First Aid for the USMLE Step 2 CS

Section 3. Minicases

Insomnia

Key History

Primary vs. secondary, duration, description (trouble falling asleep vs. multiple awakenings vs. early-morning awakening); daytime sleepiness; other medical problems keeping patient awake at night, such as arthritis (pain) or diabetes (polyuria); evidence of a common sleep disorder (eg, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome); associated symptoms, including loud snoring, nightmares, and depression; caffeine, alcohol, medication, and recreational drug use; work or lifestyle (jet lag or shift work), stressors, sleep hygiene; presence of psychiatric symptoms (eg, grandiose delusions, irritability).

INSOMNIA (cant'd)

Key Physical Exam

Vital signs; mental status exam; thyroid exam.

Presentation

Differential

Workup

■ 25 yo F presents with a 3-week history of difficulty falling asleep. She sleeps 7 hours per night without nightmares or snoring. She recently began college and is having trouble with her boyfriend. She drinks 3-4 cups of coffee a day.

Stress-induced insomnia

Caffeine-induced

insomnia

Insomnia with circadian

rhythm sleep disorder

Insomnia related to major depressive disorder

Polysomnography Mental status exam Urine toxicology CBC TSH

■ 55 yo obese M presents with several months of poor sleep, daytime fatigue, and morning headaches. His wife reports that he snores loudly.

Obstructive sleep apnea

Daytime fatigue in primary hypersomnia

Insomnia with circadian

rhythm sleep disorder

Insomnia related to major depressive disorder

CBC

TSH

Polysomnography

ECG

■ 33 yo F c/o 3 weeks of fatigue and trouble sleeping. She states that she falls asleep easily but wakes up at 3 a.m. and cannot return to sleep. She also reports an unintentional weight loss of 8 lbs (3.6 kg) and an inability to enjoy the things she once liked to do.

Insomnia related to major depressive disorder

Primary hypersomnia

Insomnia with circadian rhythm sleep disorder

Mental status exam

TSH

CBC

Polysomnography

Sore Throat

Key History

Duration, fever, other ENT symptoms (ear pain, nasal or sinus congestion), odynophagia, swollen glands, ± cough, rash; sick contacts, HIV risk factors.

Key Physical Exam

Vital signs; ENT exam, including oral thrush, tonsillar exudate, and lymphadenopathy; lung, abdominal (focusing on splenomegaly), and skin exams.

SORE THROAT (cant'd)

Presentation

Differential

Workup

■ 26 yo F presents with sore throat, fever, severe fatigue, and loss of appetite for the past week. She also reports epigastric and LUQ discomfort. She has cervical lymphadenopathy and a rash. Her boyfriend recently experienced similar symptoms.

Infectious mononucleosis

Hepatitis

Viral or bacterial pharyngitis

Acute HIV infection

Secondary syphilis

CBC with peripheral

smear

Monospot test

Throat culture

AST/ALT/bilirubin/

alkaline phosphatase

HIV antibody and viral

load

Anti-EBV antibodies

VDRL/RPR

■ 26 yo M presents with sore throat, fever, rash, and weight loss. He has a history of IV drug abuse and sharing needles.

HIV, acute retroviral syndrome

Infectious mononucleosis

Hepatitis

Viral pharyngitis

Streptococcal tonsillitis/ scarlet fever

Secondary syphilis

CBC with peripheral

smear

HIV antibody and viral load

CD4 count

Monospot test

Throat culture

VDRL/RPR

AST/ALT/bilirubin/ alkaline phosphatase

■ 46 yo F presents with fever and sore throat.

Pharyngitis (bacterial or viral)

Mycoplasma pneumonia

Acute HIV infection Infectious mononucleosis

Throat swab for culture and rapid streptococcal antigen

Monospot test

CBC

Serologic test (cold agglutinin titer) for Mycoplasma

HIV antibody and viral load



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