Kuwait Board Family Medicine flashcards

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

Patient-centred clinical method

A consultation approach that explores the patient's disease and illness experience, understands the whole person, finds common ground, incorporates prevention, enhances the relationship, and remains realistic about time and resources.

FIFE framework

A patient-centred tool for eliciting Feelings, Ideas, Function, and Expectations alongside the biomedical history, helping the clinician understand the patient's perspective and negotiate shared management.

Relational continuity

An ongoing therapeutic relationship between a patient and a specific clinician. It is the hallmark of family medicine and is associated with improved satisfaction, adherence, and preventive care uptake.

Hypertension diagnostic threshold

Repeated clinic readings ≥140/90 mmHg suggest hypertension, confirmed with home or ambulatory monitoring. Treatment targets are usually <140/90, with <130/80 considered in diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

Metformin first-line therapy

Metformin is the preferred initial pharmacotherapy for type 2 diabetes unless contraindicated by severe renal impairment or intolerance. SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP-1 agonists are added when cardiovascular or renal disease is present.

COPD spirometric diagnosis

COPD is confirmed when post-bronchodilator spirometry shows a forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity ratio below 0.70, indicating persistent airflow obstruction.

Heart failure four pillars

In heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, combine an ACE inhibitor, ARB, or ARNI with a beta-blocker, a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, and an SGLT2 inhibitor to reduce mortality and hospitalisation.

Developmental milestone red flags

Not sitting unsupported by 9 months, not walking by 18 months, no words by 18 months, or no two-word phrases by 24 months warrants developmental assessment and referral.

Febrile infant under three months

Fever in an infant younger than three months carries a high risk of serious bacterial infection and requires urgent assessment, septic screen, and usually empirical antibiotics and admission.

HEADSS adolescent assessment

A psychosocial screening framework covering Home, Education and employment, Activities, Drugs, Sexuality, and Suicide and depression, used to structure confidential adolescent consultations.

Pre-eclampsia definition

New hypertension after 20 weeks of gestation accompanied by proteinuria or evidence of end-organ dysfunction such as renal, hepatic, neurological, or haematological involvement. Delivery is the definitive treatment.

Gestational diabetes screening

Screening is usually performed at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation with an oral glucose tolerance test. Risk factors include obesity, previous gestational diabetes, and family history of diabetes.

Cervical screening interval

Cervical screening typically starts at age 21 to 25 and repeats every 3 to 5 years depending on whether cytology or HPV testing is used. It may stop around age 65 after normal results.

Frailty identification

Frailty is identified using the Clinical Frailty Scale or the Fried phenotype, which combines weight loss, exhaustion, low activity, slow gait, and weakness. It predicts adverse outcomes and guides care intensity.

Delirium screening tools

The 4AT and the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) are validated bedside tools for detecting delirium, an acute fluctuating disturbance of attention and cognition requiring prompt investigation of the underlying cause.

STOPP and START criteria

Screening tools for older adults that identify potentially inappropriate medications (STOPP) and commonly omitted beneficial medications (START), used to optimise prescribing in polypharmacy.

PHQ-9 scoring

A nine-item depression screening tool scored 0 to 27. A score of 10 or more suggests at least moderate depression and warrants further assessment and consideration of treatment.

GAD-7 scoring

A seven-item anxiety screening tool scored 0 to 21. A score of 10 or more indicates at least moderate anxiety and should prompt fuller assessment and a management plan.

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

A ten-item self-report tool for postpartum depression. A score of 10 or more, or any positive answer to the self-harm item, warrants further evaluation and safety assessment.

Anaphylaxis first-line treatment

Intramuscular adrenaline 0.5 mg in adults, or 0.01 mg/kg in children, into the anterolateral thigh, repeated every five minutes as needed, alongside oxygen, fluids, and airway support.

FAST stroke screen

A prehospital screen for Face droop, Arm weakness, Speech disturbance, and Time to call emergency services. It helps identify suspected stroke and prompts urgent imaging and reperfusion assessment.

Rule of Nines burn estimate

An estimate of burn surface area: head 9%, each arm 9%, each leg 18%, trunk 36%, and perineum 1%. Fluid resuscitation is considered for burns exceeding 10 to 15% total body surface area.

Lidocaine maximum dose

The maximum safe dose of lidocaine is 3 mg/kg without adrenaline and 7 mg/kg with adrenaline. Exceeding these doses risks local anaesthetic systemic toxicity, including seizures and arrhythmias.

Suture removal timing

Facial sutures are typically removed after 4 to 5 days, scalp and trunk sutures after 7 to 10 days, and limb sutures after 10 to 14 days, depending on wound tension and healing.

ABCDE melanoma assessment

A dermoscopic and clinical checklist: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Colour variation, Diameter greater than 6 mm, and Evolution. Suspicious lesions require urgent dermatology referral.

Low back pain red flags

Features suggesting serious pathology include age under 20 or over 50 at onset, trauma, fever, weight loss, night pain, history of cancer, and progressive neurological deficit. Imaging is not routine otherwise.

Wilson and Jungner criteria

Ten criteria for judging whether screening is justified, including an important health problem, an accepted treatment, a detectable latent stage, a suitable test, and cost-effectiveness.

Number needed to treat

The number of patients who must receive an intervention for one additional patient to benefit. It is calculated as 1 divided by the absolute risk reduction.

Positive predictive value

The probability that a patient with a positive test truly has the disease. Unlike sensitivity and specificity, it depends on disease prevalence in the population tested.

SPIKES bad news protocol

A six-step framework for breaking bad news: Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Empathy, and Strategy with Summary. It supports clear, compassionate communication.

SBAR handover

A structured communication tool covering Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. It improves the clarity and safety of clinical handovers and referrals.

PDSA quality improvement cycle

A model for testing change: Plan the intervention, Do it on a small scale, Study the results, and Act by adopting, adapting, or abandoning the change before wider implementation.