Past Papers Flashcards
(102 cards)
Explain what an Addisonian Crisis is?
aka Adrenal crisis
Potentially fatal condition - acute glucocorticoid (cortisol) deficiency (also aldosterone - less)
Physiological demand for the hormones > ability of the adrenal gland to produce them.
Common causes/precipitants of Addisonian crisis?
Abrupt withdrawal of steroids
Infections (commonly GI), Injury, Surgery, Burns
Pregnancy
General anaesthesia
MI
Acute allergic reactions, Acute hypoglycaemia
Adrenal haemorrhage (eg Waterhouse-Friedrichsen syndrome)
What is the biggest RF for Addisonian crisis?
Long-term steroid therapy (oral = most common cause)
What symptoms may be seen in Addisonian crisis?
Sudden pain in back, abdomen or legs
D+V: dehydration, hypotension, hypovolaemic shock
Loss of consciousness
Fatigue
Addisonian Crisis. Changes seen in:
1) Sodium
2) Potassium
3) Creatinine
4) pH
1) Low sodium (not re-absorbed at DCT as aldosterone is not stimulating Na+/K+ pump)
2) High potassium
3) High creatinine (water follows Na in excretion, therefore dehydration and high creatinine)
4) Metabolic acidosis (aldosterone not stimulating excretion of H+ and absorption of bicarb)
What is the Parkland formula for burns?
Fluid requirement (mL) = TBSA (%) x body weight (kg) x 4
TBSA = total body surface affected
How is COPD managed?
1) SABA/SAMA (eg salbutamol/ipratropium bromide)
2) Assess whether steroid-responsive (?PMH asthma/atopy/raised eosinophils)
3) if YES: LABA + ICS (formoterol + beclamethasone - Fostair)
4) if still not controlled: add LAMA (tiatropium bromide)
5) if not steroid-responsive, LAMA + LABA eg Duaklir
Also: annual influenza vaccine, one-off pneumococcal vaccine, smoking cessation
Acute: SABA + 30mg prednisolone PO 7-10d.
What is Wallace’s rule of 9s in burns?
Estimates TBSA (total body surface area) % affected by burns: Head = 9 Arm = 9 Torso = 18 (9 front, 9 back) Abdo = 18 (same) Leg = 18 (same)
What is the parkland formula for estimating fluid requirements in a burns patient?
Fluid requirement (ml) over 24h = TBSA (%) x weight (kg) x 4
What are the different depths of burns? Which has blisters?
Superficial (epidermal)
Superficial dermal
Deep dermal (both of these have blisters)
Full thickness
What signs might you see in a patient with mitral regurgitation?
Systolic murmur
Soft S1 (due to incomplete closure of valve before start of systole)
Displace apex beat (LVH)
What is Starlings law?
Increased SV due to increased EDV as this will increase stretch of LV thus generating stronger contraction of cardiac myocytes
What signs might be seen in CML?
Pallor, lethargy (anaemia)
Bruising, petechiae (thrombocytopenia)
Frequent/severe infections (neutropenia)
Bone pain (bone marrow infiltration) Hepatosplenomegaly Lymphadenopathy Testicular swelling Neurological (CN palsies, meningism)
Chromosome seen in CML?
Philadelphia Translocation T(9:22) Tyrosine kinase
What are the two main types of bone marrow test?
BM aspiration - sucks liquid bone marrow
BM trephine biopsy - removes 1-2cm core of bone marrow from posterior iliac crest
What is the advantage of bone marrow trephine biopsy as opposed to bone marrow aspiration?
Shows structure of bone marrow
What is epilepsy?
Continuous tendency to have recurrent unprovoked seizures even if the events are separated over long intervals. Caused by excessive, hypersynchronous neuronal discharges in the brain.
How long must a patient be seizure free for before driving?
One year
6 months if first, single non-epileptic seizure
Give 3 types of generalised seizure
Tonic-clonic Absence (children - 3 Hz spike and wave) Myoclonic Tonic Akinetic
Give 3 types of focal seizure
Temporal - deja-vu, vertigo, hallucination
Frontal - strange smells
Parietal - sensory, e.g. skin crawling
How do you treat:
a) generalised tonic-clonic
b) absence seizures
c) myoclonic seizures
d) partial seizures
a) sodium valproate or lamotrigine, carbamazepine
b) ethosuximide (avoid carbamazepine)
c) sodium valproate (avoid carbamazepine)
d) lamotrigine or carbamazepine
What are the 3 defining features of a health economic evaluation?
Cost of both services
Benefit of both services
Comparison of costs and benefits of the service and alternative service
What are the two features comprising a QALY?
Length of life (yrs) x Quality of life (0-1)
How can quality of life be measured? (give an example)
PROMs (Patient Reported Outcome Measures)
e. g. EQ-5D-5L (5 domains, 5 levels)
e. g. ePAQ (personal assessment questionnaire)