PROBLEM BASED LEARNING
ISSUES
The mother of a 25-year-old patient of yours phones you to let you know she has made an appointment for him to see you next week. “He’s really bad, doctor, and getting worse. He took an overdose last week- you must do something, doctor”
He
presents with anxiety symptoms and has two previous detoxification courses.
The
mother comes to you with tiredness all the time. She brings her 12-year-old son
to see you. She is very worried about him as he has episodes of difficulty in
breathing.
The
mother phones you as she has noticed bruising around the upper arms and head of
her 3-year-old grandson and she suspects the son in law.
You are called to see a 78 year old man with
Alzheimer’s who has been increasingly unable to walk and hallucinating over the
last few days.
He has recently been discharged from respite care
and prescribed procyclidine. His elderly spouse is unable to cope with him at
the moment.
His daughter phones you to ask if her father could
be prescribed the new “wonder drug” for Alzheimer’s.
You receive an emergency request for a home visit to a young couple’s 3-month-old child. She has been taking a few ounces less milk at each feed over the day and had some loose nappies.
The
parents had contacted NHS Direct who asked the parents to assess the child’s
anterior fontanel. NHS had advised a doctor should visit, as the child could be
dehydrated.
On
arrival the child is well, smiling and without signs of dehydration.
You
receive an emergency phone call from the ex-mother-in-law of a 32 year-old
divorcee. She is concerned to have just received a phone call from her asking to
speak to her children for “the last time”. She has also been told recently that
she has not been taking her children to school because she feels people are
criticising her as a mother.
You
assess the patient at a friend’s home. The friend is extremely worried about
her.