Arab Board Psychiatry Clinical Exam flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Mental status examination

Structured assessment of appearance, behaviour, speech, mood, affect, thought form and content, perception, cognition, insight, and judgement, used to document current psychiatric functioning.

Capacity four abilities

Understanding, retaining, weighing, and communicating a choice about a specific decision; assessed per decision rather than as a global judgement of the patient.

Delusion definition

A fixed false belief held with unshakeable conviction despite contrary evidence and not shared by the patient's culture or subculture.

Formulation components

Predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating, and protective factors, plus differential diagnosis and management plan, integrating biological, psychological, and social information.

Schizophrenia duration criterion

Continuous signs of disturbance persist for at least six months, including at least one month of active-phase symptoms, with functional decline.

Clozapine monitoring

Weekly full blood count for the first 18 weeks, then fortnightly; monitor for agranulocytosis, myocarditis, and other adverse effects.

Manic episode criteria

At least one week of elevated or irritable mood with three or more (four if irritable) symptoms such as grandiosity, decreased sleep need, pressured speech, and risky behaviour.

Lithium therapeutic range

Target serum trough concentration of 0.6–0.8 mmol/L for maintenance; 0.4–0.6 mmol/L in older adults; monitor renal and thyroid function.

OCD first-line treatment

Exposure and response prevention plus an SSRI at higher doses; treatment response may take 8–12 weeks.

PTSD diagnostic duration

Symptoms persist for more than one month after trauma exposure; if 3 days to 1 month, the diagnosis is acute stress disorder.

Alcohol withdrawal timeline

Tremor and anxiety at 6–12 hours, seizures at 12–48 hours, and delirium tremens at 48–96 hours; treat with symptom-triggered benzodiazepines.

Wernicke encephalopathy triad

Confusion, ataxia, and ophthalmoplegia caused by thiamine deficiency; give intravenous thiamine before glucose to prevent Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome.

Delirium versus dementia

Delirium has acute onset, fluctuating course, and impaired attention; dementia has insidious onset, preserved consciousness, and progressive cognitive decline.

Lewy body dementia

Fluctuating cognition, visual hallucinations, parkinsonism, and REM sleep behaviour disorder; severe neuroleptic sensitivity is characteristic.

ADHD diagnostic criteria

At least six inattentive or hyperactive/impulsive symptoms for six months, onset before age 12, present in two or more settings, causing impairment.

Autism spectrum disorder

Persistent deficits in social communication and interaction plus restricted, repetitive behaviours or interests, present in early development.

Serotonin syndrome

Triad of altered mental status, autonomic instability, and neuromuscular hyperactivity with clonus and hyperreflexia, caused by serotonergic agents.

Antipsychotic metabolic monitoring

Baseline and periodic weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose or HbA1c, and lipid profile during antipsychotic treatment.

Exposure and response prevention

A CBT technique for OCD in which patients confront feared triggers while refraining from compulsive rituals, leading to habituation and reduced anxiety.

Motivational interviewing

A collaborative, person-centred counselling style using open questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries to resolve ambivalence about behaviour change.

Suicide risk factors

Male sex, older age, prior attempt, family history, substance misuse, access to means, hopelessness, social isolation, and recent loss.

Confidentiality limits

Disclosure without consent is permitted when there is serious risk of harm to self or others, child protection concerns, or a court order.

Catatonia treatment

Benzodiazepines such as lorazepam are first-line; electroconvulsive therapy is used for severe or refractory cases.

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome

Rigidity, hyperthermia, autonomic instability, and elevated creatine kinase caused by dopamine antagonists; stop the drug and provide supportive care.

Treatment-resistant depression

Inadequate response to at least two adequate antidepressant trials; consider augmentation, switching, or electroconvulsive therapy.

Valproate teratogenicity

Valproate is associated with neural tube defects and should be avoided in women of childbearing potential unless a pregnancy prevention programme is in place.

GAD diagnostic threshold

Excessive, difficult-to-control worry for at least six months with three or more of six symptoms causing clinically significant distress or impairment.

Adjustment disorder

Emotional or behavioural symptoms within three months of an identifiable stressor, resolving within six months once the stressor is removed.

Opioid overdose antidote

Naloxone reverses respiratory depression and reduced consciousness from opioid overdose; repeat doses may be needed and supportive care is essential.

Opioid substitution therapy

Methadone or buprenorphine maintenance reduces mortality and illicit opioid use; buprenorphine has a ceiling effect and lower overdose risk.

Alzheimer's pharmacotherapy

Cholinesterase inhibitors for mild-to-moderate disease and memantine for moderate-to-severe disease; behavioural symptoms are managed non-pharmacologically first.

Reversible dementia causes

Depression, hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency, normal pressure hydrocephalus, and chronic subdural haematoma are potentially reversible causes of cognitive impairment.