Rural Emergency Medicine


This is part of the Med in Small Doses series, which aims to give you a snapshot of a disease or disorder. For information about the series, or common abbreviations click here.

A collection of symptoms not a diagnosis. Age: 16-30yo

Hallucination = false perception
Delusion = false belief

CFs: Delusions, Hallucinations, Disorganised speech & behaviour, thought alienation experiences, thought disorder.

PATHO: DA plays a role → Psychosis
  • DA antagonists control SSx
  • Schizophrenics have ↑ DA in Amygdala
  • Amphetamines release DA & cause psychotic symptoms

RFs:
  1. Genetics, 
  2. FHx, 
  3. Age, 
  4. Brain Abnormalities, 
  5. Neurochemical changes,
  6. ↓ SES, 
  7. Substance Abuse, 
  8. Urban living

Tx: CBT, Family Therapy, ECT (on occasion).
Typical & Atypical antipsychotics. Haloperidol (DAR2 Antagonist) - controls psychosis and rapid sedation (esp. in conjunction with a benzodiazepine.
Risperdone (5-HT Blocker) - ↓ negative SSx

No comments:

Post a Comment