21/12/2024 – Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Question Easy:
A 23-year-old woman presents to the clinic with severe dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia. After an ultrasound, she is diagnosed with fibroids. What is the first-line medical treatment for her symptoms according to NICE guidelines? 🌷

A) Tranexamic acid
B) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
C) Combined oral contraceptive pill
D) Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS)
E) Mefenamic acid

Question Medium:
A 30-year-old woman, who is 28 weeks pregnant, presents with a headache, visual disturbances, and abdominal pain. On examination, her blood pressure is 160/110 mmHg, and there is 3+ proteinuria on urinalysis. What is the most appropriate management step according to NHS guidelines? 🤰

A) Immediate delivery of the baby
B) Administration of antihypertensive medication
C) Administer magnesium sulfate
D) Increase bed rest and observation
E) Oral labetalol

Question Hard:
A 33-year-old woman attends the gynaecology clinic complaining of intermenstrual bleeding and pelvic pain. A pelvic examination reveals an enlarged uterus, and a transvaginal ultrasound shows multiple ovarian cysts. A laparoscopy is performed, and endometriosis is suspected. What is the definitive method to confirm the diagnosis of endometriosis? 🔎

A) Serum CA-125
B) Transvaginal ultrasound
C) MRI pelvis
D) Histological examination after laparoscopy
E) Clinical assessment

Explanations & Answers:

Question Easy Answer:
D) Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS)

Question Easy Explanation:
According to NICE guidelines, the first-line medical treatment for women with symptomatic fibroids who wish to avoid surgery is the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS). It significantly reduces menstrual blood loss and pain.

Question Medium Answer:
B) Administration of antihypertensive medication

Question Medium Explanation:
The immediate step in managing a pregnant woman with severe pre-eclampsia is to control her blood pressure using antihypertensive medication. Labetalol is often the drug of choice unless contraindicated. According to NHS guidelines, controlling the mother’s blood pressure helps prevent complications like eclampsia and end-organ damage.

Question Hard Answer:
D) Histological examination after laparoscopy

Question Hard Explanation:
The definitive diagnosis of endometriosis is made through histological examination of biopsy specimens obtained during a laparoscopy. This confirms the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus.

Medical fact of the day:
Did you know that the UK has one of the highest rates of twin births in the world? This is attributed to assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF, which increase the likelihood of multiple births!

Quote of the day:
“Compassion is the backbone of healthcare; it heals more wounds than medicine alone.”