Psychiatry Flashcards
What is the name of a scoring system for anxiety & depression?
HADS - hospital anxiety and depression scale
4 symptoms that distinguish mania from hypo mania?
- Symptoms for at least 7 days
- May require hospitalisation
- Psychotic features
- Causes severe functional impairment - work and social
What is the time frame allowing a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa?
symptoms at least once a week for 3 months
What is Russell’s sign?
calluses on the knuckles or back of the hand due to repeated self-induced vomiting
What is the management of bulimia nervosa?
first line: referral for bulimia nervosa - focused guided self help
second line: individual eating disorder focused CBT
children: bulimia nervosa focused family therapy
What are 5 risk factors for psychotic disorders?
- FH
- cannabis use
- migration
- urban living
- black caribbean ethnicity
What are 3 things that may precipitate lithium toxicity?
- dehydration
- renal failure
- drugs - diuretics (thiazides), ACEi/ARBs, NSAIDs, metronidazole
What are 5 drugs that may precipirate lithium toxicity?
- diuretics - especially thiazides
- ACE inhibitors
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers
- NSAIDs
- metronidazole
What are 6 features of lithium toxicity?
- coarse tremor
- seizures
- polyuria
- confusion
- hyperreflexia
- coma
At what levels of lithium does toxicity occur?
> 1.5 mmol/L (normal = 0.4 - 1.0)
When should you re-review a patient with depression?
if not at increased risk of suicide:
* within 1 week if <30y and started on antidepressants
* within 2 weeks otherwise
What is the management of lithium toxicity?
- normal saline for volume resuscitation if mild-moderate
- haemodialysis if severe
- sodium bicarbonate (limited evidence) - increases urine alkalinity to promote lithium excretion
After what duration on an antidepressant should you consider increasing the dose or switching?
4 weeks (effects usually take 2-4 weeks)
How should antidepressants be stopped?
reduce dose or frequency gradually over a 4 week period to minimise discontinuation symptoms
What is section 2 MHA?
Admission for assessment up to 28 days, non renewable
Made by AMHP or NR on recommendation of 2 doctors (1 is approved under MHA 12(2) - usually psych cons)
What is section 3 MHA?
Admission for treatment up to 6 months, can be renewed
AMHP along with 2 doctors, 1has seen patient in last 24h
What is section 4 MHA?
72h assessment order - used when section 2 would cause unacceptable delay. GP + AMHP or NR
Often changed to s2 on arrival to hospital
What is the first line treatment for mild-moderate Alzheimer’s?
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
* donepezil
* galantamine
* rivastigmine
What is the second line treatment option for mild-moderate dementia?
NMDA receptor antagonist - memantine
What are 3 situations when memantine is indicated?
- Moderate Alzheimer’s in patients intolerant or CI to acetylcholinesterase inhibtors
- Add on to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in moderate to severe Alzheimer’s
- Monotherapy in severe Alzheimer’s
What is a relative contraindication to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors E.g. donepezil
Resting bradycardia
What is a side effect of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors such as donepezil and galantamine?
Insomnia
What is the difference between somatisation and conversion disorder?
- somatisation - multiple somatic complaints, symptoms persist for several years (refuses to accept reassurance or negative test results)
- conversion - alteration or loss of a function suggestive of phsyical disorder, typically loss of motor or senosry function (La belle indifference)
What is the ACE-3 and what does it detect?
Validated tool that is sensitive and specific for the detectionof dementia - >82 strongly suggests dementia
Tests 5 domains: memory, attention, fluency, language, visuospatial
What finding using the ACE-3 tool is suggestive of Alzheimer’s dementia?
Global deficit in all 5 domains (memory, attention, fluency, language, visuospatial)
What will be seen in the ACE-3 with frontotemporal dementia?
deficits in domains Fluency and Language (due to frontal lobe damage, not memory/attention/visuospatial)
What will ACE-3 score show in vascular dementia?
no consistent pattern in ACE-3 examinations (depends on if previous stroke, and its location)
What ACE-3 score is suggestive of mild cognitive impairment?
82-88
Which domains in the ACE-3 will people with Parkinson’s dementia show deficits?
visualspatial, memory, attention (less fluency and language)
What is Capgras syndrome?
delusion that a friend or partner has been replaced by an identical-looking imposter
What is Othello syndrome?
irrational belief that your partner is having an affair with no objective evidence
What is de Clerambault syndrome?
delusional idea that a person whom they onsider to be of higher social and/or professional standing is in love with them
What is Cotard syndrome?
delusional idea that one is dead
What is Fregoli syndrome?
delusional idea that the various people that the patient meets are in fact the same person
What is the mechanism of action of typical antipsychotics?
dopamin D2 receptor antagonists - block dopaminergic transmission in mesolimbin pathways
What is the mechanism of action of atypical antipsychotics?
act on variety of receptors - D2, D3, D4, 5-HT
What are 4 key side effects of typical antipsychotics?
EPSEs
1. acute dystonias - e.g. torticollis, ocylogyric crisis
2. Parkinsonism
3. akathisia - severe restlessness
4. tardive dyskinesia - choreoathetoid movements, chewing + pouting of jaw
What is the treatment of acute dystonias?
procyclidine
What are 2 specific risks of antipsychotics (typical and atypical) in elderly patients?
- stroke
- VTE
In addition to EPSEs what are 8 other side effects of typical antipsychotics?
- antimuscarinic: dry mouth, blurred vision, urinary retention, constipation
- sedation
- weight gain
- raised prolactin (galactorrhoea)
- impaired glucose tolerance
- neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- reduced seizure threshold
- prolonged QT interval (haloperidol)
What are 5 factors assocaited with poor prognosis in schizophrenia?
- strong family history
- gradual onset
- low IQ
- prodromal phase of social withdrawal
- lack of obvious precipitant
What condition is the impulse urge to pick at one’s own skin, often to the extent that damage is called?
dermatillomania
What is the only absolute contraindication to electroconvulsive therapy?
raised intracranial pressure
What are the indications for electroconvulsive therapy?
life-threatening major depressive disorder where catatonia is present or psychotic symptoms
What are 5 short-term side effects of ECT?
- headache
- nausea
- short-term memory impairment
- memory loss of events prior to ECT
- cardiac arrhythmia
What is a long term side effect of ECT?
impaired memory
What drugs can cause neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
- antipsychotics - typically typical
- dopaminergic drugs e.g. levodopa
What is thought to be a possible mechanism for neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
the dopamine blockade induced by antipsychotics triggers massive glutamate release and subsequent neurotoxicity & muscle damage
How quickly does neuroleptic malignant syndrome occur?
within hours to days of starting an antipsychotic
What may blood tests show in neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
- raised creatine kinase
- raised leukocytes
- AKI may develop secondary to rhabdomyolysis
What are 4 aspects of the management of neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
- stop antipsychotic
- transfer to medical ward - usually ITU
- IV fluids
- dantrolene
- bromocriptine may also be used