Phase 4 Mocks Medschool Flashcards
(189 cards)
What are common causes of hypoglycaemia ?
- Insulinomas
- Self-administration of insulin/Sulphonylureas
- Liver failure
- Addison’s disease
- Alcohol
- Nesidioblastosis (beta cell hyperplasia)
- Critical illness e.g. sepsis
Which medications can cause hypoglycaemia ?
- Insulin
- Sulphonylureas e.g. gliclazide
What is the bodies physiological reaction to hypoglycaemia
- Hormonal response first response is decreased insulin secretion and increased glucagon secretion
- Growth hormone and cortisol are released but later there is increased catecholamine-mediated (adrenergic) and acetylcholine-mediated (cholinergic) neurotransmission in the peripheral autonomic nervous system in the central nervous system
What are features of hypoglycemia with a blood sugar <3.3 mol ?
- Autonomic symptoms due to the release of glucagon and adrenaline
- Sweating, shaking, anxiety, hunger and nausea
What are features of hypoglycemia with blood <2.8mmol
- Weakness
- Visual changes
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Severe = convulsions and coma
How could one check for possibility of deliberate excess exogenous insulin ?
- Test C-peptide
- Its production is absent from exogenous insulin
What would high insulin and high C-peptide suggest ?
- Endogenous insulin production
- Cause likely to be insulinoma/sulfonylurea use/abuse
What would high insulin and low C-peptide suggest ?
- Exogenous insulin administration
- Suggesting exogenous insulin overdose/fictitious disorder
What would low insulin and low C-peptide level suggest ?
- Alcohol induced hypoglycemia
- Critical illness e.g. sepsis
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Fasting/starvation
- Growth hormone deficiency
Management of hypoglycaemia community
- Oral glucose 10-20g liquid, gel or tablet
- Hypokit can be prescribed containing a syringe and vial of glucagon for IM or SC injection
Management of hypoglycaemia
- If patient is alert then oral glucose 10-20g should be used in liquid, gel or tablet form
- Unable to swallow then SC or IM glucagon
- IV glucose 20% 100ml over less than 15 mins
What condition will around 50% of patients with temporal arteritis also have ?
- Polymyalgia rheumatica
Typical features of TA ?
- Typically > 60 YO
- Rapid onset
- Headache
- Jaw claudication
- Reduced vision
- Tender, palpable temporal artery
- Lethargy, depression, low grade fever, anorexia, night sweats
What polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms could present in a patient with TA ?
- Aching
- Morning stiffness (but not weakness) in proximal limb
What investigations should be done in TA ?
- Inflammatory markers i.e. CRP, ESR
- Temporal artery biopsy/ultrasound
How is TA treated ?
- High dose glucocorticoids – no visual loss then pred, if visual loss than IV methylprednisolone
- Urgent ophthalmology review
- (bisphosphonates are required due to long, tapering course of steroids required)
- How does trigeminal neuralgia present ?
- Unilateral brief electric shock like pains with abrupt onset and termination limited to one or more divisions of the trigeminal nerve
- What can trigger pain in trigeminal neuralgia ?
- Light touch including washing, shaving, smoking, talking and brushing teeth
- Frequently occurs spontaneously
- What would one consider red flag symptoms in a potential trigeminal neuralgia presentation ?
- Sensory changes
- Ear/hearing problems
- Hx of skin or oral lesions
- Pain only in the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve
- Bilateral presentation
- Optic neuritis
- Fx of MS
- Age < 40
Trigeminal neuralgia first line management
- Carbamazepine
- Failure to respond and/or atypical features should prompt referral to neurology
What condition do 5-10% of pts diagnosed with HTN also have ?
- Primary hyperaldosteronism (including Conn’s)
- Making it the most common cause of secondary HTN
Renal causes of secondary hypertension
- Glomerulonephritis
- Pyelonephritis
- Acute polycystic kidney disease
- Renal artery stenosis
Endocrine disorders that can lead in secondary hypertension
- Phaeochromocytoma
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Acromegaly
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Medications that can cause secondary HTN
- Steroids
- MOA-I
- COCP
- NSAIDs
- Leflunomide