Medically Unexplained Symptoms how to tell whether symptoms are organic or not Dr. Ramesh Mehay...
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Transcript of Medically Unexplained Symptoms how to tell whether symptoms are organic or not Dr. Ramesh Mehay...
Medically Unexplained
Medically Unexplained
SymptomsSymptoms
how to tell whether symptoms are organic or not
how to tell whether symptoms are organic or not
Dr. Ramesh Mehay
Dr. Ramesh Mehay
Programme Director (Bradford VTS),
Programme Director (Bradford VTS),
20112011
Updated 2015
Updated 2015
Why
do
Why
do
som
ati
sers
som
ati
sers
ir
rita
te u
s?ir
rita
te u
s?
1.1. ‘‘I’m worried about
I’m worried about missing missing
somethingsomething’’2.2. ‘‘I don’t want to
I don’t want to get suedget sued’’
3.3. ‘‘I don’t want to do
I don’t want to do unnecessary
unnecessary
teststests’’4.4. ‘‘Getting them
Getting them onto my way of
onto my way of
thinking thinking is a nightmare’
is a nightmare’
5.5. ‘‘I always end
I always end winding them up
winding them up’’
6.6. ‘‘I feel I feel helpless
helpless.’.’7.7. There’s
There’s no focus no focus in the consultation’
in the consultation’
8.8. ‘‘And yet I still feel I have a
And yet I still feel I have a sense of sense of
responsibility
responsibility or or moral obligation
moral obligation
to make things better’
to make things better’To tackle 1-3
To tackle 1-3 you need to create a bit
you need to create a bit
more certainty out of uncertainty
more certainty out of uncertainty
make better decisions
make better decisions
To tackle 4-8
To tackle 4-8 The Art of The Art of
Reattribution.
Reattribution.
Getting certainty out of uncertainty
1. ‘I am worried about missing something’2. ‘I don’t want to do unnecessary tests’
• These two worries come from being: uncertain/unsure/insecure/unconfident in your
diagnosis
• But it’s not surprising as MUS patients come with vague symptoms.
• In terms of diagnosis simply determine whether organic or not.
Getting certainty out of uncertainty
• The aim is not to get rid of uncertainty entirely (impossible!)
• The aim is not to simply tolerate the current level of uncertainty (too risky)
• The aim is to reduce it to a point where what is left is acceptable and manageable.
There is always an element of uncertainty when patients present with MUS.
Therefore:
final level of uncertainty
initial level of uncertainty
To g
et
to t
he
To g
et
to t
he
poin
t w
here
you
poin
t w
here
you
can s
ay:
can s
ay:
‘‘In my heart and in my
In my heart and in my
mind, I really don’t get
mind, I really don’t get
the feeling that there is
the feeling that there is
anything physically
anything physically
wrong with this patient’.
wrong with this patient’.
In summary…
• We don’t need a fancy diagnostic name.
• We simply need to answer this question of whether this is organic or not.
• You can never be 100% about this but you need to reduce the level of uncertainty to tolerable levels.
• And here’s how to do it…
‘How can we tell if this is something organic or not?’
Doing loads of investigations is not the answer…. •It is wasteful (in terms of resources and costs)•It creates a whole load of unnecessary work for other in the NHS•It promotes patient anxiety.Some simple things you can do.i.Take a good enough historyii.Good examinationiii.Look at the notes – what’s gone on before?iv.ICEv.PSO
It’s not rocket science and it doesn’t need to be!Throughout the process…•Don’t be too swayed by other professionals.•Be prepared to change your view at any point (really impt).
Good History• Detailed enough history – don’t be swayed too early by what others have
written before• Red flags – fever, weight loss, anorexia and night sweats• Especially the ‘review of systems’ – make sure nothing is there• Effect of symptoms on daily living - explore to right depth• PMH - especially depression, anxiety, drugs or alcohol.
