Management of common conditions Flashcards
Cluster headache:
Investigations:
Management:
Prophylaxis:
Ix. Most will have neuroimaging - MRI
Mx. Acute = 100% oxygen + SC Triptan
Prophylaxis = Verapamil
Migraine (ACUTE)
Investigations:
Management:
Oral triptan and NSAID or
Oral triptan and paracetamol
For younger people try nasal triptan
If these measures are ineffective give non-oral dose of metoclopramide or prolchlorperazine
Migraine (prophylaxis)
Management:
If treatment averse or resistant:
Propranolol
Topiramate (not to to be given in women of child-bearing age)
or 10 sessions fo acupuncture of 6 weeks
Trigeminal neuralgia
Mx:
Carbamazepine
Failure to respond to therapy = referral to neurology
Meningitis
Mx:
If meningococcal disease is suspected: IM Benzyl penicillin
If no indication for delaying LP (rash, increased ICP, bleeding risk)
IV blood and cultures
IV antibiotics (>50 years = Cefotaxime + Amoxicillin)
consider IV dexamethasone
CT scan not normally indicated
Meningitis bloods
Ix.
Bloods (FBCs, UEs, glucose, clotting profile, lactate, CRP)
Meningitis contact prophylaxis (last 7 days)
Ciprofloxacin or Rifampicin
Not needed if found to be pneumococcal cause
SAH
Investigation:
Management:
Non contrast CT scan
If symptoms occurse < 6 hours ago, NO LP
If > 6 hours, do LP
If confirmed, referral to neurosurgery and neuroradiology (coiling)
SAH complication treatment:
Vasospasm - Nimodipine
Idiopathic increased ICP:
Weight loss
Diuretics - acetozolamide
Intracranial venous thrombosis treatment:
Investigation:
Management:
MRI venography = gold standard
Anti-coagulation - LMWH
Temporal arteritis
Ix.
Mx.
Inflammatory markers (ESR increased), CRP)
Temoral artery biopsy
CK normal
High dose steroids
If visual loss: IV hydrocortisone
Urgent ophthalmology review
Failure to respond to therapy should prompt consideration of alternative diagnosis
What should be co-prescribed with long term steroids
Bone protection - bisphosphonates
Glaucoma (acute - closed angle)
Ix.
Mx.
Ix. Tonometry and gonioscopy (slit lamp)
URGENT referral
Eye drops: direct parasympathomimetic (pilocarpine) plus timolol
IV acetazolamide
Definitive treatment:
Laser iridotomy
Glaucoma (open angle)
Ix.
Mx.
Ix.
Perimetry (visual fields)
Slit lamp (optic nerve damage)
Tonometry
Corneal thickness measurement
Gonioscopy
Mx.
1) prostaglandin analogue (PGA) eyedrop Latanoprost
2) beta-blocker, carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, or sympathomimetic eyedrop
Vestibular neuronitis
Buccal or IM prochlorperazine (rapid relied)
Short course prochlorperazine or antihistamine
Vestibular rehabilitation exercises for chronic Sx.
Labyrinthitis (similar to vestibular neuronitis but with hearing impairment) Mx.
usually self-limiting Prochlorperazine
Meniere’s disease Mx.
ENT assessment required to confirm the diagnosis
acute attacks: buccal or IM prochlorperazine. Admission is sometimes required
Prevention: betahistine and vestibular rehabilitation exercises may be of benefit
Patients should inform the DVLA. The current advice is to cease driving until satisfactory control of symptoms is achieved
Usually self resolves in 5-10 years
Vestibular schwannoma
Ix. MRI cerebellopontine angle
Mx. Surgery
Stroke
Ix.
Mx.
Ix.
Mx. Aspirin 300mg if a haemorrhagic stroke has been excluded
Offer thrombectomy as soon as possible and within 6 hours of symptom onset, together with intravenous thrombolysis (if within 4.5 hours),
Stroke - secondary prevention
Clopidogrel
if CI, Aspirin + dipyridamole
Aortic stenosis (symptomatic or valvular gradient >40 mmHg)
Valve replacement
TAVR or balloon valvuloplasty
Parkinson’s diagnosis
Usually clinical but may use SPECT scan to differentiate between that an essential tremor
Epilepsy Ix.
