What medicine does a patient need? Flashcards
Explain taking medical history.
A structured interview which is central to assessment of patients. The questions which can be asked is: - What is the diagnosis - How severe it is - How should it be managed - What are the patient's priorities
What occurs after taking patient history?
Examinations
Blood tests
Scans
Specialist tests
Outline the structure of taking medical history.
1) Presenting complaint
2) History of presenting complaint
3) Past medical history
4) Drug history
5) Social history
6) Systematic enquiry
What can a diagnosis help with?
- know how to treat disease
- explain future prospects for the patient (PROGNOSIS)
- provide an explanation of why patient feels the way they do
- provide advice on what to do if things go wrong
What are the steps for a diagnosis?
History -> helps to find symptoms
Examination -> helps to detect any signs
Investigations -> helps to reveal the results
What are differential diagnoses?
A working list of all possible diagnoses. Aim is to narrow the possibilities to a final diagnosis.
What is evidence based medicine?
Research evidence collated with clinical expertise and patient values.
What is the hierarchy of evidence?
National guidelines // hospital guidelines // systematic reviews // randomised controlled trials // other research studies.
What are the national guidelines?
Found on NICE or BNF.
What are the local guidelines?
Hospital guidelines (for example: Microguide).
What is assessed in terms of giving out treatment?
- The diagnosis
- The severity of the condition
What is the curb - 65 score?
This is the way of measuring severity of community acquired pneumonia.
What does curb - 65 stand for?
C onfusion U rea R respiratory rate B blood pressure 65 Aged 65 or over
