For new doctors, prescribing anticoagulants can be daunting. A few simple rules can make this easier. Ensure you use your local guidelines in the first instance, which often provides information on first-line agents and dosing. The information below may be incorrect and so hence, as per our disclaimer, do use your own clinical judgement. The
You will likely encounter an opiate overdose due to the prevalence of opiates for recreational use, in those who have chronic pain or mental health issues & those who may accumulate opiates due to liver or renal impairment. No matter the type of opiate, treatment is broadly the same, although some opiates may require higher
As an FY1 it is likely that you will manage paediatric patients during their admission, often in other specialties like general surgery. Having a few prescribing skills under your belt will help you feel more confident in managing them in these cases. Ask the paediatric team or paediatric pharmacist to provide brief teaching on prescribing
In this article, we will go through the three most common scenarios you will encounter. These are: (1) Does this patient need a transfusion? (2) Can you group & save or transfuse this patient? (3) This patient may be having a transfusion reaction, could you please advise? Scenario 1: Does this patient need a transfusion?
Bowel obstruction is a common reason for admission or complication of patients under the surgical team, but doctors don’t frequently get that much exposure to it in medical school. It is a condition in which the normal passage of intestinal products is impaired. It can affect both large and small bowel. Bowel obstruction can be
As doctors, you will frequently see patients with opiate dependence. It isn’t uncommon for these patients to be admitted due to withdrawal or due to consequences of their drug use such as a groin abscess or overdose. It is difficult to differentiate symptoms of withdrawal from other conditions & the symptoms can be horrible leading
As an FY1 you will frequently see hypokalaemia and most trusts have guidelines that should be used in the first instance. The advice below is informal & based on broad day to day practice. It should never replace clinical judgement and escalation for senior support if indicated. The UK Medicines Information group have provided information
Suddenly stopping alcohol intake in patients who have been drinking heavily for prolonged periods is dangerous and can lead to severe withdrawal. Typically this occurs 6-8 hours after the last consumption. If untreated it can lead to a life threatening condition called Delirium tremens (DT). DT is an acute confusional state presenting typically 48-72 hours
You will frequently get calls regarding nausea & vomiting: many patients present with it or develop it because of their diagnosis or treatment. You must consider anything concerning that could be causing it and give appropriate treatment for the underlying cause, correct any electrolyte disturbances & dehydration due to it in addition to antiemetics. Certain
Paracetamol overdose is a common presentation in A&E and so you may often find yourself looking after them. The information below is to help give you an overview. This article (like all other content on this site) is only for medical professionals. For management, use Toxbase, the login should be on your trust intranet or
