Public Health Flashcards
What are the duties of a doctor?
- care of patient is first priority
- keep knowledge and skills up to date
- treat patient as individual and respect their dignity
- respect patients rights to confidentiality
- treat patient politely and considerately
- recognise and work within limits of your competence
How can premature death be quantified?
death under 75yrs
What psychosocial factors increase CHD risk?
- type A personality
- depression or anxiety
- psychosocial work aspects: long hours (<11hrs), high demand, low control
- lack of social support
What can doctors do for those with CVD risks?
- identify depression/anxiety
- ask about occupation
- promote better healthier lifestyles
- QRISK 2 score
- vascular screening
- liase with support services
How to remember Bradford Hill Criteria?
Strong, consistent, specifically I love you, temper is good, more you see the more you like him, doesn’t expect you to swallow, can give you children, discovery channel
What is the Bradford Hill Criteria used for?
To establish a causal relationship (used in CVD risk factors)
What are the 8 Bradford Hill Criteria?
Strong Consistency Specificity Temporality Dose Removal Biological plausibility Experimental animals
What are the benefits of alcohol consumption?
- mild euphoria
- socialisation
- cardiopreventative in low doses
Psychosocial effects of excessive alcohol consumption?
- relationship problems
- violence/criminality
- problems at work/unemployment
- social disintegration (poverty)
- driving offences
Give some examples of withdrawal symptoms…
shakes 'activation syndrome': tremulousness, agitation, rapid HR, high BP seizures hallucinations deliruim tremens (severe and fatal)
What are the recommended weekly alcohol limits?
men and women 14 units per week
How do you calculate the units in an alcoholic drink?
strength of drink (%ABV) x amount of liquid (ml) / 1000
How much is one unit of alcohol?
8g/10ml of pure alcohol
What is foetal alcohol syndrome?
Woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy and can cause damage to foetus:
- growth retardation
- CNS abnormalities: mental retardation, incoordination and hyperactivity
- craniofacial abnormalities: congenital defects (eyes, mouth, ears)
- increased incidence of birthmarks and hernias
Give some primary prevention strategies of alcoholism
Drinkaware- alcohol labelling THINK! - drink driving campaign 'know your limits' - binge drinking campaign + restriction on alcohol advertising Minimum pricing age limit on alcohol
Give some secondary prevention strategies for alcoholism
Screening and intervention:
- ask about it routinely using screening questions or tools (FAST AUDIT)
- detect problem drinking (through lab tests)
What can doctors do for alcoholics?
Screening: CAGE and AUDIT
Brief interventions: FRAMES- motivational interviews
Referral to specialist
Help set goals, agree on plan, provide educational materials
What is AUDIT?
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test- ask patients 10 questions then score them on scale of 0-4
A score of 8 or more is considered to indicate hazardous or harmful alcohol use
Questions include: how often, how many, how often more than 6, injured someone else due to drinking + CAGE questions
What is the severity of dependence questionnaire?
Used to assess dependence on alcohol: 20q
score = >30 severe; 16-30 mod, <16 mild
What is the CAGE questionnaire?
Screening test for drinking problems
C= anyone asked you to cut down?
A= ever been annoyed by someone asking you to cut down?
G = ever felt guilty about your drinking
E = ever needed an ‘eye opener’ the next day to steady nerves/get rid of hangover?
Give the 4x R’s of alcohol abuse…
Role failure
Run ins with the law
Relationship problems
Risk of bodily harm
How can you define alcohol dependence?
3 or more of the following in last 12 months:
- withdrawn symptoms
- increased tolerance
- keep drinking despite problems
- cannot keep within drinking limits
- spend lot of time drinking/recovering
- spend less time on other important matters
What is FRAMES?
Motivational interviewing- Brief Intervention for risky or harmful alcohol consumption
- Feedback- risk of personal harm/impairment
- Responsibility- stress personal responsibility for change
- Advice- cut down/stop drinking
- Menu- provide alternative strategies for change
- Empathetic- use empathetic interviewing style
- Self-efficacy- leaves patient feeling they can cope with goals agreed
What are the pharmacological treatments for alcoholism?
