Essentials 1 The time-honoured principles of soft tissue infection management and judicious evidence-based use of antibiotics remain the basis of treatment and the prevention of further complications. 2 These infections are common and range from mild to rapidly progressive and…
Essentials 1 Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common bacterial infection. 2 By age 32, 50% of women will report at least one UTI. 3 Sexual activity is the most important risk factor in young women. 4 Most UTIs…
Essentials 1 Early diagnosis and treatment are critical for the prevention of irreversible joint destruction. 2 Diagnosis is based on clinical features and synovial fluid examination; imaging techniques have a role in difficult cases. 3 Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus and Neisseria…
Essentials 1 Bacterial meningitis can be a rapidly progressive and fatal illness. A high level of suspicion is necessary, as well as rapid diagnosis and treatment. 2 Eighty-five percent of cases have headache, fever, meningism and mental obtundation, but these…
Essentials 1 Over one-third of patients who have fever for more than 2 to 3 days with no localizing symptoms and signs are likely to have a bacterial infection; half of these will be in the respiratory or urinary tracts.…
Essentials 1 The differential diagnosis of weakness in the emergency department (ED) is very broad. Careful history taking and examination with targeted investigations will help to identify most of the important causes. 2 Causes of weakness must be distinguished as…
Essentials 1 It is important to distinguish between syncope and true vertigo. 2 The most common cause of syncope is neurally mediated syncope. 3 A detailed history and physical examination are more useful than extensive investigations. 4 It is essential…
Essentials 1 Approximately 9% of the population will have at least one seizure in their lifetimes but only 1% to 3% will develop epilepsy. 2 The management of an acute episode is directed at rapid control of seizures, identification of…
Essentials 1 For clinical purposes, the ability of the individual to respond appropriately to environmental stimuli provides a quantifiable definition of consciousness. 2 The causes of altered conscious state can be divided pathophysiologically into structural and metabolic insults. 3 A…
Essentials 1 The diagnosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) requires a high index of suspicion. 2 Up to a third of patients with SAH experience a warning leak—the sentinel haemorrhage—in the hours to days prior to the major bleed. 3 Risk…