I would be less worried about headaches which:Didn’t have any alarm features, which had been going on for years, didn’t fall into a
particular pattern (i.e. a bit weird), in a patient who repeatedly attended surgery for minor things, always seemed anxious, used over-expressive terminology which did not marry with her physical presentation(e.g. ‘it’s absolutely killing doctor all the time and has been for the last 2 years’), yet didn’t take anything over the counter because she just ‘coped with it’.
Good Examination• You should be prepared to be FLEXIBLE with your working diagnosis (the
working diagnosis here being whether something is organic or not).
• For instance, if you’ve taken a history and are thinking ‘non-organic’, you must be prepared to ‘switch tracks’ if anything abnormal is found on examination. Abnormal examination should make you exclude the organic.
• Remember, in most cases, history gives you 90% of the working diagnosis and the examination just adds another 10%.
Look at the Notes• What have other GP colleagues said? • What prev. Ix have been done? Great if someone has done FBC U&E
LFTs TFTs, HBA1C, ESR and Vit D levels within symptom duration.• Consultation behaviour / freq of attendance• Look at the letters section.
I would be less worried about headaches which:Previous GPs had looked at in quite some detail and didn’t think there was anything
organic. And even more so if they’d made links to things in the patient’s psycho-social-occupational history (e.g. loneliness, bullying, abuse, domestic violence etc). And even more so if I could see from the notes that a) the patient comes into surgery every other week for various vague ailments and b) has been referred to loads of different specialties in the past with nothing much fruitful in the end (or there is collusion of anonymity).
Look at the notes
How often do they come to surgery and how many symptoms?
Visits to the surgery How many medically unexplained symptoms?
NORMAL - MILD 2 visits/year 2-3 symptoms
MODERATE 8 visits/year for at least 2y 5 symptoms
SEVERE 15 visits/year for many years
8 MU symptoms in last year alone
Exploring ICE• IDEAS: What do they think is going on? 1. Is there evidence of crooked thinking that needs rectifying? Is this a way
into discussions?2. Do they make links to life problems?• What are their CONCERNS?• Expectations: What are they hoping for from the consultation or from me? Sometimes, these patient’s do not come up with crazy beliefs. Sometimes,
what they say is quite reasonable. And therefore, sometimes, you may need to hop onto their thinking track rather than forcing them onto yours!
I would be less worried about organic stuff in the patient who did have crazy ideas, crooked thinking or unrealistic expectations. But remember, I don’t just rely on this – I look at the bigger picture and see how their ICE fits in with other markers which point to a MUS diagnosis (covered in other slides).
Explore the PSO• Think home, social and work• Home: Domestic violence, sexual/physical/emotional abuse• Social: loneliness/isolation, poverty, debt• Work: bullying, harassment, stress, being overworked
I would be less worried about headaches:In a patient who is the victim of domestic violence (unless they were bashed in
the head). May be their physical symptom is an expression of emotional distress. May be I need to start working on the emotion rather than the physical? Perhaps the hidden agenda is the domestic violence, and I need to do something about that.
Remember, MUS often accompanies…(co-morbid conditions)
•Depression, anxiety, OCD, Anorexia/Bulimia Nervosa, Dysthymia, Personality Disorders•Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Irritable Bowel Syndrome•Severe psycho-social-occupational upset?(domestic violence, sexual/physical/emotional abuse, bullying, isolation, poverty)•Obstructive Sleep Apnoea syndrome•Drugs & Alcohol(be sensitive, decide on the right moment to ask, don’t ignore in elderly)
ARE ANY OF THESE PLAYING A PART?
But equally, the following can be mistaken for MUS(Differential Diagnosis for MUS / Somatisation)
LEVEL 1•Anaemia (whatever the cause); Folic acid or Iron deficiency (FBC, folate, ferritin )•Addison’s Disease (U&E – low Na, high K, low serum cortisol at 0800h)•Diabetes (RBS)•Hypercalcaemia (LFTs will give a Ca)•Hypo or hyperthyroidism (TFTs)
LEVEL 2•Vitamin D deficiency/Secondary hyperparathyroidism - esp. asian women/ladies in hijab with total body pain and vague symptoms (Vit D levels)•AIDS (HIV test)•Coeliac Disease (coeliac antibodies)•SLE (autoantibodies, lupus anticoagulant)•Hyperprolactinaemia (prolactin levels)•Multiple Sclerosis (CSF)•Cancer of Ovary/Pancreas (don’t often cause clear cut symptoms).