DAN
- Disulfiram- produces a sensitivity to alcohol»_space; worst hangover
- Acamprosoate- stabilises chemical balance BUT GI Sx
- Naltrexone- competitive antagonist for opioid receptors»_space; reduces pleasure/reward associated with alcohol
What treatments are there for alcoholism?
- pharmacological: Disulfiram, Acamprosoate, Nalmefine
- behavioural therapy
- social support
- detoxification: chlordizapoxide
Give one complication of alcoholism…
Vit B1 (thiamine) def»_space; Wernickes encephalopathy»_space; Wernickes-Korsakoffs syndrome
Give 5 reasons why people smoke?
fear of weight gain on cessation coping with stress socialising nicotine addition habit/behavioural
What can doctors do for smokers?
All the A’s
Ask (are you a smoker)
Advise (smoking is bad)
Assess willingness to quit
Assist (therapy)
Arrange to follow-up (refer to NHS Stop Smoking services)
+ nicotine replacement therapy: patches, gum, nasal spray
What is the Stages of Change/Transtheoretical model applied to smoking cessation?
- Pre-contemplation- not thinking of quitting
- Contemplation: thinking about quitting but not ready
- Preparation: takes steps to prepare for quitting
- Action- ex-smoker, less than 6 months
- Maintenance- non-smoker, quit for >6months
- Relapse = quit but had a lapse that led to smoking being resumed
What is Eustress?
Good stress that is motivating and provides an incentive to get the job done
What is distress?
When good stress becomes too much to bear or cope with and leads to poor decision making
Give 6 signs of stress…
Biochemical- increased cortisol
Physiological- increase HR
Emotional- tearful, mood swings, irritable
Behavioural- take up smoking or drinking
Cognitive- -ve thoughts, poor concentration
Sleep disturbances- insomnia
What is the stress-illness model?
an individuals susceptibility to illness is increased because an individual is exposed to stressors which cause strain on the individual leading to psychological and physiological change
Which physical illnesses are associated with stress?
IBS, IBS, Heart disease, ME, infertility, peptic ulcers
Name some NHS screening programmes…
- Breast screening: 50-70 every 3 years
- Bowel cancer- 60-74 every 2 years
- Cervical screening 25+, 3 years and 50-64 every 5 yrs
- AAA- 65+
- Newborn hearing screening
- Sickle cell and thalassaema screening
What are the Wilson and Junger screening principles?
IATROGENIC
Important – the condition should be an important one
Acceptable treatment for the disease
Treatment and diagnostic facilities should be available
Recognisable at an early stage of symptoms
Opinions on who to treat as patients must be agreed
Guaranteed safety e.g. low radiation exposure
Examination must be acceptable by the patient
Natural history of the disease must be known
Inexpensive test
Continuous screening i.e. not a one-off
What is sensitivity?
measure of how well a test picks up those with the disease
What is specificity?
Measure of how well a test recognises those without the disease
What is prevalence?
measurement of all individuals affected by the disease at a particular time
What is incidence?
the number of new individuals who contract a disease during a particular period of time
How would you carry out occupational screening?
Ask the following questions:
- What type of work do you do?
- Do you think your health problems might be related to work?
- Are your symptoms different at work and at home?
- Exposed to chemicals, dusts, metals, radiation, noise or repetitive work? In the past?
- Are any of your co-workers experiencing similar symptoms?
The Marmot review suggested what recommendations to tackle health inequalities in the workplace? OCCUPATIONAL GOOD WORK
- work/life balance
- opportunities- training, promotion, health, growth
- promotes health and wellbeing (psych needs)
- fair employment- earnings and security from employer
- prevents social isolation, discrimination and violence
- reintegrates sick or disabled wherever possible
Define an occupational cause of illness?
an illness that fails to respond to standard treatment, doesn’t fit the typical demographic model or is of unknown causes should raise the suspicion of occupational aetiology
What did Waddell and Burton find in 2006?
That work has positive effect on health»_space; good mental health, physical, choice of voluntary retirement and wellbeing
Give a population approach to OH?
