Mnemonics

Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) questions

September 4, 2013

• What is your age?
• What is your date of birth?
• What year is it?
• What is this place?

Mental State Examination

September 3, 2013

ASEPTIC

• Appearance / Behaviour
• Speech
• Emotion (mood and affect)
• Perception (hallucinations, illusions)
• Though (content, form)
• Insight
• Cognition (AMT, MMSE)

• Schizophrenia types

  May 27, 2012
  Crazy People Hear Something

  • Catatonic – unresponsive, fixed stupor
  • Paranoid – often delusional, angry, jealous
  • Hebephrenic – disintegration of personality, erratic speach
  • Simple - disintegration of thinking process

  Substance dependency features

  February 16, 2012
  

  THWART

  • Tolerance
  • Harm being done to body, patient realises but persists
  • Withdrawal symptoms
  • Anhedonia in other activities not involving substance
  • Relapse despite repeated attempts to abstain
  • Time is spent obtaining substance or abusing it

  • Suicide risk assessment

    February 13, 2012
    SAD PERSONS

    • Sex – male
    • Age – older
    • Depression

    • Previous suicide attempt
    • Ethanol abuse
    • Rational thinking loss
    • Social support lacking
    • Organised plan
    • No spouse
    • Sickness e.g. chronic disability

    One point for each.  Score calculated and suicide risk graded:

    • 0-4 – low risk
    • 5-6 – medium risk
    • 7-10 – high risk

    Antipsychotic extrapyramidal side-effects

    February 7, 2012
    

    May be seen with antipsychotic use (particularly typicals) and are due to blockage of D2 receptors in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway.

    TAAP

    • Tradive dyskinesia – involuntary rhythmic movements
    • Acute dystonia (e.g. oculogyric crisis)
    • Akathisia (motor restlessness)
    • Parkinsonism

    Alcohol dependence history

    January 6, 2012
    

    THAWED

    • Tolerance – needing increasing amounts of alcohol
    • Harm being done to body – patient realises but does not react
    • Anhedonia (lack of interest) in activities not related to alcohol
    • Withdrawal symptoms (fatigue, tremor, agitation, delirium tremens)
    • Explosive drinking – uncontrollable
    • Desire to drink is overwhelming
    •