Medicine · Explanation & counselling

Temple headache plan

Medium

10 min station · 2 min reading · Curtin Year 5

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F W Q R

2 min reading · 10 min station · reminders at 2 min

Instructions

You are an intern in the emergency department. Valerie Truscott, 74, has a new right-sided headache for three weeks. Her ESR is 88 and CRP 64. The rheumatology registrar suspects giant cell arteritis and wants prednisolone started today and a temporal artery biopsy arranged.

  1. Take a focused history from Mrs Truscott

  2. Explain the likely diagnosis and the plan, and obtain her consent for a temporal artery biopsy

  • You do not need to examine the patient; visual acuity and fundi are normal

Bloods

ESR 88; CRP 64; Hb 112; platelets 480; glucose 6.1.