LEVEL 3•Rare Myasthenia Gravis, Wilson’s, MS, Porphyria (just keep in back of your mind)
Minimum tests in moderate-severe MUS: FBC, folate, ferritin, U&E, LFTs, TFTs, HBA1C, Vit D levels (and perhaps one or more of HIV test, cortisol, coeliac Abs, auto-antibodies, prolactin if
suspicious).
Case 1—the most common: mild MUSA 32-year-old man with controlled hypertension presented with the new onset of fatigue and distracting headaches, and he mentioned the threat of being laid off work. Physical examination was negative, and you empathized, supported, reassured, ordered no tests, and recommended ibuprofen. He reported 2 weeks later the symptoms had cleared, and that he was back to work.
Case 2—less common: moderate MUSA 44-year-old woman presented with yet another episode of low back pain without radicular symptoms. Her diabetes also was poorly controlled, and she had gained weight. The pain interfered with work, and she had been in the clinic with recurrences 7 times in the preceding 12 months. She was not enjoying her life and said that she had difficulty sleeping, but did not feel depressed. Physical exam revealed no neurologic deficits and mild paraspinal muscle spasm. You obtained an MRI of the spine that provided no explanation for the pain (small disc without neurologic compromise), and you implemented a program of treatment for her MUS and depression, advised exercise and weight control, and increased her metformin dose.
Case 3—least common: severe MUSA 50-year-old man related a long history of severe neck pain and headaches, virtually constant over the last 5 years. He wanted a “new approach” because he was “not getting better,” even though he went to 4 doctors and 2 pain clinics in the last year. His COPD was somewhat worse recently as well. He denied depression but did have anhedonia (lack of enjoyment), insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and weight gain over the preceding year. Physical exam was negative except for changes of COPD. You did not repeat the neck and brain MRI his previous doctor had obtained 3 months earlier but reviewed it with the radiologist and learned that several minor abnormalities (a few white matter changes and mild disc protrusion without neurologic compromise) were unrelated to his symptoms. You initiated treatment for his MUS and depression and advised a short trial of antibiotics for his COPD.
Normal to mild ~80% Moderate ~15% Severe ~5% Very severe† <1%
Common name “Worried well” DSM-negative; MAI ASD; MSD SD
Freq. of attendance Low High High High Age of onset Any Any Any <30 years 18
Body systems/Physical symptoms involved Any Any Musculoskeletal, GI, nervous, or
ill-defined systems
Musculoskeletal, GI, nervous, or ill-defined systems.Often Pain, GI, sexual, neurological
Symptom duration “Acute” days to weeks “Subacute” < 6 m “Chronic” >6 m “Chronic” >6 m
Number of symptoms Few Any Around >3 (men) & >5 (women) >7
Symptoms occur and recur with external stress and clear when it abates ?
Yes Yes, but recur frequently No, but worsen with stress No, but worsen with stress
Depression, anxiety, dysthymia, and other psychiatric problems present?
? In 20% In 70% In 90-100%
Personality structure “Normal” ? Personality disorder 60-70% Personality disorder ; rarely, psychotic
Prevalence, community ~100% ? 5% 0.03–0.7%
Prevalence, all outpatients ? ? 35% 5%
Prevalence, inpatients ? ? ? 10%
Severity of MUS
The Normal-MildBruce Thomas, a general practitioner in Hampshire, UK, pointed out in the 1970s that in up to 40% of patients in general practice no diagnostic label could be attached.
These patients did not require, and generally were not given, specific treatment, and most recovered spontaneously.
The others – according to DSM-IVSomatization disorder is of many years duration, begins before age 30, is more common in women, and has (over a lifetime) at least four pain symptoms, two gastrointestinal symptoms, one sexual symptom, and one pseudoneurological symptom.
