paeds/psych/cancer/opic/stroke/specialsenses Flashcards
1st line ix for stroke
non contrast ct head to rule out bleed
What scale can be used to predict disability following stroke/ TIA?
The Barthel index is a scale that measures disability or dependence in activities of daily living in stroke patients
causes of peripheral neuropathy
alcohol
b12 deficiency
ckd
cancer
diabetes
vasculitis
what does ct head for sah show
hyperattenuation in the subarachnoid space
blood appears w hite; this will be m ixed in w ith the CSF. This will lie w ithin the interhem ispheric fissure, basal
cisterns and ventricles
what will LP show for SAH
increased rbc
xanthochromia- yellow colour caused by bilirubin
what is kernigs sign
when you bend the hip and knee to 90 degrees , pain on extending the knee
caused by meningeal irritation
what is the pterion
frontal
sphenoid
temporal
parietal
subdural haemorrhage cause & ct scan
high impact trauma
bridging vein
CT imaging is the first-line investigation and will show a crescentic collection, not limited by suture lines. They will appear hyperdense (bright) in comparison to the brain. Large acute subdural haematomas will push on the brain (‘mass effect’) and cause midline shift or herniation/ compression of the ventricles
extradural haemorrhage cause
middle meningeal artery
young person with trauma
lucid interval
bi convex shape on ct, limited by suture lines
rapidly declines
fracture of temporal bone
rf for strok
htn
smoker
alcohol
diabetes
hyperlipidaemia
heart disease (e.g. atrial fibrillation, valvular), peripheral
vascular disease, previous TLA, polycythaemia rubra vera, carotid
artery disease, hyperlipidaemia, clotting disorders, combined
oral contraceptive pill, excess alcohol.
give some metabolic causes of seizure
- hypoG
- hypoNa
- uraemia
- hypoCa
- anoxia
- water intoxication
what is epilepsy
T ran sien t occurrence o f in term itten t, abnorm al electrical activity
o f p art o f the brain. T h is tends to be stereotyped and often
m anifests itself as seizures.
epilepsy different types + mx
Absence- girls, age 3-10, stress/ hyperventilation
Ethosuximide/ sodium valproate
AVOID carbamazepine- exacerbates absence seizure
Generalised tonic clonic
1st line Sodium valproate
2nd line lamotrigine or carbamazepine
Focal
1st line Carbamazepine/ lamotrigine
2nd line levetiracetam, sodium valproate, oxcarbazepine
Myoclonic
1st line sodium valproate
2nd line clonazepam, lamotrigine
The cranial nerves II, III, IV and VI are involved in vision and
movement of the eye. What are the six routinely performed tests
clinically to assess these cranial nerves?
Visual acuity, visual fields, fundoscopy, pupillary light response
(direct and indirect), pupillary accommodation, eye movements.
Brown-Sequard syndrome
- caused by lateral hemisection of the spinal cord
- ipsilateral weakness below lesion
- ipsilateral loss of proprioception and vibration sensation (dorsal column- posteriorly in spinal cord, decussates at medulla)
- contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensation (spinothalamic tract- anterior spinal cord)
carpal tunnel ix
nerve conduction studies
electromyography
mri wrist
uss
Give two complications associated with long-term levodopa
treatment?
On-off fluctuations, dyskinesias, weaning off phenomenon
give 2 clinical features other than headache that can be due to raised icp
Vomiting, papilloedema, seizures, focal neurology, decreased
conscious level.
Give two examples of space-occupying lesions which may be
causing the raised intracranial pressure
Neoplasm, haematoma, abscess, granuloma, aneurysm
cushings triad in raised icp
widening pulse pressure
bradycardia
irregular breathing
idiopathic intracranial htn mx
weight loss
diuretics e.g. acetazolamide
topiramate is also used, and has the added benefit of causing weight loss in most patients
repeated lumbar puncture may be used as a temporary measure but is not suitable for longer-term management
surgery: optic nerve sheath decompression and fenestration may be needed to prevent damage to the optic nerve. A lumboperitoneal or ventriculoperitoneal shunt may also be performed to reduce intracranial pressure
why fbc in epistaxis
low plts- can be cause of epistaxis
low hb- anaemia due to bleed
other blood tests for epistaxis
INR as she is on warfarin, LFTs as deranged liver function may
lead to insufficient synthesis of clotting factors, group and save in
case transfusion is necessary
ddx for sore throat in child
tonsillitis
scarlet fever
infectious mononucleosis
agranulocytosis
malignancy
diphtheria