EEG after first seizure
Acute seizure treatment
IF seizures persist for 5-10 minutes - DIAZEPAM (rectally or nasally or sublingually)
Postural (orthostatic hypotension)
Fludrocortisone or midodrine
STEMI mx.
initial triple management for all patients in absence of contraindications
Aspirin
Clopidogrel
Unfractionated heparin (prior to PCI)
STEMI mx.
PCI or thrombolysis (streptokinase)
Which investigation should be completed following thrombolysis in MI
ECG 90 minutes after to check for >50% resolution
Acute chest pain (cardiac related) initial Mx.
glyceryl trinitrate
Aspirin 300mg. NICE do not recommend giving other antiplatelet agents (i.e. Clopidogrel) outside of hospital
O2 - only if <94%
perform an ECG as soon as possible but do not delay transfer to hospital. A normal ECG does not exclude ACS
Acute chest pain (cardiac related) when to refer
current chest pain or chest pain in the last 12 hours with an abnormal ECG: emergency admission
chest pain 12-72 hours ago: refer to hospital the same-day for assessment
chest pain > 72 hours ago: perform full assessment with ECG and troponin measurement before deciding upon further action
Stable angina Ix.
If cannot be excluded on clinical assessment alone
1) CT coronary angio
2) non-invasive functional imaging (looking for reversible myocardial ischaemia - perfusion scan)
3) invasive coronary angiography
Viral pericarditis mx.
Treat underlying cause - most will be viral cause
combination of NSAIDs and COLCHICINE is now generally used for first-line for patients with acute idiopathic or viral pericarditis
Viral pericarditis Ix.
ECG - widespread ST elevation - PR depression is MOST SPECIFIC ECG marker
Transthoracic echocardiograph
Bloods - inflammatory markers, Troponin will be raised in 30% patients
Angina - drug management - All patients should receive
ASPIRIN and STATIN
Angina Mx.
Asprin plus statin
GTN
CCB or BB
-> CCB/BB in combo
if ineffective:
a long-acting nitrate
ivabradine
nicorandil
ranolazine
PE ix.
CTPA (WELLS score > 4)
D-dimer (poor specificity)
ECG
Chest X-ray (to exclude other pathology)
PE Ix. IF PE unlikley, (Wells <4)
D-dimer
PE Ix. If wells >4 but CTPA suggests NO DVT
Proximal leg ultrasound
What should be given in the interim if PE likely (>4) and delay in getting CTPA
DOAC
How long should all patients. W/ PE be anti-coagulated for
At least 3 months
If ‘provoked’ i.e pt. has active disease may be stopped
If ‘unprovoked’ treatment likely to be extended to 6 months
PE with haemodynamic instability Mx.
Thrombolysis
Primary pneumothorax tx.
(<2cm)
(>2cm)
if Pt. not short of breath and rim of air <2cm - consider discharge. If breathless, aspirate
If rim of air >2cm or pt. breathless - CHEST DRAIN
Secondary pnemothorax tx.
If the pt. is > 50 years old and the rim of air is > 2cm /patient is short of breath then a CHEST DRAIN should be inserted.
otherwise ASPIRATION should be attempted if the rim of air is between 1-2cm. If aspiration fails (i.e. pneumothorax is still greater then 1cm) a chest drain should be inserted. All patients should be admitted for at least 24 hours
if the pneumothorax is less than 1cm then the BTS guidelines suggest giving OXYGEN and admitting for 24 hours
Persistent/ recurrent pneumothorax tx.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) should be considered to allow for mechanical/chemical pleurodesis +/- bullectomy.
Dyspepsia mx. for those who do not meet referral criteria
- Review medications for possible causes of dyspepsia
- Lifestyle advice
- Trial of full-dose proton pump inhibitor for one month OR a ‘test and treat’ approach for H. pylori
Dyspepsia who gets URGENT referral
- All patients who’ve got dysphagia
- All patients who’ve got an upper abdominal mass consistent with stomach cancer
- Patients aged >= 55 years who’ve got weight loss, AND any of the following:
upper abdominal pain
reflux
dyspepsia
Dyspepsia who gets ROUTINE referral
Patients with haematemesis
Patients aged >= 55 years who’ve got:
treatment-resistant dyspepsia or
upper abdominal pain with low haemoglobin levels or
raised platelet count with any of the following: nausea, vomiting, weight loss, reflux, dyspepsia, upper abdominal pain
nausea or vomiting with any of the following: weight loss, reflux, dyspepsia, upper abdominal pain