A 4-year-old boy from a traveller community family is brought to the surgery by his mother.
She informs you that he began with what appeared to be a severe catarrhal cold, but now experiences intense paroxysms of coughing, causing him to turn completely red in the face and struggle to catch his breath. Upon examination, he has no fever.
What feature on history, examination, or investigation, although not conclusive, is consistent with the presence of whooping cough?
A 16-year-old mother brings her 8-month-old son to the emergency surgery, concerned about his breathing pattern. She thinks he may have asthma as he seems to be breathing faster than her 5-year-old nephew.
The mother reports no cough or wheeze, and the child has no fever or rash. He is happily playing in the clinic room, and there are no developmental issues or family history of atopy.
Upon clinical examination, there is no respiratory distress, and the chest is clear bilaterally. All other systems appear normal. The following are the child’s observations:
Heart Rate 125 beats per minute
Respiratory Rate 32 breaths per minute
Saturations 98% on air
Temperature 37.2ºC
What is the most appropriate course of action?
A parent brings her 6-year-old daughter to the clinic with concerns about her health since starting first grade. The child has developed various new symptoms, and the parent suspects a food allergy as the symptoms improve during breaks from school. Which of the following symptoms would suggest a non-IgE-mediated allergy rather than an IgE-mediated allergy?
You see a 14-year-girl. She tells you she has intercourse with her boyfriend and wants to start on the pill. Her boyfriend is aged 15.
You discuss the situation with her and are satisfied that she understands your advice and is sufficiently mature to make decisions of this kind on her own.
Which of the following statements is correct?
A 6-month-old boy is brought to the General Practitioner because of a painless swelling of the scrotum on one side. The swelling enlarges during the day and diminishes overnight. On examination there is a smooth swelling, within which the testis can be felt. Transillumination is seen when a torch is held against the scrotum.
Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
Can you rephrase the question to ask for the correct incubation periods for the given diseases?
A 10-week-old boy has not opened his bowels for five days. The mother reports that he is exclusively breastfed. The baby appears healthy, and examination findings are unremarkable. Meconium was passed within the first 24 hours after birth. What is the most suitable course of action?
A 7-year-old boy presents with a viral upper respiratory tract infection. On examination, you hear a heart murmur that has not been noted previously.
Which of the following features is most indicative of an innocent murmur?
A 5-year-old boy has had a limp for several weeks. His parents do not recall any injury or recent ill health. His left ankle is swollen and cannot be moved, although it is not especially painful. His symptoms are particularly bad in the mornings, but his gait improves during the day. He has not had any other symptoms.
Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
A 5-year-old child is seen in surgery with malaise and a rash.
What features would lead you to suspect that this child has measles?