Psychiatry Flashcards
Timeline acute stress disorder
Within 4 weeks after traumatic event
Management acute stress disorder
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy first line
Benzodiazepines sometimes for acute symptoms, use with caution
Features acute alcohol withdrawal
Start within 6-12 hours
- Tremor
- Sweating
- Tachycardia
- Anxiety
Later, seizures and delirium tremens
Peak incidence seizures in acute alcohol withdrawal
36 hours
Peak incidence delirium tremens in acute alcohol withdrawal
48-72 hours
Features delirium tremens
- Coarse tremor
- Confusion
- Delusions
- Auditory and visual hallucinations
- Fever
- Tachycardia
First line treatment acute alcohol withdrawal
Long-acting benzodiazepines, e.g. chlordiazepoxide or diazepam, as reducing dose protocol
Benzo of choice acute alcohol withdrawal with hepatic failure
Lorazepam
Other treatments acute alcohol withdrawal
Carbamazepine
Blood abnormalities anorexia
Hypokalaemia
Low FSH, LH, oestrogens, testosterone
Raised cortisol and GH
Impaired glucose tolerance
Hypercholesterolaemia
Hypercarotinaemia
Low T3
Adverse effects typical antipsychotics
Extrapyramidal side effects
Hyperprolactinaemia
Antimuscarinic effects
Impaired glucose tolerance
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Prolonged QT interval
Examples typical antipsychotics
Haloperidol
Chlorpromazine
Adverse effects atypical antipsychotics
Metabolic effects inc hyperprolactinaemia
Weight gain
Examples atypical antipsychotics
Clozapine
Risperidone
Olanzapine
Quetiapine
Amisulpride
Aripiprazole
Extra-pyrdamidal SEs typical antipsychotics
- Parkinsonism
- Acute dystonia
- Akanthisia
- Tardive dyskinesa
What is acute dystonia
Sustained muscle contraction
Examples acute dystonias
Torticollis
Oculogyric crisis
What is akathisia
Severe restlessness
What is tardive dyskinseia
Late onset choreoathetoid movements, most common chewing and pouting of jaw
Antimuscarinic SEs typical antipsychotics
Dry mouth
Blurred vision
Urinary retention
Constipation
Features neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Pyrexia
Muscle stiffness
Treatment neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Stop drug
Rehydration
Cooling
Treatment of rhabdomyolysis if present
Atypical antipsychotic best SE profile
Aripiprazole (esp prolactin elevation)
Mechanism of action benzodiazepines
Enhance effect of the inhibitory neurotransmitted GABA by increasing frequency of chloride channelsU
Features benzo withdrawal syndrome
Insomnia
Irritability
Anxiety
Tremor
Loss of appetite
Tinnitus
Perspiration
Perceptual disturbances
Seizure
First line management bulimia in adults
Bulimia-focused guided self help
Second line management for bulimia in adults
Individual eating disorder focused CBT
(Used if self help unacceptable, contraindicated, ineffective after 4 weeks)
Treatment bulimia in children
Bulimia focused family therapy
Adverse effects clozapine
AGRANULOCYTOSIS (1%), neutropenia (3%)
Reduced seizure threshold
Constipation
Myocarditis
Hypersalivation
Indications clozapine
Uncontrolled schizophrenia despite sequential use 2+ drugs, one of which is second gen, each for at least 6-8 weeks
Smoking and clozapine
Dose adjustment may be needed if smoking started or stopped during treatment
Cotard syndrome
Patient believe they (or part of their body) is dead or non-existent
Classification of depression
Less severe - PHQ-9 <16
More severe - PHQ-9 ≥16
Role of antidepressant medications in less severe depression
Should not offer as first line treatment unless its the persons preference
First line treatment more severe depression
Combination of individual CBT and antidepressant
ECT indications
Severe depression refractory to medication, e.g. catatonia
Psychotic depression
Contraindication ECT
Raised ICP
Short term SE ECT
Headache
Nausea
Short term memory impairment
Memory loss events prior to ECT
Cardiac arrhythmia
Long term SE ECT
Some patients report impaired memory
Physical DDx anxiety disorder
- Hyperthyroidism
- Cardiac disease
- Medication induced
Medications causing anxiety
Salbutamol
Theophylline
Corticosteroids
Antidepressants
Caffeine
Step-wise approach GAD
- Education about GAD + active monitoring
- Low intensity psychological interventions (self-help, psychoeducational groups)
- High intensity psychological intervention (CBT, applied relaxation) or drug treatment
- Highly specialist input
First line drug GAD
Sertraline
Second line drug GAD
Alternative SSRI or SNRI
Third line drug GAD
If can’t tolerate SSRI/SNRI, consider pregabalin
