Psychiatry Flashcards
What is an acute stress disorder?
Occurs up to 4 weeks post stressful event:
intrusive thoughts e.g. flashbacks, nightmares
dissociation e.g. ‘being in a daze’, time slowing
negative mood
avoidance
arousal e.g. hypervigilance, sleep disturbance
What is PTSD?
Occurs post 4 weeks post stressful event:
intrusive thoughts e.g. flashbacks, nightmares
dissociation e.g. ‘being in a daze’, time slowing
negative mood
avoidance
arousal e.g. hypervigilance, sleep disturbance
Management of acute stress reaction?
- trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
- BZD
- should only be used with caution due to addictive potential and concerns that they may be detrimental to adaptation
What is the mechanism of alcohol on the central nervous system ?
Chronic alcohol consumption enhances GABA mediated inhibition in the CNS (similar to benzodiazepines) and inhibits NMDA-type glutamate receptors
Mecdhanism of alcohol withdrawl?
Loss of GAB mediated controll from alcohol
Activation of glutamate receptors
What is the onset of delirium tremens?
48 -72 hours post
MUST BE THIS TIME
Features of alcohol withdrawl?
symptoms start at 6-12 hours: tremor, sweating, tachycardia, anxiety
peak incidence of seizures at 36 hours
48 - Delirium tremens
Features of delirium tremens?
coarse tremor
confusion
delusions
auditory and visual hallucinations
fever
tachycardia
Management of alcohol withdrawl?
- Chlordiazepoxide or diazepam reducing protocol
What BZD is preferable in alcohol withdrawl if there is liver disease ?
Lorazepam
What are the features of anorexia nevosa?
reduced body mass index
bradycardia
hypotension
enlarged salivary glands
Physiological changes in anorexia nervosa?
hypokalaemia
low FSH, LH, oestrogens and testosterone
raised cortisol and growth hormone
impaired glucose tolerance
hypercholesterolaemia
hypercarotinaemia
low T3
Mechanism of typical antipsycotics?
Dopamine D2 receptor antagonists, blocking dopaminergic transmission in the mesolimbic pathways
Mechanism of atypical antipsycotics?
Act on a variety of receptors (D2, D3, D4, 5-HT)
Adverse effectcs of typical antipsychoatics?
Extrapyramidal side-effects
Hyperprolactinaemia common
Adverse effects of atypical antipsychotics?
Extrapyramidal side-effects
Hyperprolactinaemia less common
Metabolic effects
- increased risk of stroke
- increased risk of venous thromboembolism
What are extrapyradmial side effects of antipsychotics?
Parkinsonism
Acute dystonia
Sustained muscle contraction (e.g. torticollis, oculogyric crisis)
Akathisia (severe restlessness)
Tardive dyskinesia (late onset of choreoathetoid movements, abnormal, involuntary, may occur in 40% of patients, may be irreversible, most common is chewing and pouting of jaw)
Treatment of acute dystonia?
Procyclidine
What antipsycotics reduce seizure threshold?
Atypicals
Pyrexia + Muscle stiffness + Antipsychotic?
Neuroleptic malignsant syndrome
Why do antipsychotics cause hyperprolactinaemia?
due to inhibition of the dopaminergic tuberoinfundibular pathway
Examples of aytpical antipsycoatics?
clozapine
olanzapine: higher risk of dyslipidemia and obesity
risperidone
quetiapine
amisulpride
aripiprazole: generally good side-effect profile, particularly for prolactin elevation
Atypical antipsychotic associated with agranulocytosis?
Clozapine
Side effect of clozapine?
agranulocytosis (1%), neutropaenia (3%)
reduced seizure threshold - can induce seizures in up to 3% of patients
constipation
myocarditis: a baseline ECG should be taken before starting treatment
hypersalivation
Mechanism of BZD?
inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by increasing the frequency of chloride channels.
