
Dialysis Patients
There is an increasing prevalence of end-stage kidney disease and it is therefore likely that you will be involved in
There is an increasing prevalence of end-stage kidney disease and it is therefore likely that you will be involved in
A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which a blood clot (thrombosis) forms within a deep vein and
Infective endocarditis (IE) is relatively rare in the UK. However, delays in diagnosis and treatment can lead to serious complications,
A lumbar puncture uses a fine needle inserted between the vertebrae in the lower back to take samples of CSF
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a species of lentivirus that can infect humans and subsequently causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
As a junior, you will frequently see patients who potentially have thyroid dysfunction. The problem is these patients often present
Nutrition is an important aspect of a patient’s health and is overlooked during medical school as you are learning exciting
COVID-19 aside, international travel is easier and more prevalent than ever before, and illness associated with travel is common. Although
There are three joint pain calls you might receive whilst you’re on call or on the wards. We have split
Loss of vision can be a scary symptom for patients to experience, and a scary presentation for doctors to manage!
In whichever specialty you work, you will encounter large numbers of patients with chronic kidney disease and this will impact
Spinal cord compression occurs when there is compression of the spinal cord or cauda equina at any level secondary to
Pancreatitis is a condition characterised by the inflammation of the pancreas. These patients are usually managed conservatively. Your aim is
When you are on call, you will often get a bleep about a patient with abdominal pain. Abdominal pain can
Sickle cell diseases are a disorder of haemoglobin affecting red blood cells. This autosomal recessive, single gene defect results in
Hypernatraemia is defined as a sodium above 145 mmol/L with severe being more than 150 mmol/L.
Acute headache is a common complaint that you’ll see whilst on the wards or in the acute take. Although most
You will likely encounter an opiate overdose due to the prevalence of opiates for recreational use, in those who have
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to a relapsing and remitting inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which may be
Please read an overview of the management of sepsis before reading this article. Neutropenic sepsis is defined as a temperature
You are unlikely to be expected to make decisions about long term asthma management, therefore focus your efforts on learning
What is frailty? In simple terms, frail patients lack physiological reserves, and it takes more for them to bounce back
In this article, we cover the assessment and management of back pain. This article forms part of a series on
In this article, we will present several common scenarios involving Parkinson’s disease (PD) that you might face on the ward
A lot of your time as an FY1 will be spent on the phone to various other specialities. You’ll come
As an FY1 in hospital, you will come across lots of patients with dementia. They often have multiple problems requiring
Suddenly stopping alcohol intake in patients who have been drinking heavily for prolonged periods is dangerous and can lead to
Introduction: Diabetic foot ulcerations are a significant complication of diabetes and often precede minor (below the ankle) or major (above or below the knee) amputation. At least 2% of people with diabetes experience new foot ulcers annually, and of these, one in 400 undergoes amputation (Kerr, M. 2019)
The word stoma comes from Greek to mean “an opening”. There are many types which are formed for a variety
It is quite common for you to need to describe rashes for documentation purposes, to senior colleagues or to refer
In this article, we will go through the three most common scenarios you will encounter. These are: (1) Does this
RCEM has published some clear and comprehensive information which is well worth a read. Below we include a very quick summary
Dermatology is a vast topic that junior doctors often find daunting. Do read our article on describing skin lesions. Fortunately,
Palpitations can be described as the sensation of an abnormally received heartbeat. It can be rapid, irregular, forceful or just
You will regularly see patients with blood in their urine, most often picked up incidentally on a urine drip. Your
From the Greek: Syn: together & kopein: to cut – referring to a block in blood supply from the body to the brain, most often due a drop in systemic blood pressure. It is defined as (1) temporary and transient (2) a form of loss of consciousness…
Whilst on call or in A&E you may be asked to assess somebody who is suspected to have had a
Fragility fractures in the elderly As a junior doctor on call, in geriatrics or in orthopaedics – you will frequently
As an FY1, you are unlikely to be expected to make decisions about long term COPD management therefore focus your
As an FY1 you should not be expected to make decisions regarding treatment escalation and DNAR, but you may need
Heart Failure is not a diagnosis in itself, rather a collection of symptoms that require investigation to find the underlying
NG tubes are passed from the nose to the stomach. Depending on the material, they can stay between 2 to
In this article, we will focus on more practical concerns when managing a patient with pneumonia for junior doctors. Covid-19
Serum calcium concentration is tightly regulated between 2.1-2.6mmol/L. Severe hypercalcaemia is a life-threatening electrolyte emergency requiring prompt recognition and urgent
You will frequently get calls regarding nausea & vomiting: many patients present with it or develop it because of their
A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blocked blood vessel in your lungs, most often due to a blood clot. It
Perhaps the most common blood test you will review daily will be the FBC (full blood count). You will commonly
You’ve found a patient is hyperglycaemic & either they are ketotic or have significant hyperglycaemia (>30mmol/L) and so you suspect DKA or
You may well be asked to take blood from a PICC line or be called to see a patient because
A pneumothorax is defined as the abnormal collection of air between the visceral and parietal space of the lung i.e.