Stepwise treatment panic disorder
- Recognition and diagnosis
- Treatment in primary care - CBT or drug
- Review and consideration of alternative treatments
- Review and referral to specialist mental health services
- Care in specialist mental health services
First line drug panic disorder
SSRIs
Second line drug panic disorder
Imipramine or clomipramine
If SSRI contraindicated or no response after 12 weeks
Mania vs hypomania
Mania lasts at least 7 days, hypomania <7 days, typically 3-4 days
Mania causes severe functional impairment in social and work setting, hypomania can be high functioning and does not impair functional capacity in social or work setting
Mania may need hospital, hypomania unlikely
Mania may have psychotic symptoms, hypomania doesn’t
Therapeutic range lithium
0.4-1.0
SEs lithium
Nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea
Fine tremor
Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
Thyroid enlargement, hypothyroidism
Weight gain
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Leucocytosis
Hyperparathyroidism → hypercalcaemia
ECG changes lithium
T wave flattening/inversion
When should lithium level be taken
12 hours post dose
When to check lithium levels
Weekly when starting/dose change until stable, then 3 monthly
Monitoring lithium
Lithium levels
Thyroid and renal function
Pros of mirtazapine
Fewer side effects and interactions than many antidepressants, so good in older people who may be more effected or taking other medications
Side effects of sedation and increased appetite can be useful if suffering from insomnia and poor appetite
Trait domains personality disorders
Negative affectivity
Detachment
Dissociality
Disinhibition
Anankastia
Borderline pattern
Negative affectivity definition
Tendency to experience wide range of negative emotions - anxiety, depression, guilt, anger
Prone to mood swings, insecurity, emotional lability
Detachment definition
Avoidance of social interactions, emotional withdrawal, and limited pleasure from relationships
May appear cold, aloof, isolated
Dissociality definition
Disregard for rights and feelings of others, lack of empathy, difficulty forming prosocial relationships
Impulsivity and manipulative behaviours common
Disinhibition definition
Impulsiveness, risk taking, and difficulty controlling behaviours
May struggle with planning and foresight → reckless or irresponsible actionsA
Anankastia definition
Preoccupation with orderliness, control, and perfectionism
Individuals may be rigid, stubborn, excessively focused on rules and details
Borderline pattern definition
Emotional instability, intense and unstable interpersonal relationships, fluctuating sense of identity, impulsivity
Management personality disorders
Psychological therapies, e.g. dialectical behaviour therapy
Treatment of co-existing psychiatric conditions
PTSD management
Watchful waiting for mild symptoms lasting less than 4 weeks
Trauma focused CBT or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy
Single-session interventions aka debriefing not recommended
Role of drugs PTSD
Not routine first line treatment
If drug treatment used, venlafaxine or SSRI
In severe cases, risperidone
Alogia definition
Little information conveyed by speech
Tangentiality definition
Answers diverge from topic
Word salad definition
Linking real words incoherently → nonsensical content
Schneider’s first rank symptoms (schizophrenia)
Auditory hallucinations
Thought disorders
Passivity phenomena
Delusional perceptions
Types of auditory hallucinations that count as Schneider’s first rank symptoms
Two or more voices discussing patient in third person
Thought echo
Voices commenting on patient’s behaviour
Thought disorder examples
Thought insertion
Thought withdrawal
Thought broadcastingPa
Passivity phenomena examples
Bodily sensations being controlled by external influence
Actions/impulses/feelings imposed on individual or influenced by others
Delusional perceptions definition
Two stage process - normal object is perceived, then sudden intense delusional insight into the objects meaning for the patient
E.g. traffic light is green therefore I am the King
Other features schizophrenia
Impaired insight
Negative symptoms
Neologisms (made up words)
Catatonia
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Incongruity/blunting of affect
Anhedonia
Alogia (poverty of speech)
Avolition
Social withdrawal
Poor prognostic indicators schizophrenia
Strong family history
Gradual onset
Low IQ
Prodromal phase of social withdrawal
