Schizophrenia Flashcards
1
Q
Schizophrenia Epidemiology
A
-Can develop at any stage but usually develops in early 20s
2
Q
Schizophrenia Aetiology
A
- Genetic environmental and social
- Cannabis use
- FHx
- Intrauterine complications e.g. prematurity, low birth weight
- Social isolation, migration
3
Q
Schizophrenia Positive (First Rank) Symptoms
A
First rank/positive symptoms
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Thought disorder
- Lack of insight
- These are rare in other conditions
Presence of any of the following is strongly predictive
- Lack of insight
- Auditory hallucinations
- Thought insertion, removal or interruption
- Thought broadcasting
- Delusional perceptions
- External control of emotions
- Somatic passivity
If visual hallucinations, seek organic cause
4
Q
Schizophrenia Negative (Chronic) symptoms
A
- Underactivity
- Low motivation
- Social withdrawal
- Emotional flattening
- Self-neglect
5
Q
Schizophrenia Differentials
A
Organic
- Drug induced psychosis
- Temporal lobe epilepsy
- Encaphalitis
Psychiatric
- Mania
- Psychotic depression
- Personality disorders
6
Q
Schizophrenia Investigations
A
- LFTs, FBC for alcohol abuse
- Syphilis and HIV
- Urine screen for drugs of abuse
- Consider intoxication and/or drug overdose
7
Q
Schizophrenia Management
A
- Joint effort between primary and secondary care
- Atypical antipsychotics (risperidone or olanzapine)
- Offer patient choice
- Benzos have little role other than tranquilisation
- Clozapine if resistant (risk of agranulocytosis)
