Practice questions Flashcards
Mrs P, a 49-year-old woman, has been brought to her GP by her husband who is worried about her drinking. In the consultation she admits that over the last 3 months she has dropped many of her usual hobbies due to drinking, feels she needs to drink more than she used to to get the same effect and feels strong compulsions to drink, even after some accidents that have happened while intoxicated. How likely is it that she has alcohol dependence?
Diagnostic threshold met for alcohol dependence
CAGE Screening tool to detect problem drinking and alcoholism.
Details on other tests e.g. AUDIT
criteria used to assess if someone has alcohol dependence:
Cravings/compulsions to take
Difficulty controlling use
Primacy
Increased tolerance
Physiological withdrawal on reduction/cessation
Persistence despite harmful consequences
What is the recommended maximum units of alcohol men and women can drink in one week?
14 units per week
Which of the following alcohol screening tests is the most accurate when screening pregnant woman?
TWEAK
Which of the following is a classic physical sign of alcohol misuse you may find on examination?
Asterixis
To calculate the number of units in a bottle, you need to multiply the number of millilitres by the ABV and then divide this by 1000 [INSERT EQUATION].
A bottle of wine (alcohol percentage = 12%) contains 750ml. How many units are found in the bottle?
9 units
To calculate the number of units in a drink multiply the number of millilitres by the ABV and divide by 1,000.
one bottle of wine = 750 * 12 / 1000 = 9 units
Consumption (units per week): Drinking more than 14 units a week, but less than 35 units a week for women. Drinking more than 14 units a week, but less than 50 units for men.
Drag and drop the symptoms suggestive of acute alcohol withdrawal most noted within certain time frames from last drink
symptoms start at 6-12 hours: tremor, sweating, tachycardia, anxiety, nausea, vomiting
peak incidence of seizures at 36 hours
peak incidence of delirium tremens is at 48-72 hours: coarse tremor, confusion, delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, fever, tachycardia, sleeplessness, autonomic over-activity
•Mrs P and her husband would like to know what drug treatments are available for alcohol addiction. Match the drugs and their actions.
•13 months later, Mrs P presents again with her husband. She has had a rough couple of months following being fired from her job and admits to drinking again and has stopped taking her medication for alcohol cessation . On examination you notice she has some physical findings such as nystagmus and ataxia, and during the history you notice she seems quite confused, with her husband adding she has become noticeably more confused in the last few weeks. According to these findings, what do you think is the most pressing management to be organized immediately?
Urgent thiamine replacement
Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, wernickes and korsokoffs, delirium tremens, cancers
Explain wernickes and Korsakoff syndrome
If those with comorbidities of depression or anxiety on withdrawal have symptoms, treat alcohol dependence first and review in 3-4 weeks. These symptoms can improve on treatment but if still persistent undertake an assessment of symptoms and consider referral (NICE)
•A young boy presents with their mother, who is concerned about some behaviours her son has been exhibiting in the last few months. She describes her son as taking a very long time to get ready for school as he is repetitively checking light switches and so has gotten in trouble at school due to being late repeatedly. Based on the most likely diagnosis, what is the most appropriate initial treatment?
Exposure and response trainning
•A young woman presents to her GP quite worried about the sensation of something in her throat. She also complains of tiredness as she is struggling to sleep, tremors, feels she can sweat profusely when stressed, having a poor appetite and feeling nauseous. She strikes you as quite anxious about these symptoms, especially as she has some exams coming up. What would be the next best step for this patient?
Reassure patient and advise some lifestyle changes
You are concerned about your sibling who is extremely fearful of attending the doctors, and often experiences panic attacks when at the doctors, resulting in them missing many of their review appointments for their long-term conditions and routine screening appointments despite their conditions being well controlled and there being no medical concerns. You suspect they might have developed a phobia to the doctors. Select from those shown below what psychological treatments could be offered to help those who suffer from phobic disorders
•A patient attends complaining of feeling very anxious all the time, and describes other symptoms such as tremor, palpitations and sweating profusely. What blood test should also be carried out before diagnosing GAD to exclude another important differential diagnosis?
TFTs
•A patient is diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. They are known to be very inflexible in their work and their routine, which has caused some issues with their loved ones and colleagues. Which of the following is the 1st line treatment for mild obsessive compulsive disorder?
Exposure response prevention therapy
•A 13-year-old female presents with her parents due to concern regarding their recurrent panic attacks and nightmares that on questioning seem to be related to attending school, even after moving schools after being very badly bullied in her last school. When asked about the bullying she gets very tearful and refuses to talk about it. For the last few years, the parents have noticed she has become more withdrawn and doesn’t hang out with her old friends anymore. What is the most likely diagnosis?
PTSD
•Drag and drop the following options for GAD symptoms under the following subsections: Cognitive, somatic and behavioural
•Who can complete a Certificate of Incapacity form? Tick all that apply
•Which legal document is used in Scotland when assessing if an individual has capacity?
A.Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000