Lack of obvious precipitant
Section 2 MHA
Admission for assessment up to 28 days, non renewable
Approved mental health professional (or rarely nearest relative) makes application on recommendation of 2 doctors
Treatment can be given against patients wishes
Section 3 MHA
Admission for treatment up to 6 months, can be renewed
AMHP with 2 doctors, both must have seen patient in past 24 hours
Treatment can be given
Section 4 MHA
72 hour assessment order
Used in emergency, when section 2 = unacceptable delay
GP and AMHP/nearest relative
Section 5(2)
Voluntary patient in hospital legally detained by doctor for 72 hours
Section 5(4)
Voluntary patient in hospital legally detained by nurse for 72 hours
Section 17a
Supervised community treatment order, can be used to recall patient to hospital for treatment if they do not comply with conditions of order in the community, e.g. complying with medication
Section 135
Court order, allows police to break into property to remove person to place of safety
Section 136
Someone found in public place who appears to have mental disorder can be taken by police to place of safety
24 hours, while MHA assessment arranged
Preferred SSRIs
Citalopram and fluoxetine
When is sertraline first choice
Post MI
SSRI in children/adolescent
Fluoxetine
SE SSRIs
GI symptoms (most common)
Increased risk of GI bleeding
Increased anxiety and agitation
SSRis with highest propensity drug interactions
Fluoxetine
Paroxetine
SSRI causing QT prolongation
Citalopram
Escitalopram
CIs citalopram, escitalopram
Congenital long QT
Pre-existing QT prolongation
Use of other drugs prolonging QT
Interactions SSRIs
NSAIDs
Warfarin/heparin
Aspirin
Triptans (serotonin syndrome)
MAOIs (serotonin syndrome)
When to review after commencing SSRI
2 weeks
1 week if under 25 or increased risk of suicide
How long should antidepressants be continued for in depression?
At least 6 months (reduces risk of relapse)
SSRI highest risk discontinuation symptoms
Paroxetine
How to stop SSRI
Gradually reduce dose over 4 week period (unless fluoxetine)
Discontinuation symptoms SSRIs
- Increased mood change
- Restlessness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Unsteadiness
- Sweating
- GI symptoms - pain, cramping, diarrhoea, vomiting
- Parasthesia
SSRI in pregnancy
Risk vs beenfit
First trimester - small increased risk of congenital heart defects
Third trimester - persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn
Which SSRI increases risk of congenital malformation
Paroxetine (esp in 1st tri)
Circumstantiality definition
Inability to answer a question without giving excessive, unnecessary detail, but does return to original point
Tangentiality definition
Wandering from a topic without returning to it
Neologisms definition
New word formations, might include combining two words
Clang associations definitions
Idea’s related to each other only by the fact they sound similar or rhyme
Word salad definition
Completely incoherent speech where real words are strung together into nonsense sentences
Knight’s move thinking definition
Severe type of loosening of associations, wehre there are unexpected and illogical leaps from one idea to another
Flight of ideas definition
Thought disorder where leaps from one topic to another but with discernible links between them
Perseveration definition
Repetition of ideas or words despite attempt to change the topic
Echolalia definition
Repetition of someone else’s speech, including the question that was asked
SE’s TCAs
Drowsiness
Dry mouth
Blurred vision
Constipation
Urinary retention
Postural hypotension
Long QT
TCA least dangerous in overdose
Lofepramine
TCA most dangerous in overdose
Amitriptyline
Dosulepin
More sedative TCAs
Amitriptryline
Clomipramine
Dosulepin
Less sedative TCAs
Imipramine
Lofepramine
Nortriptyline
Somatisation disorder definition
Multiple physical symptoms present for at least 2 years, patient refuses to accept reassurance/negative test results
Illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis) definition
Persistent belief in presence of underlying serious disease, e.g. cancer. Refuses to accept reassurance/negative test results
Functional neurological disorder (conversion disorder) definition
Typically loss of motor or sensory function, doesn’t consciously fake symptoms
Dissociative disorder definition
Separating off certain memories from normal consciousness, involves psychiatric symptoms, e.g. amnesia, fugue, stupor
Factitious disorder definition
Intentional production of physical or psychological symptoms