Enhances the effect of GABA
Side effects of BZD?
sedation
hypnotic
anxiolytic
anticonvulsant
muscle relaxant
Mechanism of barabituates?
barbiturates increase the duration of chloride channel opening
How to wean BZD?
should be withdrawn in steps of about 1/8
switch patients to the equivalent dose of diazepam
reduce dose of diazepam every 2-3 weeks in steps of 2 or 2.5 mg
time needed for withdrawal can vary from 4 weeks to a year or more
Features of BZD withdrawl syndrome?
insomnia
irritability
anxiety
tremor
loss of appetite
tinnitus
perspiration
perceptual disturbances
seizures
Diagnostic criteria for body dysmorphia?
- Preoccupation with an imagine defect in appearance. If a slight physical anomaly is present, the person’s concern is markedly excessive
- The preoccupation causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
- The preoccupation is not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g., dissatisfaction with body shape and size in Anorexia Nervosa)
Diagnostic criteria of bulimia nervosa?
- Recurrent episodes of binge eating - (eat more than normal people eat in one session)
- lack of control over eating during the episode
- recurrent inappropriate compensatory behaviour in order to prevent weight gain
- Errosion of teeth
- Russels signs - Binge eating and compensatory behaviours both occur, on average, at least once a week for three months.
- self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.
Management of bulimia nervosa?
bulimia-nervosa-focused guided self-help for adults
ineffective after 4 weeks of treatment, NICE recommend that we consider individual eating-disorder-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-ED)
- a trial of high-dose fluoxetine is currently licensed for bulimia but long-term data is lacking
What is Charles Bonnet syndrome?
characterised by persistent or recurrent complex hallucinations (usually visual or auditory), occurring in clear consciousness
background of visual impairment
Insight is usually preserved
Risk factors for charles bonnet syndrome?
Advanced age
Peripheral visual impairment
Social isolation
Sensory deprivation
Early cognitive impairment
age-related macular degeneration, followed by glaucoma and cataract.
What is cotard syndrome?
believes that they (or in some cases just a part of their body) is either dead or non-existent
associated with severe depression and psychotic disorders.
What is De Clerambault syndrome?
paranoid delusion with an amorous quality. The patient, often a single woman, believes that a famous person is in love with her.
What is delusional parastiosis?
fixed, false belief (delusion) that they are infested by ‘bugs’ e.g. worms, parasites, mites, bacteria, fungus.
Features of depression in elderly?.
physical complaints (e.g. hypochondriasis)
agitation
insomnia
Management of depression in elderly?
SSRIs are first line (adverse side-effect profile of TCAs more of an issue in the elderly)
Features of depression over dementia?
short history, rapid onset
biological symptoms e.g. weight loss, sleep disturbance
patient worried about poor memory
reluctant to take tests, disappointed with results
mini-mental test score: variable
global memory loss (dementia characteristically causes recent memory loss)
What are the screening questions for depression?
‘During the last month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless?’
‘During the last month, have you often been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things?’
How should depression be tested?
Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).
HAD scale scores?
severity: 0-7 normal, 8-10 borderline, 11+ case
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores?
depression severity: 0-4 none, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate, 15-19 moderately severe, 20-27 severe
Criteria for depression diagnosis?
- Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day
- Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day
- Significant weight loss or weight gain when not dieting or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day
- Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day
- Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness nearly every day
- Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide
Indication for ECT ?
severe depression refractory to medication (e.g. catatonia) those with psychotic symptoms
Side effects of ECT?
headache
nausea
short term memory impairment
memory loss of events prior to ECT
cardiac arrhythmia
Long-term side-effects
some patients report impaired memory
Management of generalised anxiety disorder?
step 1: education about GAD + active monitoring
step 2: low-intensity psychological interventions (individual non-facilitated self-help or individual guided self-help or psychoeducational groups)
step 3: high-intensity psychological interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy or applied relaxation) or drug treatment. See drug treatment below for more information
step 4: highly specialist input e.g. Multi agency teams
Drug management in generaliosed anxiety disorder?
NICE suggest sertraline should be considered the first-line SSRI
If ineffecitve then SNRI:
duloxetine and venlafaxine
If cannot have SSRI or SNRI:
Pregablin
Management of panic disorder?
step 1: recognition and diagnosis
step 2: treatment in primary care - see below
step 3: review and consideration of alternative treatments
step 4: review and referral to specialist mental health services
step 5: care in specialist mental health services