Thursday 29 November 2012

29 November 2012

Tutorial.
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Tonight we started with an EMQ about the coroner.
Then we drafted a couple of essay plans.
 Essay 1.


With regard to anti-phospholipid syndrome:
1.  outline the clinical manifestations of APS.                                               4 marks.
2.  outline the implications of APS for pregnancy.                                         4 marks.
3.  critically evaluate how the diagnosis is made.                                         4 marks.
4.  critically evaluate the management in the woman wishing to be pregnant.  8 marks. 
Alternative 4. critically evaluate the management of  pregnancy.                    8 marks.
  
Essay 2.
You have been asked to perform an audit. Outline the key issues involved in preparing and performing an audit.



EMQ. The Coroner. Question 1.

Lead-in.
The following scenarios relate to the role of the Coroner.
Pick one option from the option list.
Each option can be used once, more than once or not at all.

Suggested reading.
I will put all you need to know into the answer to MCQ Paper 13, question 5.

Option list.
A.        an independent judicial officer
B.        a barrister acting for the Local Police Authority
C.        the regional representative of the Home Office
D.        the regional representative of the Queen.
E.         an employee of the High Court.
F.         the Local Authority
G.       the Local Police Authority
H.        the Home Office
I.          the High Court
J.          the Queen

Scenario 1.
What is the best description of the status of the Coroner?
Scenario 2.
Who appoints the Coroner?
Scenario 3.
Who pays for the Coroner?

The Coroner. Question 2.

Lead-in.
The following scenarios relate to the role of the Coroner.
Pick one option from the option list.
Each option can be used once, more than once or not at all.

Option list.
A.        must have had experience as a detective in the police force with  rank of Inspector or above
B.        must be a barrister, lawyer or doctor with at least 5 years’ experience
C.        must be a legally qualified individual with at least 5 years’ experience
D.        must be a trained bereavement counsellor
E.         must be able to play the bagpipes
F.         Monday -  Friday; 09.00 - 17.00 hours, including bank holidays
G.       Monday - Friday; 09.00 - 17.00 hours, excluding bank holidays
H.        All the time
I.          to arrest people suspected of unlawful killing
J.          to manage traffic in the vicinity of the Coroner’s court
K.        to make enquiries on behalf of the Coroner
L.         to make enquiries on behalf of the Coroner and provide administrative support
M.      to play bagpipes at coronial funerals

Scenario 1.
What qualifications must the Coroner have?
Scenario 2.
What are the hours of availability of the Coroner?
Scenario 3.
What is the role of the Coroner’s Officers?

The Coroner. Question 3.
Lead-in.
The following scenarios relate to the role of the Coroner.
Pick one option from the option list.
Each option can be used once, more than once or not at all.
Option list.
A.        the death must be reported to the Coroner
B.        the death does not need to be reported to the Coroner
C.        the Coroner must order the return of the body for an inquest
D.        the Coroner must order a post-mortem examination
E.         the Coroner must hold an inquest
F.         the Coroner should arrange for the death to be investigated by the Home Office
G.       the death must be reported to the authorities of the country in which it took place in order that a certificate of death can be issued
H.        a certificate of live birth
I.          a certificate of stillbirth
J.          a certificate of miscarriage
K.        yes
L.         no
M.      none of the above
Scenario 1.
A resident of Manchester dies suddenly while visiting the town of his birth in Scotland. His family decides that he will be buried there. His body is held at the premises of a local funeral director. What actions should be taken with regard to the Manchester coroner?
Scenario 2.
A resident of London dies suddenly while visiting Manchester, where he was born. His family decides that he will be buried in Manchester. His body is held at the premises of a Manchester funeral director. What actions should be taken with regard to the Manchester coroner?
Scenario 3.
A resident of Manchester dies on holiday in his native Greece. The family decide that he will be buried in Greece. What steps must be taken to obtain a valid death certificate?
Scenario 4.
A man of 65 dies of terminal lung cancer. The GP visited daily until going on holiday three weeks before the death. He has now returned and says that he will sign a death certificate, but needs to visit the funeral director to see the body first.  Will this be a valid death certificate?
Scenario 5.
A man of 65 dies of terminal lung cancer. The GP, who visited daily up to the day of his death and attended to confirm the death, is on holiday. He says that he will sign a death certificate and put it in the post, so that it will arrive in the morning. Will this be a valid death certificate?
Scenario 6.
A man of 65 dies of terminal lung cancer. The GP, who visited daily up to the day before his death, has been on holiday since. However, he says that he will sign a death certificate and put it in the post, so that it will arrive in the morning. Will this be a valid death certificate?

