cardiovascular and respiratory systems?
CVS - cardiac output falls by 3% per decade - arm-brain circulation time for drugs therefore reduces.
Decreased cardiac conducting cells therefore more arrhythmias and AF present.
Large and medium sized blood vessels become less elastic and compliant - therefore raised TPR and HTN therefore LV strain and hypertrophy
Respiratory system -
Lung and chest wall have decreased compliance.
TLC, FVC, FEV1 and VC all reduced. Reduction in elastic support of airways.
Atelectasis, PE and pneumonia are common post-op complications in elderly. Increase with smokers and chronic lung disease.
Upper airways tissues lose elasticity too and result in partial or complete obstruction of the airways in sleep or sedative states.
Increase incidence of arterial desaturation during sleep with rising age
With respect to pharmacology what are the changes seen in elderly people?
Reduced CO therefore delayed onset of IV anaesthesia
Reduced total body water and increased adipose tissue therefore leads to altered VD of some drugs
Plasma proteins also reduced therefore reduced drug binding and increased free drug
What is the malnutrition screen tool used in leicester?
MUST - malnutrition universal screening tool
What is phimosis?
Inability to retract the foreskin (prepuce)
Incidence 1% adult non-circumcised population
When is the prevalence of physiological phimosis in the age ranges?
50% at 1 year
10% at 3 years
1% at 17 years
What is balanitis xerotica obliterans?
Scarring and oedema of the prepuce causing phimosis
What is paraphimosis?
When the foreskin is too taught that it cant be pulled over the head of the penis.
It can lead to the head of the penis not getting blood