ConsolidAiT

InnovAiT is produced on a 3 year cycle. However, many articles do not significantly go out of date in that time. This section of InnovAiT summarizes articles from the previous cycle of InnovAiT that GPs and GPs in training might still find useful today.

Knee pain

Dr Tauseef H. Mehrali, Dr Idnan Yunas

InnovAiT 2009 2(7): p. 396–401

The nature and role of the knee joint render it particularly susceptible to local injury and it is also affected in systemic disease. Knee pain is a common presenting symptom in primary care. This article overviews common and important causes of knee pain and the assessment of patients presenting with knee pain in the GP surgery.

Management of shoulder pain in general practice

Dr Richard Murphy, Professor Andrew Carr

InnovAiT 2009 2(7): p. 402407

Around 1% of adults consult their GP with a new presentation of shoulder pain each year. The aetiology of shoulder pain is diverse and many disorders present with similar symptoms and signs. Patients with shoulder pain suffer from a spectrum of functional disability; they may have difficulty performing many essential activities of daily living and are often forced to take time off work. This article overviews the assessment, management and common causes of shoulder pain for patients presenting to the GP surgery.

Joint and soft tissue injections in general practice

Dr Stephanie Saunders

InnovAiT 2009 2(7): p. 408–413

Injection therapy is an intervention that normally involves localized administration of a corticosteroid with a local anaesthetic. It is often performed for musculoskeletal pain in general practice. This article overviews the provision of joint injections in the primary care setting and outlines the procedure for commonly performed joint and soft tissue injections.

Venous and arterial leg ulceration

Dr Greg Irving, Dr Simon Hargreaves

InnovAiT 2009 2(7): p. 352–357

Chronic leg ulceration is a major health problem in the UK; 1–2% of the population is likely to have a chronic leg ulcer at any one time increasing to 3% in those over 65 years old. The majority of chronic leg ulcers have a venous component (60–80%) but 10–30% result from arterial insufficiency. Most of the clinical management falls to primary care with over 80% of patients with leg ulcers cared for in the community. This article reviews the assessment and management of leg ulcers in primary care.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms

Dr Gayle Knights

InnovAiT 2009 2(7): p. 430–433

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are uncommon and difficult to diagnose, but they are also life-threatening surgical emergencies and as such, the GP should always have a low threshold for suspicion and admission. In contrast, many patients have small asymptomatic aneurysms, often diagnosed by chance during investigations for other illnesses. This article aims to look at both surveillance and treatment of the asymptomatic AAA and the emergency management of the rupturing AAA.

Adult self-directed learning: setting your own agenda

Professor Richard Hays

InnovAiT 2009 2(7): p. 434–438

We must continue to learn lifelong as medicine advances and the skill set required of GPs evolves. This article overviews the principle of adult self-directed learning. It also provides advice on how to set your own relevant learning objectives, find appropriate learning resources and then check the impact of your learning on your own subsequent practice.