OSCE - OTC Conditions questions n
answers graded A+
Colds and flu
Cough
Sore throat
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) - correct answer ✔✔Possible respiratory system conditions in the
pharmacy
Chest pain
- Knife-like pain is characteristic of pleurisy - may be caused by pneumonia, respiratory infection
or pulmonary embolus
- May be cracked ribs
- Pneumothorax
- Viral infections causing inflammation of the trachea of non-specific muscular pain
- Heart burn
- Cardiac pain
- Anxiety
Shortness of breath
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Heart failure
- Hyperventilation syndrome
,Wheezing
- Wheezy bronchitis
- Asthma
- Cardiac
Sputum
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- Cardiac
- Haemoptysis - correct answer ✔✔Respiratory symptoms for direct referral
Questions to ask:
- Age
- Duration of symptoms
- Runny/blocked nose
- Summer cold?
- Sneezing / coughing
- Generalise aches / headache
- High temp
- Sore throat
- Ear ache
- Facial pain / frontal headache
- Flu
- Asthma
- Previous history
,- Allergic rhinitis
- Bronchitis
- Heart disease
- Present medication
When to refer:
- Earache not settling with analgesic
- Facial pain / frontal headache - could be sinusitis
- In the very young / elderly
- In those with heart/lung disease
- With permitting fever and productive cough
- With delirium
- With pleuritic chest pain
- Asthma
- If cold has not improved after 10-14 days
- In flu in higher risk groups
Management
Decongestants
- Sympathomimetics (e.g. pseudoephedrine) can be effective in reducing nasal congestion
- Oral and nasal sprays/drops available
- If nasal application is recommended, patient should be advised not to use for over 7 days due
to rebound congestio - correct answer ✔✔Colds and flu
- Questions to ask
- When to refer
- Management
, Questions to ask
- Age
- Duration
- Nature
- Dry/productive - unproductive usually caused by viral self-limiting infections, productive
associated with bacterial infections
- Associated symptoms
- Cold / sore throat / fever
- Sputum production
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Wheeze
- Previous history - chronic bronchitis, asthma, heart failure, reflux
- Smoking
- Present medication
- ACEIs may cause chronic coughing
When to refer
- Cough lasting 3+ weeks
- Sputum (coloured / blood stained)
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Whooping cough / croup
- Recurrent nocturnal cough
answers graded A+
Colds and flu
Cough
Sore throat
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) - correct answer ✔✔Possible respiratory system conditions in the
pharmacy
Chest pain
- Knife-like pain is characteristic of pleurisy - may be caused by pneumonia, respiratory infection
or pulmonary embolus
- May be cracked ribs
- Pneumothorax
- Viral infections causing inflammation of the trachea of non-specific muscular pain
- Heart burn
- Cardiac pain
- Anxiety
Shortness of breath
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Heart failure
- Hyperventilation syndrome
,Wheezing
- Wheezy bronchitis
- Asthma
- Cardiac
Sputum
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- Cardiac
- Haemoptysis - correct answer ✔✔Respiratory symptoms for direct referral
Questions to ask:
- Age
- Duration of symptoms
- Runny/blocked nose
- Summer cold?
- Sneezing / coughing
- Generalise aches / headache
- High temp
- Sore throat
- Ear ache
- Facial pain / frontal headache
- Flu
- Asthma
- Previous history
,- Allergic rhinitis
- Bronchitis
- Heart disease
- Present medication
When to refer:
- Earache not settling with analgesic
- Facial pain / frontal headache - could be sinusitis
- In the very young / elderly
- In those with heart/lung disease
- With permitting fever and productive cough
- With delirium
- With pleuritic chest pain
- Asthma
- If cold has not improved after 10-14 days
- In flu in higher risk groups
Management
Decongestants
- Sympathomimetics (e.g. pseudoephedrine) can be effective in reducing nasal congestion
- Oral and nasal sprays/drops available
- If nasal application is recommended, patient should be advised not to use for over 7 days due
to rebound congestio - correct answer ✔✔Colds and flu
- Questions to ask
- When to refer
- Management
, Questions to ask
- Age
- Duration
- Nature
- Dry/productive - unproductive usually caused by viral self-limiting infections, productive
associated with bacterial infections
- Associated symptoms
- Cold / sore throat / fever
- Sputum production
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Wheeze
- Previous history - chronic bronchitis, asthma, heart failure, reflux
- Smoking
- Present medication
- ACEIs may cause chronic coughing
When to refer
- Cough lasting 3+ weeks
- Sputum (coloured / blood stained)
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Whooping cough / croup
- Recurrent nocturnal cough
