In people over the age of 65 years, 1 in 11 will have a diagnosis of dementia. Dementia is a chronic, irreversible and progressive condition, not only affecting memory but also an individual’s emotions, behaviour, and executive function. These additional symptoms have a high burden of morbidity for patients and also impact their relatives and
As a foundation doctor, shortness of breath is one of the commonest symptoms you can encounter on the acute take. Causes of shortness of breath are very broad but in this session, we will discuss pleural effusion. The management will vary depending on the causes of pleural effusion, therefore the diagnostic approach is important. The
Introduction Patients with liver disease are common in the UK. Since 1970, mortality from liver disease has quadrupled. It has become the greatest cause of death in people aged between 35-49 years old1. It is important you know how to manage these patients in the medical take or on general medical wards and are aware
Tachyarrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms with a pulse rate of >100 beats per minute (bpm). This can be due to a variety of causes, including physiological and pathological, and is a commonly encountered issue whilst on the wards – a patient’s heart rate contributes to their NEWS score (National Early Warning Score) and thus may
Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory condition characterised by the irreversible widening and scarring of the bronchi, leading to recurrent infections and a decline in lung function. While relatively rare, bronchiectasis can be a debilitating condition that severely impacts a patient’s quality of life. It is important to recognise the signs and symptoms of bronchiectasis, as
Myocarditis (derived from ‘myocardium’ = cardiac muscle, and -itis = inflammation) describes the inflammation of the muscular layer of the heart, the ‘myocardium’. The myocardium forms the majority of the atrial and ventricular wall thickness, with the pericardium superficial (surrounding the myocardium) and the endocardium deep (beneath the myocardium). The pericardium is formed of two
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up local, regional and national teaching programmes with top tips we’ve learnt over the last several years of running programmes ourselves. We include top resources to make your life a lot easier. We welcome your questions and we offer our personalised help if you want
The Multiple Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) is a computer-based exam increasingly being used by many different specialties as part of core training applications. For all specialties, the MSRA score will contribute to or be the sole consideration for shortlisting candidates for limited interview slots for each specialty. Subsequently, the MSRA score will also (often) contribute
Cortisol is the body’s natural steroid (glucocorticoid) which helps maintain blood pressure, blood glucose, sodium balance and suppress inflammation. It is a critical hormone which if not replaced when needed could result in life-threatening adrenal crisis. In this article, we discuss diagnosis, emergency management and discuss steroid-induced adrenal suppression.
INTRODUCTION This article covers common gastroenterological presenting complaints seen in primary care. Presentations covered are: dyspepsia, diarrhoea, PR bleeding, constipation and deranged LFTs. DYSPEPSIA Definition Spectrum of upper GI symptoms including epigastric pain and heartburn and acid reflux. Can be categorised into functional causes vs. structural causes (e.g. GORD, PUD, GI malignancies) Overview of causes Management
