psych Flashcards
How long should an antidepressant be continued after remission of symptoms?
6 months
How long can someone be detained under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act?
it allows admission for ASSESSMENT for up to 28 days
How long can someone be detained under section 3 of the MHA?
Patient can be detained for admission for TREATMENT for up to 6 months
How long can you detain someone in hospital under the 5(2) Mental Health act?
Section 5(2) gives doctors the ability to detain someone with a mental health issue WHO IS ALREADY IN hospital for up to 72 hours for assessment
(i.e. a non psychiatry doctor such as med reg can use this for holding power)
Following this they may sectioned under a section 2 or 3
HOWEVER this does not allow you to give them treatment against their will
How long can a nurse detain a patient in hospital under the 5(4) of the mental health act?
Section 5(4) gives nurses the ability to detain someone with a mental health issue in hospital for up to 6 hours.
What is section 4 of the MHA?
to allow someone to be admitted to hospital as an emergency for ASESSMENT for up to 72 hours, where a section 2 would cause unnecessary delay - requires only one doctor
Typically changed to a section 2 once in hospital
What is section 135 of the MHA?
Police can enter someone’s home, even if by force, to take them to a place of safety e.g. hospital due to concern about their mental health - for assessment for up to 24 hours
What is the section 136 of the MHA?
Police can take someone found in a public place to a place of safety (e.g. Hospital) if they have immediate concerns about their mental health
What are symptoms of lithium toxicity?
- nausea, diarrhoea
- blurry vision
- ataxia
- hyper-reflexia
- confusion
What are some factors that increase the risk of lithium toxicity?
- dehydration
- hyponatraemia
What are the symptoms of neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
- fever
(hyperthermia) - lead pipe muscle rigidity
- autonomic instability (tachycardia, sweating)
- tremor
- leukocytosis
- elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level.
HYPOREFLEXIA
TYPICALLY CAUSED BY ANTIPSYCHOTICS
What are the symptoms of serotonin syndrome?
if patients are taking multiple medications that increase serotonin levels - or for example an SSRI overdose
More rapid onset than NMS usually hours.
- sweating
- diarrhea
- fever
- autonomic instability
- seizures
- hypereflexia
- tremor
VERY similar to NMS except NMS has rigidity and raised CK
What are symptoms of anticholinergic syndrome?
- confusion + hyperactive delirium - agitation - picking at imaginary objections
- blurry vision
- dry mouth
- hypoactive bowel sounds
- urinary retention
What is the mechanism of action of Bupropion?
It is an antidepressant also used in the treatment of smoking cessation
It is a norepinephrine and dopamine re-uptake inhibitor AND a nicotinic antagonist (reduces cravings and smoking withdrawal)
What is an important adverse effect of Bupropion?
It lowers the seizure threshold and is therefore contraindicated in epilepsy
What are common side effects of SSRIS?
- weight gain
- gastrointestinal (GI) upset
- sexual dysfunction (reducing libido, orgasm, delayed ejaculation - thus they are sometimes used for premature ejaculation),
What are symptoms of TCA overdose?
- anticholinergic symptoms - dry mouth, urinary retention,
- dilated pupils (parasympathetic system causes pupil constriction - anticholinergics inhibit this)
- cardiac arrhythmia (can prolong QRS/QT and PR intervals)
- metabolic acidosis
What is the treatment for TCA over dose? e.g. amitriptyline
- supportive
- gastric lavage or activated charcoal
- IV sodium bicarbonate to treat the metabolic acidosis