Pysch Flashcards
what is the diagnostic criteria of GAD?
>= 4 of, including at least 1 autonomic arousal symptom
- Autonomic arousal
- physical symptoms (SoB, choking, chest pain/discomfort)
- altered consciousness (dizzy, lightheaded, derealisation/depersonalisation, fear of passing out, dying or going crazy)
- tension (muscle, unable to relax)
- Exaggerated response to being startled
- concentration difficulty
DDx to consider with GAD
hyperthyroidism, phaeochromocytoma, hypoglycaemia
cardiac arrhythmia
substance abuse
depression, avoidant PD, psychosis
investigation with GAD
24 hour urine metanephrines and VMA
TFTs
ECG
blood glucose
UDS and blood EtOH, LFTs & GGT
‘initial help’ to offer in GAD
- advice and reassurance (with psychoeducation)
- Basic councilling (addressing ICE)
- problem-solving
- self-help (CBT books, computer programs, friends family and faith)
- Relaxation techniques and breathing exercises
psychological intervention with GAD
- CBT
- exposure therapy (best with phobias/triggers)
biological management of GAD
- SSRI - fluoxetine, paroxetine
- TCA - clomipramine, imipramine
- Busprione (s/e of dysphoria)
- BZDs for no more than 2-4 weeks while anticipating SSRI effect
- Beta-blocker - good if physical symptoms are central in the worry pattern
GAD prognosis
1/3 recover completely
1/3 improve partially
1/3 suffer considerable disability and poor QoL
OCD differentials to consider
- other anxiety disorder
- depression
- anakastic personality disorder (OCPD)
- Schizophrenia
- Organic causes (chorea)
management of OCD
Initial - psychoeducation
psychological - CBT and exposure therapy
Biological - SSRI or 2nd line clomipramine
PTSD management
psychological - CBT and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing
biological - SSRIs
what alcohol dependence drug should not be used in pregnancy?
acamprosate - teratogenic
Biological management of alcoholism
detox, maintenance and WE
Detox - chlordiazepoxide (reducing regime) and thiamine, hydration and supportive care.
Inpatient (hx DT/seizures, lives alone, comorbid medical/psych illness, previous failed community detox) or outpatient (planned to start after a period of psychological preparation for upcoming change)
Maintenance - acamprosate (anti-craving) or disulfiram (Antabuse)
WE - IM Vitamin B1, slow IV saline 0.9%, oral glucose loading
alcoholic screening questions?
CAGE
C - ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
A - have people annoyed you by criticizing?
G - have you felt guilty about your drinking?
E - have you ever had an eye-opener drink the very first thing in the morning?
>= 2 should prompt evaluation
investigations for alcohol abuse
FBC, LFTs, BBV screen, UDS
substance abuse history structure
- Current use (TRAP)
- Type of drug, route of administration, amount, pattern of use
- Current use - dependence and impact
- Past use
- Future use (do you think your drinking is a problem? What are you worried about if you keep drinking?)
Establish a diagnosis of dependence (tolerance, narrowing of rep, craving, withdrawal, use despite harm)
short term psychological management of self harm
Risk assessment & Coping strategies
Prevention
- Tablets/sharp objects hidden – prevent cues
- Avoid triggering images/situations
- Call friend/support line
- Avoid drugs and alcohol
- Breathing exercises/mindfulness
Alternatives to painful, damaging self-harm:
- Squeeze ice cubes
- Snap a rubber band around wrist
- Bite into something strongly flavoured e.g. ginger root, lemon
Alternatives to drawing blood:
- Put red food dye on dull side of knife and draw across skin
- Use a washable red pen
long term psychological management of self harm
CBT
Transference-focused psychotherapy
Family therapy
what scales/questionaires are useful in the assessment of a patient following a suicide attempt?
SAD PERSONS scale
Tool for assessment of suicide risk (TASR)
- multiple physical SYMPTOMS present for at least 2 years
- patient refuses to accept reassurance or negative test results
diagnosis?
somatisation disorder
- persistent belief in the presence of an underlying serious DISEASE, e.g. cancer
- patient again refuses to accept reassurance or negative test results
diagnosis?
hypochondrial disorder
- typically involves loss of motor or sensory function
- the patient doesn’t consciously feign the symptoms (factitious disorder) or seek material gain (malingering)
- patients may be indifferent to their apparent disorder - la belle indifference - although this has not been backed up by some studies
diagnosis?
conversion disorder
- a process of ‘separating off’ certain memories from normal consciousness
- in contrast to conversion disorder involves psychiatric symptoms e.g. Amnesia, fugue, stupor
diagnosis?
dissociative disorder
the intentional production of physical or psychological symptoms
diagnosis?
Munchausen’s syndrome
fruaudelent simulation or exaggeration of symptoms with the intention of financial or other gain
what is this called?
Malingering
a psych patient takes an overdose of her TCAs with a view to ending her own life. In resus, cardiac monitoring reveals a tachyarrhythmia.
which antiarrhythmics are contraindicated?
1a (quinidine, procainamide);
1c (flecanide);
III (amiodarone, sotalol, dofletide)
what is the management of beta-blocker toxicity/poisoning?
IV atropine to increase HR
if resistant, IV glucagon
treatment of organophosphate poisoning
atropine, pralidoxime (?)
treatment for digoxin toxicity
digoxin-specific antibody fragments
lead antedote?
dimercaprol & calcium edetate
what are the 4 components of Schneider’s first rank symptoms?
- auditory hallucinations
- thought disorder
- passivity phenomena
- delusional perception
what is the target range for blood lithium levels?
when should a monitoring blood test be taken?
0.4-1.0 mmol/L
take levels 12 hours after the dose
what is the preferred SSRI in post-MI patients?
sertraline - best safety data
what is the clinical indication for initiating clozapine?
no improvement following sequential trails of alternative antipsychotics for at least 6-8 weeks each, with at least 1 being an atypical antipsychotic
what are the main risks of starting antipsychotic therapy in the elderly?
stroke and VTE risk increases
what are the common short-term side effects of ECT?
headache, nausea, short-term memory loss, retrograde amnesia for events prior to ECT, arrhythmia
what are the score thresholds for MMSE?
24-30 = no cognitive impairment
18-23 = mild cognitive impairment
<18 = severe cognitive impairement
what are the four main features of anorexia nervosa?
- Deliberate weight loss
- Distorted body image
- BMI <17.5
- Endocrine dysfunctions
what are the four features of bulimia nervosa?
- binge eating
- purging
- dysmorphic body image
- BMI >17..5 kg/m^2