Interpreting results

This chapter explores interpreting results, including blood tests, full blood count (FBC), clotting, cardiac markers, inflammatory response, urea and electrolytes (U+E), liver function tests (LFT) and amylase, calcium and phosphate, endocrine tests, cardiology, electrocardiogram (ECG), respiratory, chest X-ray (CXR), arterial blood gases (ABGs), respiratory function tests, gastrointestinal, abdomen X-ray (AXR), urine tests, neurological, CSF, musculoskeletal, autoantibodies and associated diseases, cervical spine radiographs, and skeletal radiographs.

Haematology

This chapter explores haematology, including anaemia, transfusion of blood products, clotting emergencies, bleeding, and anticoagulation.

Neurology

This chapter discusses neurology, including coma and reduced GCS and coma and reduced GCS emergency, adult seizures emergency, paediatric seizures emergency, seizures, neurodegenerative disorders, stroke and stroke/CVA/TIA emergency, focal neurology, back pain, headache, and dizziness.

Resuscitation

This chapter explores resuscitation, including early warning scores, intensive care, peri-arrest, in-hospital resuscitation, Advanced Life Support (ALS), arrest equipment and tests, Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), Paediatric Basic Life Support, Newborn Life Support (NLS), and obstetric arrest.

History and examination

This chapter discusses history and examination, including basic history and examination, recording your clerking, cardiovascular medicine, respiratory medicine, gastrointestinal medicine, neurological medicine, endocrine medicine, skin, oncological/haematological medicine, breast surgery, eye surgery, head and neck surgery, musculoskeletal surgery, urological surgery, the female reproductive system, obstetric medicine, psychiatric medicine, neonatal examination, and paediatrics.

Being a doctor

This chapter explores what is involved in being a doctor. It includes details of the Foundation Programme and how to apply, the curriculum and assessment, healthcare in the UK, starting life as an F1, what to do before you start, your first day, occupational health, what to carry, organization and efficiency, patient-centred care, communication and conduct, breaking bad news, cross-cultural communication, outside agencies, quality and ethics, clinical governance/quality, medical ethics, patient confidentiality, capacity, consent, what to do when things go wrong, medical errors, complaints, incident reporting, colleagues and problems, hating your job, relaxation, causes of stress, pay and contracts, making more money, debt, NHS entitlements, career, specialty training applications, options, and competition, career structure, choosing a job, specialties in medicine, your curriculum vitae, post-Foundation Programme CV, interviews, membership exams, continuing your education, audit, presentations and teaching, teaching medical students, and research and academia.

Emergency department

This chapter explores the emergency department, including trauma, head injury, neck injury, falls and collapse, acutely painful limb emergency, acute limb pain, chronic limb pain, limb swelling, joint pain, neck lumps, ENT, groin lumps, burns and burns emergency, anaphylaxis in adults, hypotension emergency, hypotension, shock, pyrexia, overdose emergency, overdose and deliberate self-harm, vaginal bleeding, gynaecological causes of pain, contraception, early pregnancy (1st trimester), later pregnancy (2nd/3rd trimester), delivery, and after delivery (post-partum).

Life on the wards

This chapter discusses life on the wards. It includes the medical team, the multidisciplinary team, daily ward duties, ward rounds, being on-call, night shifts, writing and common symbols in the notes, anatomical terms and planes, discharge summaries (TTOs/TTAs), fitness to work notes, referrals, referral letters, investigation requests, radiology, common ward dilemmas, pain, thinking about death, palliative care, the dying patient, death, nutrition, nutritional requirements, difficult patients, aggression and violence, needle-stick injuries, surgery, pre-op assessment, bowel preparation, surgical terminology, preparing in-patients for surgery, booking theatre lists, surgical instruments, the operating theatre, post-op care, post-op problems, wound management, common elective operations, and stomas.

Skin and eyes

This chapter discusses disorders of the skin and eyes, including rash and rash emergency, bacterial infections causing a rash, viral infections causing a rash, fungal infections causing a rash, infestations causing a rash, chronic inflammatory rashes, other causes of rash, skin lumps, skin cancers, breast lumps, leg ulcers, acute red eye emergency, sudden visual loss, gradual visual loss, and other visual disturbances.

Gastroenterology

This chapter discusses gastroenterology, and includes abdominal pain and abdominal pain emergency, GI bleeding emergency, acute upper GI bleeds, acute lower GI bleeds, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, liver failure and liver failure emergency, and jaundice.