Dying is a natural process and unfortunately, something that we all come across in our daily jobs, including whilst on
Patients may live or be discharged to a wide variety of social care settings and understanding these is important for
As an FY1, you will encounter these either during clerking shifts or you may look after them on the ward.
These patients have the potential to become haemodynamically unstable extremely quickly; try to avoid delays in reviewing them. In-hospital mortality
Sepsis is an infection with evidence of organ dysfunction. Septic shock is when a patient with sepsis is hypotensive despite
Constipation is one of the most common complaints in hospital, especially on the geriatric wards.Failure to treat constipation can lead
Management of low blood sugar in conscious & unconscious patients, finding common causes, adjusting medications & when to refer.
The electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most common, and important, investigations interpreted by doctors. In order to help the
It is important for junior doctors to understand what the discharge planning process involves so you can have an active
Scenario: You are bleeped by one of the staff nurses to review a patient on the orthopaedic ward who is
As the FY1, you will see patients with liver dysfunction either on the take or deranged LFTs when you are
For new doctors, prescribing anticoagulants can be daunting. A few simple rules can make this easier. Ensure you use your
A blood film looks at our three cell types (erythrocytes, leukocytes & platelets) under a microscope to identify any abnormalities
Ascitic aspiration (tap) is routinely performed for every patient admitted with ascites to identify the underlying cause. The most urgent
As a junior doctor, you will often be called about patients with raised blood pressure (BP) in secondary care. This
AF is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia you will encounter. In this article, we focus on the management of
Acute confusion, otherwise known as delirium, is very common in hospitals: 20-30% on medical wards, and between 10-50% of those
As a junior doctor, you will also often assess patients complaining of chest pain in the acute admissions setting and
Non-invasive ventilation is a way of providing ventilatory support to patients in respiratory failure without using an invasive airway device
AKI is very common affecting around 20% of inpatients & it is important to recognise promptly and correctly to avoid
Hyponatraemia (serum Sodium <135 mmol/L) is one of the most common electrolyte abnormalities you will see and so a systematic
In this article, we’ll cover the treatments used in Diabetes Mellitus. We’ll look at key things you need to know
When assessing pain, ensure you begin by taking a history to characterise the pain as neuropathic pain, inflammatory pain and
As an F1, you will quite frequently get bleeped to review a patient who has had a fall on the
Hyperglycaemia is something you will encounter frequently. In this article, we focus on how to approach hyperglycaemia and identify diabetic
As an FY1, you will be called to review hypoxic ward patients. Here we discuss common causes of generalised hypoxia
The advantages of AXRs are far less radiation to patients & that they’re logistically easy to organise out of hours.
As a doctor, you will frequently be called for a drowsy patient. They can vary from confused to completely unconscious.
Almost every patient admitted to hospital receives IV fluids at some point in their journey. However, the body manages this,
Bradyarrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms with a pulse rate of <60 beats per minute (bpm). This can be due to
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines adverse drug reactions (ADR) as “any response to a drug which is noxious and
Defined as a collection of electrolyte abnormalities associated with a massive intracellular shift of electrolytes. Associated with aggressive nutritional rehabilitation
Chronic pancreatitis is characterised by repeated pancreatic inflammation. This leads to the destruction of pancreatic tissue leading to irreversible loss
SVC syndrome is an oncological emergency. There is obstruction of the superior vena cava resulting in stagnating blood and a
Vertigo is described as an “abnormal sensation of motion. It can occur in the absence of motion or when motion
PEG tubes are used as long term feeding options (and medication administration) for those in whom NG tubes are unsuitable
There are three joint pain calls you might receive whilst you’re on call or on the wards. We have split
Sutures are placed to aid with wound healing following a traumatic laceration or surgical incision and to promote haemostasis. In
A CNS infection is one that involves the central nervous system in some way. This includes the meninges, cerebellum, ventricular
Understanding how to do an LP and interpret the results is an essential skill for most doctors, particularly those planning
Within Geriatric Medicine you are always working as part of a multidisciplinary team and have lots of close interactions with other allied health professionals. In my experience, this means plenty of opportunity for discussion and shared decision making with colleagues, as well as being able to gain knowledge and learn from others’ expertise. This also creates a very supportive environment to work in.
Thanks to Geeky Medics for an excellent video demonstration Equipment Gloves Alcohol wipe Cotton wool/ gauze ABG syringe (ensure it
Diarrhoea is a very common complaint and may be the reason for a patient’s admission, or develop as a new
Acute hypocalcaemia that is severe (<1.9 mmol/L) or symptomatic can be life-threatening and necessitates urgent treatment. It is often initially
As a junior doctor, it is your statutory duty as a medical professional to alert the local public health team
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in adults are extremely common in both primary and secondary care and it is inevitable that
The UK Medicines Information group have provided excellent guidance on how to replace phosphate.