Scenario 7.
A 65-year-old man dies suddenly 12 hours after admission to the local coronary care unit with chest pain, despite the apparently satisfactory insertion of a coronary artery stent after a diagnosis of coronary artery thrombosis. What action should be taken with regard to the Coroner?
Scenario 8.
A 16-year-old girl is admitted at 36 weeks’  gestation in her first pregnancy with placental abruption. She is given the best possible care but develops DIC and hypovolaemic shock and dies after 48 hours. What action should be taken with regard to the coroner?
Scenario 9.
A 28-year-old woman is admitted with placental abruption at 36 weeks. She has bruising on the abdominal wall and the admitting midwife suspects that she has been the victim of domestic violence, though the woman denies it. Despite best possible care she dies as a consequence of bleeding. What action should be taken with regard to the coroner?
Scenario 10.
A 30-year-old woman delivers normally at home attended by her husband, but has a PPH. The husband practises herbal medicine. He applies various potions but her condition deteriorates. She is admitted to hospital by emergency ambulance some hours later in a shocked condition. She is given the best possible care and is admitted to the ICU. She dies 7 days later of multi-organ failure and ARDS attributed to hypovolaemic shock. What action should be taken with regard to the coroner?
Scenario 11.
A woman is admitted at 23 weeks in premature labour. There is evidence of fetal heart activity throughout the labour, with the last record being 5 minutes before the baby delivers. The baby shows no evidence of life at birth. The mother requests a death certificate so that she can register the birth and arrange a funeral. What form of certificate should be issued?
Scenario 12.
A woman is admitted at 26 weeks’ gestation in premature labour. The presentation is footling breech. At 8 cm. cervical dilatation the trunk is delivered and the cord prolapses. There is good evidence of fetal life with fetal movements and pulsation of the cord. The head is trapped and it takes 5 minutes to deliver it. The baby is pulseless, apnoeic and without visible movement at birth. Intubation and CPR are carried out for 20 minutes when the baby is declared dead. What action should be taken with regard to the coroner?


Monday 26 November 2012

Tutorial 26 November 2012

Tutorial.
Website.
Contact us.

Tonight we started with a role-play.


Roleplay.
Pre-pregnancy counselling. GP referral letter: “Please see Mrs Jones who is planning to be pregnant. Her sister recently had a baby with Down’s syndrome”.
It is important to start practising your communication skills as there is a lot to learn. Start now and you will be good at it even before we start the OSCE training.
You will find it in this section of the MRCOG page: 

We then had an EMQ.


EMQ Paper 1, Question 1.

Lead-in.
The following scenarios relate to early pregnancy.
For each, select the diagnosis you most want to exclude.
Pick one option from the option list.
Each option can be used once, more than once or not at all.

Scenario 1.
A 35-year-old primigravida is seen in the EPU with vaginal bleeding and severe left iliac fossa pain. The pregnancy occurred after four cycles of IVF and embryo transfer was performed six weeks ago. Her β-hCG is >1,000 iu/l. An ultrasound scan showed an intra-uterine pregnancy of an appropriate size for the gestation. Normal fetal heart activity was noted. No adnexal masses were seen.
Scenario 2.
A 25-year-old woman with known PCOS is seen in the early pregnancy unit after an episode of slight vaginal bleeding. Her LMP was 10 weeks ago. An ultrasound scan shows an intra-uterine pregnancy with CRL of 6 mm. No fetal heart activity is seen.
Scenario 3.
A GP phones for advice. She is conducting her morning surgery. A nulliparous woman at 6 weeks’ gestation has returned from France where she has enjoyed the local food, particularly unpasteurised soft cheese and pork meats. She has presented with diarrhoea and mild abdominal pain. A β-hCG is 25 iu/l. She is concerned about listeriosis and toxoplasmosis, about which she has read.
Scenario 4.
A 30-year-old parous woman attends the EPU with vaginal bleeding and lower abdominal pain. An ultrasound scan shows a 30 mm. intra-uterine sac but no evidence of fetal heart activity.
Scenario 5.
 A 45-year-old para 6 is admitted to the A&E department with 6 weeks’ amenorrhoea. A β-hCG is positive. She complains of retrosternal pain and has a history of heartburn and acid reflux. Her BMI is 30. She smokes 40 cigarettes daily and has COAD.

Option list.
Complete miscarriage.
Incomplete miscarriage.
Missed miscarriage.
Pregnancy in a uterine horn.
Ectopic pregnancy.
OHSS.
Ovarian torsion.
Ovarian cyst accident.
Hydatidiform mole.
Listeriosis.
Toxoplasmosis.
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis.
Duodenal ulceration.
Pulmonary embolism.
Pneumothorax.
Coronary thrombosis.
None of the above.



And then three essay plans:
 

Cytomegalovirus infection.
A woman books at 8 weeks’ gestation in her first pregnancy. She is concerned because she works in a nursery where there has been an outbreak of cytomegalovirus infection. Critically evaluate the management.

Critically evaluate screening for gynaecological cancer.

Critically evaluate the “Top Ten Recommendations” in “Saving Mothers’ Lives”, The Eighth Report of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom. 2006–2008.