Undifferentiated somatoform disorder, the vast majority of persistent somatizers, is a residual category for patients who do not meet criteria for other somatoform disorders, is of at least 6 months duration, has no gender or age limit, and has at least one symptom.
Conversion disorder usually occurs acutely and lasts about 2 weeks but may be recurring or chronic, is most frequent in women before age 35, and exhibits one or more motor, sensory, or seizure (pseudoneurological) symptoms.
Pain disorder occurs at any age, more often in women, usually is chronic and persistent, and has one or more pain symptoms that are the predominant focus of the presentation and that are not restricted to dyspareunia.
Hypochondriasis occurs at any age in males and females, may be more common in early adulthood, is at least 6 months duration and often chronic and persistent, and has one or more symptoms that provoke an unwarranted fear (which is not delusional or restricted to concerns about appearance) of organic disease even after reassurance and appropriate investigation.
Body dysmorphic disorder begins in adolescence, occurs in males and females equally, is chronic and persistent, and is suggested by preoccupation with an alleged defect in appearance that causes patients to feel ugly (anorexia nervosa is classified elsewhere); when of delusional intensity, an additional diagnosis of delusional disorder, somatic type is made.
Somatoform disorder not otherwise specified includes disorders with somatoform symptoms that do not meet the above criteria, such as pseudocyesis and symptoms of less than 6 months duration
To S
um
mari
se…
To S
um
mari
se…
Don’t forget to
Don’t forget to build a picture
build a picture of of
things. things. Think of it
Think of it like a jigsaw puzzle.
like a jigsaw puzzle.
Where all the things I’ve mentioned
Where all the things I’ve mentioned
in blue are the individual pieces.
in blue are the individual pieces.
Do not rely on any one jigsaw
Do not rely on any one jigsaw
piece. piece. In other words, do not
In other words, do not
make judgements just on ONE or
make judgements just on ONE or
TWO bits of information. You have
TWO bits of information. You have
to build up you own picture. And
to build up you own picture. And
be careful of being too swayed by
be careful of being too swayed by
others.others. You will probably never build a
You will probably never build a
complete picture (because you will
complete picture (because you will
never get all the jigsaw pieces).
never get all the jigsaw pieces).
The aim is to build up a
The aim is to build up a good good
enough and fairly reliable
enough and fairly reliable
picturepicture.. Be prepared to change your
Be prepared to change your
mind mind if something odd or worrying
if something odd or worrying
comes to light.
comes to light.
R Jones.
W
hen n
o
dia
gnost
ic la
bel i
s applie
d;
BM
J (2
010)
“When pattern recognition and iterative
diagnosis do not give an
answer, when symptoms
are vague, or when a
clear diagnosis does not
“crystallise” from investigations or tests of
time or of treatment,
patients will need to be
managed without having
a diagnostic label.”
In these set of slidesWe mainly talked about getting to that point of deciding whether we think something is organic or not. To reduce uncertainty to a tolerable level so that we don’t feel the following:1.‘I am worried about missing something’2.‘I don’t get sued’3.‘I don’t want to do unnecessary tests’
Now that we are more sure that things are not organic, the next step is to get the patient on board with that. The problem with this is that…4.‘Getting them onto your way of thinking is a nightmare’5.‘And I don’t want to wind them up’6.‘I feel helpless. 7.There’s no focus in the consultation’8.‘And yet I still feel I have a sense of responsibility or moral obligation to make things better’
Tackling 48 involves the art of Reattribution. Please move onto those set of slides.
Other articles worth reading• When no diagnostic label is applied. R Jones. BMJ2010;340;(Published 25
May 2010)• The treatment of somatization: teaching techniques of reattribution.
Goldberg D, Gask LL, O'Dowd T. (1989). J Psychosom Res, 33( 6), 689-95.• Nottingham has a fab site on MUS:http://iapt.nmhdu.org.uk/special-interest/special-interest/medically-
unexplained-symptoms/the-nottingham-tool/• Loads more on www.bradfordvts.co.uk click ‘online resources’ and then
‘02 The GP Consultation’ then ‘somatisation and medically unexplained symptoms’ folder.