PSA Tomorrow

Does anyone have any good resources or tips when it comes to prescribing blood products: packed cells, FFP, platelets etc.

Can't find anything in the BNF.

Also, any general tips or unusual topics that caught people unawares?

Thanks

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Reply 1

tpxvs

Original post by seagulls88

hey - what made you think packed cells / FFP etc could come up? Its not been in any of the psa practice papers.. and i know nothing about prescribing them! (also have PSA tomorrow!)

Reply 2

seagulls88

Original post by tpxvs

hey - what made you think packed cells / FFP etc could come up? Its not been in any of the psa practice papers.. and i know nothing about prescribing them! (also have PSA tomorrow!)

I was told by someone in the year above that last year they had to prescribe platelets and that everyone was a bit thrown by it.

I have also found a few online sources that say that it is a topic that could be examined.

Hopefully it will be obvious if it does show up?! The drop down menu may help?!

Reply 3

tpxvs

Original post by seagulls88

i tried to type platelets as an answer (you know how you start typing and the options prop up..) but nothing is even coming up?

Reply 4

girl_in_black

Have a look here: http://www.who.int/bloodsafety/clinical_use/en/Handbook_EN.pdf

It's quite comprehensive but it tells you how fast products can be given and how quickly after thawing they must be used, and the indications for each blood product type.

There is also a section in the Oxford Handbook for the Foundation Programme on transfusions.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 5

RainBow_xo

There was one question in the practice papers and the answer was dried prothrombin 'something'. I think the vignette was a patient going for surgery, was on warfarin and INR was really high.

Reply 6

tpxvs

Original post by RainBow_xo

There was one question in the practice papers and the answer was dried prothrombin 'something'. I think the vignette was a patient going for surgery, was on warfarin and INR was really high.

yep, but this stuff you can look up in the BNF. also it was a question where you have to pick the answer out of a set of options which is a lot more straight forward than writing a prescription yourself (which i definitely dont know how to do for platelets etc)

Reply 7

RainBow_xo

Original post by tpxvs

Oh yes yes, I see! I misunderstood the questions. But yeah, I haven’t come across anything like that yet

Reply 8

tpxvs

how did everyone find it

Reply 9

tania<3

First question threw everyone off. I spent so long stuck on it I had to come back to it at the very end and then it clicked that it was an Addisionian crisis and prescribed some steroids. Not sure which is first line but I put hydrocortisone so...

Otherwise the rest of the paper seemed quite tough, I also got stuck on the hepatic encephalopathy one and I had to rush through the communication section cos I just didn't have time.

Why do they need to make it such a time pressured exam!?!

Reply 10

nexttime

Original post by tania<3

Why do they need to make it such a time pressured exam!?!

Maybe to reflect real life? :P

Reply 11

RainBow_xo

Our PSA results are out. I hope everyone passed!

Reply 12

seagulls88

Would you be able to post the passmark? Our uni are withholding our marks until after finals...

Reply 13

tpxvs

Original post by RainBow_xo

Our PSA results are out. I hope everyone passed!

ours were out last week for the 12 march paper! thankfully i have passed.. with a fairly lower score than the practice papers but pleased none the less that all assessments are out the way!

Reply 14

RainBow_xo

Original post by seagulls88

Would you be able to post the passmark? Our uni are withholding our marks until after finals...

The pass mark was 64%. Best of luck with finals!

Reply 15

RainBow_xo

Original post by tpxvs

ours were out last week for the 12 march paper! thankfully i have passed.. with a fairly lower score than the practice papers but pleased none the less that all assessments are out the way!

Oh wow! That was pretty fast! Well done on passing! At least that part is done and dusted! :smile:

Reply 16

jbtp

Does anyone know why some universities have already found out and others not, despite all taking it on the 12 March? We don't even know when we're going to find out.

Reply 17

RainBow_xo

Original post by jbtp

Does anyone know why some universities have already found out and others not, despite all taking it on the 12 March? We don't even know when we're going to find out.

The website stated that we’d find out two weeks after the exam and our university would inform us of when the results were available.

Our university has not said anything to us regarding the results. One of my classmates informed the rest of us that the results were up.

Have you checked the website?