Prevention:
- primary- control hazards, monitor
- secondary- screening
- tertiary- rehabilitation, support
How can a GP tackle OH?
“fit note”
Phased returns to work after illness
What are the principles of first aid treatment?
- Look for danger- make area safe
- make area safe
- assess casualties + attend to unconscious
- send for help
- check response “Are you okay”
- Shout for help (call 999)
- open airway
- check for normal breathing
- no breathing 30-2 + repeat
What is ABC?
Airways
Breathing
CPR- rate 100-120per min
Define sustainable healthcare?
“being able to meet the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the needs of tomorrow”
Define substance misuse?
ingestion of a substance affecting the CNS which causes behavioural and psychological changes, non therapeutic use
Addiction = physical and psychological dependence
Give some types of drugs…
Opiates, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens
What are New Psychoactive Substances (NPS)?
“legal highs” much less predictable and v.harmful: OD, psychosis, pyrexia, vomiting, hallucinations, confusion
What are the risk factors for drug use?
bad parenting familial drug use poor schooling.lack of education community norms low neighbourhood attachment being in care peer pressure trauma
What is the UK drug treatment?
Tier 1: non-specialist, generic, wean patient off drug
Tier 2: open-access services
Tier 3: specialised community-based drug services
Tier 4: specialist inpatient services
- detoxification: naltrexone (opioid antagonist)
- residential rehabilitation (3-12months)
Define malnutrition…
State of nutrition in which deficiency or excess of energy, and other nutrients causes adverse effects of tissues or body function
What are the consequences of malnutrition?
- loss of muscle tissue and strength
- reduced immune response/increased infections
- poor wound healing
- malabsorption
- psychological decline- depression, apathy
Seven steps to end malnutrition in hospital…
- hospital staff must listen to elderly, their relatives and carers and act on what they say
- all ward staff must become ‘food aware’
- host staff must follow own professional codes and guidance from other bodies
- older people assessed for signs of malnutrition on admission ad regular intervals during their stay
- introduce ‘protected mealtimes’
- implement ‘red tray’ system and ensure it works in practice
- use volunteers where appropriate
Define nutritional screening and nutritional assessment in malnutrition?
National screening- to identify malnourished patients by medical and nursing staff
Nutritional assessment: to fully assess, monitor and support patients by dieticians and nutrition nurses
What methods can be used to improve or maintain nutritional intake?
- oral nutrition support- food, fortified sip feeds
- enteral tube feeding- delivery of a nutritional complete feed directly into the gut via a tube
- parenteral nutrition- delivery of a complete nutrition IV
How do you calculate BMI?
BMI = Weight (kg) / height (M)2
In malnutrition what should patients be asked?
- have you unintentionally lost weight recently?
- have you been eating less than normal?
- what is your normal weight?
- how tall are you?
All patients should be weighed and have their height measured
What is anorexia nervosa?
fear of fatness, self starvation, refusal to maintain or achieve 85% of normal body weight
dietary restriction, excessive exercise, induced vomiting, laxatives
‘starvation syndrome’
BMI <17.5
secondary endocrine and metabolic change (amenorrhoea)
What is bulimia nervosa?
repeated bouts of overeating (bingeing) for a set period of time followed by purging, fasting or excessive exercise
- pre-occupation with body weight
Need, once weekly for 3m = Dx
What are the 4 psychological principles of eating disorders?
- judge self-worth exclusively in terms of shape, weight and their control
- Control of eating and shape is socially reinforced and apparently more controllable than other aspects of life
- individual vulnerability plus challenges of adolescence can start the disorder
- Thinness = competence, attractiveness, control and independence
Name some ‘other’ eating disorders…..
- atypical anorexia nervosa )extreme weight loss but normal weight)
- binge eating disorder (low freq)
- bulimia nervosa (low freq or duration)
- purging disorder
- night eating syndrome
What is the treatment approach for anorexia nervosa?
- stabilise eating, self-monitoring and weekly weighing (not self-weighing)
- focus on enhancing motivation
- change behaviour: weight gain = essential
4: cognitive restructuring - relapse prevention
- food diaries
- psychological- CBT, MANTRA, family therapy
What is the treatment approach for bulimia nervosa?
