Clinical assessment is at the heart of medicine. Health professionals working in busy clinical settings, such as general practitioners, nurse practitioners and hospital doctors on-call, often have to assess patients under considerable time constraints. This book teaches the reader how to gather clinical information effectively, accurately and safely even when time is at a premium.
Provides a systematic method of collecting and assessing relevant clinical information by suggesting "step-by-step" examination "routines", including important patient-centred questions
Focuses on common symptoms and presentations
Treatment reflects the latest in evidence based practice (including latest NICE Guidelines)
Specifically covers the clinical skills assessment (CSA) part of the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) examination
Written by an experienced medical educator and practicing GP, in consultation with a multidisciplinary team of medical students, GPs, PG trainees, hospital doctors and nurses
Contents
Foreword
Preface
About the author
Acknowledgements
Selected useful resources
The focused consultation
Focused clinical assessment
Useful consultation tools
Red flags in general practice
Undifferentiated and miscellaneous presentations
Suspected cancer
Weight loss
Tiredness
Dizziness
Chronic pain
Sudden collapse
Frequent attenders
Medication review and polypharmacy
Medically unexplained symptoms
InsomniaIrritability and ‘stress’
Domestic violence
Homelessness
Paediatrics and adolescent health
The sick and/or feverish child
Suspected meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia
Neonatal jaundice
Faltering growth
Headache and migraine in children
Head injury in children
Suspected cancer in children and adolescents,
Abdominal pain in children,
Hearing loss in children,
Childhood cough,
Childhood wheeze,
Constipation in children,
Childhood obesity,
Suspected child abuse and neglect,
Nocturnal enuresis,
Knee problems in children,
Hip problems in children,
Adolescent health problems,
Self-harm in teenagers,
Eating disorders,
Autism spectrum disorder,
Cardiovascular
Chest pain
Palpitations
Cardiovascular risk assessment
Hypertension
Atrial fibrillation
Heart failure
Peripheral vascular disease
Respiratory
Shortness of breath
Haemoptysis
Suspected lung cancer
Asthma
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Suspected pneumonia
Pleural effusion
Pulmonary embolism
Endocrine and metabolic
Diabetes review
Obesity
Hirsutism
Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Hyponatraemia
Hypernatraemia
Hypokalaemia
Hyperkalaemia
Hypocalcaemia
Hypercalcaemia
Abdominal problems
Nausea and vomiting
Dysphagia
Dyspepsia and reflux
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding and melaena
Abdominal pain
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Rectal bleeding and suspected bowel cancer
Abnormal liver function tests
Irritable bowel syndrome
Inflammatory bowel disease
Coeliac disease
Infectious diseases
Fever of unknown origin
Fever and illness in the returning traveller
HIV infection and AIDS
Tuberculosis
Rheumatic fever
Haematology
Iron deficiency anaemia
Pernicious anaemia and B12 deficiency
Bleeding disorders
Myeloma
Musculoskeletal
Soft tissue injury
Acute hot and swollen joint
Chronic musculoskeletal pain
Polyarthralgia
Neck pain
Back pain
Shoulder and arm problems
Elbow problems
Hand problems
Hip pain
Groin problems
Leg pain and/or swelling
Knee pain
Foot and ankle problems
Gout
Osteoporosis
Neurology
Headache
Transient ischaemic attack and stroke
Head injury in adults
Suspected or confirmed brain tumour
Tremor
Motor neurone disease
Peripheral neuropathy
Multiple sclerosis
Gynaecology
Combined oral contraception
Menorrhagia
Amenorrhoea
Breast lumps
Loss of libido
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Suspected ovarian cancer
Obstetrics
Routine antenatal care
Bleeding in early pregnancy
Abdominal pain in pregnancy
Pre-eclampsia
Urology and renal medicine
Suspected urinary tract infection in women
Lower urinary tract symptoms in men
Urinary incontinence
Urethral discharge in men
Scrotal and testicular problems
Erectile dysfunction
Kidney stones
Haematuria
Chronic kidney disease
Mental health
Depression
Self-harm and harm to others
Anxiety, phobias and panic disorder
Alcohol screening
Alcohol dependence
Illicit drug misuse
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Mania
Schizophrenia
Skin
Moles and malignant melanoma
Pressure ulcers
Ophthalmology
Eye injuries
The acute red eye
Gradual painless visual disturbance
Sudden painless visual disturbance
Eye problems in older people
Ear, nose and throat
Neck swelling
Sore throat
Ear pain
Hearing loss in adults
Tinnitus
Rhinosinusitis and facial pain
Problems in older people
General health assessment in older people
Cognitive problems and dementia
Falls in older people
Delirium and acute confusional state
Depression in older people
Palliative and end of life care
Parkinson’s disease
Index
