AKT answer relating to Asthma
Abstract
InnovAiT, Vol. 1, No. 6, p. 465, 2008 doi:10.1093/innovait/inn100 Answer D. This man has a moderate exacerbation of his asthma but his condition is not critical (i.e. his PFR is >50% of predicted, his respiratory rate is <25 per minute, he can speak in sentences and his pulse is <110 beats per minute. He does, however, require careful review and âsafety nettingâ as well as steroids in full dose until recovery. AKT answer relating to Back Pain Answer C. Thoracic pain (especially with nocturnal pain) is a red ï¬ag for serious disease. While lytic lesions would be characteristic for myeloma on a skeletal survey, lack of bone density can be a feature. While bone chemistry is important in a patient with myeloma, it would be unusual for example Hypercalcamia to present as bone pain in isolation. Equally, prostatic bone metastases are characteristically sclerotic. Around 20% of cases of myeloma will have non-diagnostic immunoglobulins but positive urine free light chains (BenceJones protein). © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the RCGP. All rights reserved. For permissions please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org