- education
- stabilise eating patterns
- strategies to manage urges ot binge/purge
- systematic intro of avoided foods
- problem-solving
- reduction of body-checking
- modification of beliefs
What is the difficulty in treating anorexia when compared with bulimia?
anorexia harder to treat than bulimia
- people with anorexia less likely to want treatment and unlikely to persevere with efforts to change
- higher mortality rate in anorexia
Define health…
a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease
Define ethics…
system of moral principles and branch of philosophy which defines what is good for individuals and society
What is consequentialism?
concerned with the outcomes or consequences of behaviour; form the basis for any valid moral judgement; means are unimportant
What is utilitarian?
Act evaluated solely in terms of its consequences, produce the greatest possible balance of value over disvalue
- maximise wellbeing and minimise suffering
What is deontology?
duty to follow natural laws and rights
- rightness or wrongness from the character of the act itself rather than the outcomes
- features of the act themselves determine worthiness e.e.g doctors ought to respect every human being, both oneself and every other person, even if this leads to unfortunate consequences
What is virtue ethics?
focus is on the character of the agent
- integrates reason and emotion
- deemphasises rules, consequences and particular acts
- contrasts with consequentialism
What is morality?
concerna bout the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong
Describe truth telling…
Sensitive to cultures
Right amount, right person, right time
What is whistleblowing and why should you do it?
‘raising concerns about a person, practice or organisation’
1) duty as a doctor
2) bristol cardiac surgery
3) mid Staffordshire
4) patient and their care is primary concern
What are the five focal virtues?
- compassion
- discernment- understand why as well as how
- trustworthiness
- integrity
- conscientiousness
What is compassion?
An active regard for another’s welfare combined with an imaginative awareness and emotional response of deep sympathy, tenderness and discomfort at another’s misfortune
What are the limitations of virtue ethics?
- assessment of virtue is cultural- non specific
- notion of virtue is too broad to allow for practical application
- an emphasis on moral character of individuals ignores social and communal dimensions
- conflicting virtues : honesty vs. kindness
What are The Four Principles?
- Autonomy
- Beneficience
- Non-malificence
- Justice
What is autonomy?
self-rule or self-governance; obligation to respect the decision-making capacities of autonomous person
subsumes informed consent before treatment, confidentiality, honesty and good communication
Emmanuel Kant: treat others as ends in themselves and not merely as a means to an ent
- contrast with paternalism
What is beneficence?
Doing the right thing for patients; provide benefits to others, better off than before
Also incorporates empowerment; helping the patient to make appropriate decisions for themselves
What is non-maleficence?
DO NO HARM intentionally or inadvertently wherever possible
- means evidence based practice and keeping up to date
What is justice?
A MORAL OBLIGATION to act on the basis of fair adjudication between competing claims
need vs. benefit
What is an autonomous action?
- intentional
- done with understanding
- done without controlling influences that determine an individuals actions
Give an example of conflict between principles in medicine?
- It is morally prohibited to risk death for a patient whose life threatening condition can be medically managed by suitable medical techniques
- It is morally prohibited to disrespect a first party refusal of treatment
What is the doctrine of dual effect?
- nature of the act itself is good
- agent intends the good effect and not the bad, either as a means to the good or as an end itself
- good effect outweighs the bad to justify causing the bad effect and the agent exercises due diligence to minimise the harm
The principle is used to justify the case where a doctor gives drugs to a patient to relieve distressing symptoms even though he knows doing this may shorten the patient’s life.
This is because the doctor is not aiming directly at killing the patient - the bad result of the patient’s death is a side-effect of the good result of reducing the patient’s pain.
Many doctors use this doctrine to justify the use of high doses of drugs such as morphine for the purpose of relieving suffering in terminally-ill patients even though they know the drugs are likely to cause the patient to die sooner.
Define consent…
Voluntary
Informed
Made by someone with capacity
Conflict with the law….
- euthanasia
- manslaughter
- suicide
- abortion
If a patient is unable to give consent, you can only give the treatment necessary to preserve life and limb in an emergency